SINGAPORE: A domestic helper shared on social media that her employer “forced her” to stay and keep working even though she wanted to quit because of her mental health issues.
Posting anonymously in the Facebook group ‘MDW in Singapore’ on Friday (Nov 22), she opened up about feeling overwhelmed and stressed at work.
She wrote that “she’s been doing her best at her job,” but the stress of dealing with her employer’s mood swings and the tough work environment has taken a serious toll on her.
“I feel really stressed and [find it] difficult to cope with my working environment,” she lamented. “I cannot take the feeling of my stress anymore and can’t eat and sleep well because of this.”
When she tried to discuss her decision to terminate her contract, her employer dismissed her concerns and insisted that she stay and continue working.
“Is the mental health of the helper not a valid reason to terminate the contract? Cause my employer, I don’t know if she understands or just doesn’t want to understand,” she wrote, asking for advice.
“Employers have no right to hold a helper when there is no more peace.”
In the comments section, many netizens agreed that her employer cannot ‘force’ her to keep working and that mental health is a valid reason to resign.
They encouraged her to talk to her employer about the decision again, clarifying that her well-being was at stake and that she could not continue under such stressful conditions.
One netizen said, “Apologies to say, but employers have no right to hold a helper when there is no more peace.
If the helper is stressed and depressed because of the workload, and there is no more understanding between them and no more consideration about what’s happening, why should the helper still be there?
Helpers have the right to resign, find a better work environment, work peacefully, and work responsibly and with full pride, not by force.”
A few others also advised her to contact the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) or worker advocacy groups for guidance on how to proceed legally and protect her rights.
One netizen commented, “I believe you did SIP training. If you listened during the training, then you should have an idea of what to do or who to call when employment issues arise.
Agency, embassy, CDE, or MOM are some of the help channels you can reach out to.”
Another wrote, “Know your rights. An employer can not hold back a helper if the helper doesn’t like to work with the employer anymore.
You can consult with your agent and seek their help to midiate between you and your employer. Mental health is a serious matter. Take good care of yourself.”
Domestic helpers have the right to resign at any time
According to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), employees, including domestic helpers, have the right to resign at any time as long as they give the required notice or compensate their employer with salary in lieu of notice.
Employers cannot refuse to cancel a work pass (such as an EP, S Pass, or Work Permit), and they cannot use this as a means to pressure or punish employees during disputes.
If there’s a disagreement, both the employer and employee should try to sort it out calmly, or they can get help through mediation by contacting the employment agency, the Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore), or the Centre for Domestic Employees.
If the employer still refuses to cancel the work pass after the helper has resigned and given notice, the worker can contact MOM for help.
Read also: Maid says she “doesn’t want to work” but wants to report her employer who “doesn’t want to pay”
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
