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The parents of infant triplets, having found themselves a domestic helper after over a year of searching, ended up with more trouble on their hands when the helper quit after just five days.
They were not only left to take care of their three daughters — now 20 months old — and their household on their own, but also landed in a legal dispute over the refund of a S$3,800 deposit they had placed with the maid agency.
Parents say they hired help to take care of housework, not children
The couple, both first-time parents, said that they had spent 18 months looking for a maid, but faced repeated rejections from maid agencies that told them that three children would be too many to care for.
The agencies warned that the maids may not be able to care for the young triplets.
According to Lianhe Wanbao, the father of the triplets clarified that the helper was only going to be responsible for cooking and housework, explaining that his wife was currently caring for their children full-time.
He also said that the three children are in a phase where they are sticking quite closely to their parents.
The couple said that the maid was not brought in to care for the triplets, acknowledging that it would be challenging to care for three infants.
Worker claimed she was too tired to work due to health reasons
According to the parents of the triplets, the helper claimed she was too tired to work due to her health issues.
Once, when asked by the triplets' mother to help with housework, the maid would allegedly lift her top to show scars on her chest, saying that she was in poor health and had undergone surgery.
The employers said that information about the helper's condition, and the fact that she had required surgery, had been unfairly withheld by the agency.
Issues claiming deposit from agency
While the helper, from Myanmar, has since returned home, the parents are experiencing difficulties with claiming a S$3,800 deposit they had given the maid agency.
As they have only managed to recover around S$1,500 after a month of negotiations, the couple have had to take legal action by filing a claim with the Small Claims Tribunals.
The father of the triplets told Wanbao that his monthly income is around S$3,000 and that the outstanding sum was a significant amount for the family.
Top image via zelle duda on Unsplash