SINGAPORE: An employer has shared her frustration and disappointment after her helper, who had only been working for the family for a month, allegedly took out a loan despite being told not to. 

Posting anonymously in the SINGAPORE TRANSFER (No Fees/SD), DIRECT HIRE & NEW HELPER Facebook group, the employer said she had made her expectations clear from the very beginning. According to her, she repeatedly reminded the helper not to disclose information about the family or their home to outsiders and strictly told her never to borrow money.

She claimed she had also assured the helper that if she was facing financial difficulties, she could approach her directly for help instead of turning to lenders.

Despite those warnings, the employer alleged that on April 23, the helper borrowed from a moneylender she found through TikTok.

“She borrowed S$200 from a licensed moneylender on TikTok, and by the 26th, she was already expected to repay S$300. This is especially concerning as her salary is only paid on the 29th, and she still has an outstanding loan with the agency.”

The employer also claimed she later discovered that the helper had been sharing private details about the household with family members back home.

“Our household is usually empty during the day as both my husband and I work, and the children are out. I even chose to work from the office most of the time to give her space to adjust to our routine,” she wrote.

“However, I later found out that she has been sharing daily details about our home with her husband, including photos of my children, and speaking negatively about me.”

The employer said she felt particularly hurt because she believed she had treated the helper well and tried to make her feel welcome.

“I treated her with kindness, bringing her out and buying her clothes and shoes, hoping she would feel comfortable and motivated. Instead, my family’s privacy has been violated, and now we are dealing with potential issues from moneylenders,” she said.

She added that the helper had fabricated stories to her husband, including falsely saying that she had been hospitalised.

“I am honestly confused as to why she would do this,” the employer said. “I feel deeply disappointed and disrespected. Trust and privacy are very important in a home. I hope helpers understand that they are here to work, and while being treated like family is a bonus, it should not be taken for granted or abused. As an employer, I feel at the losing end.”

“Terminate ASAP.”

In the comments section, some Singaporeans urged the employer not to pay off the helper’s debts.

One commenter wrote, “DO NOT, under any circumstances, pay her debts. You will receive harassment from the money sharks. Do not answer. You must file police reports. If you just return her to the agent, they will send her to another employer, and the cycle repeats. This helper must be blacklisted for life.”

Another commented, “You treated the helper too nice TOO EARLY. – You should have observed her first before being nice to her. Since it involves a loan shark, I suggest calling MOM and possibly sending her back to her country.”

Meanwhile, several others questioned how the employer found out about both the loan and the alleged sharing of household information.

Responding to the queries, the employer explained, “It started while I was doing PayNow for her at the bank. I saw money being transferred to her. I got concerned as I had given her in hand (not her pay but out of goodwill) S$100, so to see S$220 when her pay was due on the 29th (today; this happened yesterday), I questioned her about the source of this money. And I gave the phone to the agent to check where this money came from, as I sensed something was off.”

“Only through checking her phone did we find the messages from the loan sharks and threats — everything. While the agent was checking, we saw the texts. Anyway, the helper gave me 6 different stories before we caught the loan shark calling her via WhatsApp, and the threats haven’t stopped since last night.”

One user said, “Because of this type of helper, it makes the others rotten. Report to Agent MOM about her immediately before the loan shark comes to your home with interest. She needs to be under the MOM case.”

Another added, “This is just the beginning; it starts here, and then it escalates to bigger issues. Terminate ASAP.”

Employers are not responsible for their helpers’ debts

According to the Ministry of Manpower, domestic helpers are not allowed to borrow money from unlicensed moneylenders. Helpers caught doing so may be permanently barred from working in Singapore again.

The ministry also states that employers are not responsible for their helper’s debts. Those facing harassment or threats from licensed or unlicensed moneylenders are advised to contact the police immediately by calling 999 or the X-Ah Long hotline at 1800-924-5664.

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This article (‘I treated her with kindness’: Employer shocked after maid allegedly went behind her back to borrow money) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.