SINGAPORE: An employer has complained online that her domestic helper expects meals to be cooked for her despite having access to a fully stocked fridge.

On Wednesday (Jun 3), the employer posted in the “Myanmar Maids in Singapore” Facebook group, stating, “Nowadays, are helpers so demanding? Expect employer to cook for them? My fridge is full, but she’s so lazy to cook lunch, then complains that I never give her food. Any employer in the same shoes as me? Any helper can help explain her actions? She really pisses me off every day.”

She added, “I initially cooked for her to show her how to turn on the stove, but subsequently she started thinking that ma’am is supposed to cook for her.”

To support her claims, the employer shared a photo showing a refrigerator packed with food.

Photo: Facebook/ Myanmar Maids in Singapore

Beyond the food-related complaints, the employer said that the helper, whose main role is to care for children, had repeatedly shown little enthusiasm for the job. 

The helper allegedly told the family she was “too old to run after kids” and claimed she did not know how to organise toys or properly engage with children because such practices were uncommon where she came from.

The employer also raised concerns about the helper’s conduct while supervising the children outdoors.

She claimed that when crossing roads, the helper would sometimes tell the children to “run” across instead of waiting for vehicles to pass.

Adding to her growing list of grievances, the employer said that the helper rarely greets her, regularly “spoils” the children, spends long periods on her phone, and has damaged toys, pots and pans without apologising.

“[My helper] just wants to find an easy job. She doesn’t cook, doesn’t clean, expects the employer to serve her, and uses her phone the whole day.”

“I am returning to the agent, and she is looking at a transfer at the maid agency. She has a 7-month loan (cleared 1.5 months with me). If you wish to get her name, you can comment.”

“We don’t know the full story.”

In the comments, one fellow employer said she felt frustrated after reading about the helper’s alleged behaviour.

“Employers must provide 3 meals a day, BUT they must COOK FOR THEMSELVES not we cook for them. So many maids apply for the job, expect to be paid monthly, expect employers to provide as per MOM regulations, but they are lazy and totally useless!”

Another commenter said the story reminded her of a former helper.

“Wow… you reminded me of my ex-helper. Food was prepared for her, but she would say to keep it in the fridge because she would eat it the next day. However, the food stayed there for two weeks. She couldn’t even be bothered to throw it away, even though she was the one who [asked to keep] it. She thought she was a princess.”

A third commenter claimed to have had a similar experience.

“My previous helper also had the same pattern. Worst case, she accused us of not giving 3 meals to eat (but she was the one who didn’t prepare for herself). And telling lies, all sort of lies…”

Others, however, were not entirely convinced by the employer’s account. One user pointed out that some employers keep their refrigerators fully stocked but do not allow their helpers to eat certain food items. “We don’t know the full story. Let MOM investigate,” they added.

Another questioned whether the employer had clearly communicated that the helper was free to cook whatever food was available.

“Yes, we see your fridge is full!! No doubt, BUT did you tell her she can cook anything she wants?”

In other news, a new domestic helper has raised concerns after finding out that the family she was hired to work for included more people than what was originally stated in her contract.

In an anonymous post in the “SINGAPORE TRANSFER (No Fees/SD), DIRECT HIRE & NEW HELPER” Facebook group, the helper shared, “In my contract, it states that I am only supposed to care for Sir, Ma’am, and two kids. However, when I arrived at my employer’s house, two aunties were also living here.”

Read more: ‘Is this normal and okay?’: New maid shocked to find extra family members living in employer’s home

This article (Employer fumes as helper expects meals to be cooked for her despite fridge being full) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.