Amidst rising affluence, job pressures, a competitive societal culture, a prevalence of dual-income parents and a rapidly ageing population, families in Singapore have developed quite a dependence on domestic helpers.
In less than a decade, the number of foreign domestic workers in Singapore has spiked more than 25%. Today, every fifth Singaporean household has a helper. Over 200,000 foreign domestic workers serve in our land.
Yet over the years, media interviews with agents, employers and helpers themselves have revealed complex sets of long-standing grievances.
Reports of domestic helpers borrowing from moneylenders, contaminating employers’ food, abusing babies under their care and stealing make headlines from time to time.
On the other hand, abuse cases involving employers mistreating their helpers emotionally, physically and even sexually are also not uncommon.
Based on reading these different headlines and talking to peers, it’s no wonder the thought of whether to hire a domestic helper can leave one with decision paralysis.
It must seem odd to our friends that Cliff and I live on a part-time, single income with no domestic helper. Of late, many young Christian couples have been asking us how we came to this decision.
I often share our personal journey but emphasise that, at the end of the day, the decision whether to have a domestic helper is an intensely personal one. There is no right nor wrong option. Rather, it is the position of our hearts which matters most.
Read more in the link below for three helpful questions to ponder.
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