Maid quits after 70-year-old employer stops giving her work to do
A 70-year-old employer, dissatisfied with her newly hired maid's cooking and slow pace, stopped assigning her any work.
The maid, citing immense stress, left after working for just two months.
Madam Lian, 78, told Shin Min Daily News that although she is still healthy and able to go out on her own, her son, who frequently travels overseas for work, was concerned about her being home alone. To ease his worries, they hired an Indonesian maid last September.
According to Madam Lian, the maid claimed to have previous experience working in Hong Kong, although this was her first time working in Singapore.
“But when she arrived, I realised she would just be on her phone all day. I’m quite particular about my food, and the way she cut vegetables and her style of cooking didn’t suit my taste, so I decided to cook for myself and stopped letting her handle the meals,” said Madam Lian.
She claimed that the maid washed only her own clothes and did not help with Madam Lian's, leaving her to manage on her own.
“She also kept complaining to my son, saying I never took her out. But whenever I go out, I have things to do. I can't be taking her everywhere I go.”
About two months into her employment, the maid left one morning while Madam Lian was out exercising. The following day, the maid returned with her agent to collect her belongings.
When contacted, the maid’s employment agency, speaking under anonymity, said the maid felt under a lot of pressure because Madam Lian wouldn’t allow her to do any housework, which led to her decision to leave.
“She’s now been assigned to a new employer, who is very happy with her. They say she’s doing an excellent job caring for the elderly,” the agent added.
The agency noted that from what they understood, Madam Lian hadn’t wanted to hire a maid in the first place and did so only because her son insisted, which might explain why she preferred to do things herself rather than let the maid help.
Madam Lian also claimed that several thousand dollars in cash, which she had kept in a drawer, had gone missing. She suspected the maid could have taken the money when she left.
She filed a police report but the case was dropped as there was no evidence.
The agency confirmed that the maid had been interviewed by the police and no action was taken.
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