COVID-19 has certainly made people change their way of life, but how are those who are away from their home country (e.g. domestic workers) holding up?
From online discussions, many helpers in Singapore welcome the circuit breaker because staying home will guarantee their safety, whether or not they get paid for their off days.
However, a few are worried that they will have to work extra days without getting paid.
One of the domestic workers, Miss E, urged her friends to talk to their employers or the Ministry of Manpower if they need better arrangements. She hopes that employers can be more understanding of their workers’ well-being – if they need helpers to work on Sundays, they should pay them accordingly. If not, they can let them rest at home.
There is no fixed solution as rules vary for each employer. For now, Miss E hopes that her fellow domestic workers can try to wait it out first. She finds it unwise to blow things up now as the situation is very different.
She added that the MOM is already being fair by advising helpers to stay home instead of taking away their off days entirely.
In a time where people are losing jobs, she feels lucky to still have one and encouraged her friends to appreciate what they have. She recognises that some helpers may not be as lucky but hopes that they can abide by Singapore’s circuit breaker measures by staying home and keeping healthy so that we can all see the end of COVID-19 soon.