Whose fault? Your own fault.

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Hi! Welcome back to "Speak your mind".

Employing a Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) is actually a bet for both the employer and the FDW. For the FDW, the winnings will be the ability to have proper home and necessities for the family, and education for the children. However, there's a risk of their husband having affairs while they are not around, or their children having lack of love and discipline. Worst of all, they themselves might even encounter a torturous period in Singapore. Why is this so? Simply because there are employers who do not spare a thought for their domestic worker. Let's hear what Marcus would like to share with us:

"Some employers have the mentality that they are the bosses, so naturally they call the shots. My aunt used to make her maid work 19 hours a day, and she claims that the maid has to listen to everything she says because she pays her money. I feel that what she said was simply ridiculous!"

Yes! It is such acts that drive the FDW into harming their employer. It is true that the world is known to be unfair. However, we shouldn't make things more unfair by mistreating the FDW!

There are other employers who fear that their FDW would steal or mistreat their children, so they try to be extremely strict with them. However, they did not try to understand why would the domestic worker do so. If they have much more pay than 83 cents per hour, would they have to do so? Just like ourselves, given our minimum pay of $4 per hour, most of us wouldn't still take the risk of being sacked, and steal, right? The same goes for abusing the employer’s kids. The FDW wouldn't ill-treat them for no reason and face the risk of being sent home or facing the law. There are always employers like Marcus's aunt, who are causing such consequences. Here with us is Ling to share her views:

Why do you think the FDW will steal from the employer or abuse the kids?

"I think most of the domestic workers do negative stuff as a form of revenge to the employer's poor treatment. They might be given too much workload, too little sleep, or often being scolded by the employer, so they vent their anger on the kids. Or maybe, they just couldn't stand the fact that their hard work is only worth so little money. Another less possible reason is that they are missing their children too much, so they tend to get jealous to see the employer's happy family."

What about them having an affair with the married employer? What do you think?

“I think some married employers often try to take advantage of their young maids first because they are attracted to them. These employers usually do so on the pretext that they should do whatever they say. I think those maids do understand what they have to do and not to do. However they will not resist when employer tries to take advantage of them. That would be mainly because the maid thought she can get better treatment from her employer and that he will protect her when the wife scolds her. On the other hand, this is not always the case. The man will never try to help them because he will not want his wife to suspect and eventually find out what he did. In such cases, the maids are only trying to protect themselves and I believe most of them are not willing to do it if they have a choice.”

Well, I think all these are possible factors that cause the FDW to turn abusive. Then some might ask, since there are cases of both employer and FDW being abusive, why are we only making a big fuss over abusive employer? Now look at this, it is pitiful enough that the FDW left their home, family and everything to come over and earn this pathetic few hundreds, yet they are being abused! So of course when compared to employers whose kids are being abused, these FDW require more attention.

Furthermore, the employer has most of the say in the domestic worker's life, but the domestic worker cannot control their employer's life at all. So it is of course necessary to provide more protection for the FDW. Also, in most local cases of employers being the victim, the root of the problem lies on the employer, who mistreated the domestic worker first.

So employers of FDW, question yourself now. Are you appreciating your domestic worker as a cheap and extra pair of hand, or are you just treating her as a cheap slave? Put yourself in her she and ask yourself: Is the workload too heavy? How would you feel if your employer doesn't try to understand you, but just scold you for everything instead? If you still have not reflect on your acts, then don't regret for digging your own grave by forcing your FDW to turn abusive.

Thank you for joining me tonight. Remember to stay tuned for more upcoming contemporary issues.