SINGAPORE: In a Facebook post that lit up the Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid/Domestic Helper group, one employer posed a question: “Do I allow my maid to talk to her fellow helpers outside?”
The debate quickly turned from curious to combustible, with both employers and domestic workers weighing in on where the line lies between control and courtesy.
One employer firmly declared, “If it’s on their day off, it’s their issue. If during working hours, while with our kids or us, I do not allow. Safety and respect.” She reasons that chatter among helpers could “disrupt the routine,” cause delays, or lead to excuses like “throw rubbish can be the same time.”
Others saw red. “Madam, be human, please,” one commenter fired back. “You’re not buying her life, you’re just paying for her service.” Another pointedly asked, “Even you need a friend, or you don’t have friends?” The implication was that denying someone social connection reveals more about the employer than the helper.
Another employer opined a more balanced view: “I don’t really care what she does on her day off as long as she doesn’t break any law. But during normal days, I did tell her not to engage in small talk with neighbours… Greetings are fine.”
Still, the comment that got the most digital nods of approval might be this satirical zinger: “If you work in the company, your boss also allows you to talk to your colleagues.”
Meanwhile, several helpers joined in with personal stories that reminded everyone just how humane—and generous—some employers can be. One proudly shared: “My boss allows me to talk to everyone, allows me to use the phone 24 hours/30 days with free WiFi, eat at the same table together… my salary $1000.”
Another recalled, “My employers also talk and make friends with my friends who are also helpers. What is wrong and bad about that?”
But not all helpers were eager to socialize. “In contrast to my madam, I don’t like chatting with other helpers,” one confessed. Her employer, however, nudged her into a conversation anyway: “She asked another helper in the elevator, ‘Are you Indonesian?’ She was also Indonesian while pointing at me… finally, I chatted.”
The discussion ended with a sharp warning moment: “Another red flag employer.”
Whether you see it as a valid boundary or a controlling red flag, one thing we can see from here is that Singapore’s domestic work culture is still learning where respect ends and restrictions begin.
Read related: Maid’s employer asks, ‘Is it okay if I lock my helper’s passport away while we’re on vacation and travelling?’
