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When Fu employed a domestic worker from Myanmar in 2019, all seemed well initially.

Fu, who has four children aged between four and 13, told Shin Min Daily News that she employed a helper to take care of her kids.

The helper was described to be an even-tempered, good worker who would take the initiative to help out around the house.

But all this changed this year.

"It's like she became a different person"

Fu claimed that her helper initially "refused to rest", so they paid her extra as a means of compensation.

This year, when the helper's contract her renewed in May, they agreed that the helper would have a raise as well as days off.

After she started going out with friends, however, Fu noticed a change in her helper's work attitude. She claimed that her helper would "throw tantrums, like she became a different person".

Fu told the Chinese daily that her helper snapped at her 6-year-old son in July. CCTV footage apparently showed her yelling aggressively at the kid as he wouldn't stop playing during his meal.

The helper had also requested for a change in employer two weeks after that incident, but refused to give a reason why.

A CCTV camera installed in the living room also purportedly showed the helper sobbing while looking at her phone. Sometimes, she was seen squatting on the floor crying with her head in her hands, and muttering to herself at other times.

On the weekend of Sep. 5, Fu said that her helper refused to leave the house during her day off, choosing instead to coop herself up in her room without eating, drinking or showering. The same thing happened the following day, according to Fu.

Maid agency intervenes

Fu eventually requested assistance from the maid agency.

On Sep. 7, someone from the agency spoke to the helper, coaxing her to have her meals and take a bath, saying that she will be taken away in a few days' time.

According to Shin Min Daily News, the spokesperson also advised the helper and employer to reach a compromise through communication. Fu was advised to not leave her young children alone with the helper.

The agency is expected to possibly offer a replacement sometime in mid-September.

Mental well-being of domestic workers in S'pore

There can be many reasons as to why the helper could have experienced large mood changes, the agency spokesperson said.

It could be stresses from work, or an inability to cope with a change in environment — factors which could be exacerbated due to other events, such as the Covid-19 pandemic or the recent coup in Myanmar earlier this year.

A commentary published by Today said that factors that might result in added stress include anxiety due to intermittent lockdowns, and increased distance from family due to the postponement of home country visitations.

Hence, it was suggested that employers should pay increased attention to the well-being of helpers, who "may keep their emotions bottled up", eventually leading to a breakdown.

Maid agencies facing manpower crunch

CNA reported in Jan. 2021 that it has become more expensive to bring in domestic workers during the pandemic due to the various additional administrative costs.

There was also an increase in the number of clients making requests for new domestic workers. A possible reason given was that many employers have been "holding on for a long time to hire", but there have been very few domestic workers entering Singapore from March to October last year.

With even more restrictions on the entry for work pass holders announced in May 2021, maid agencies were dealt yet another blow.

New entry approvals for work pass holders from countries with higher risk of Covid-19 — including Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar — were halted.

The bulk of Singapore's domestic workers are from these countries, The Straits Times reported.

Top photo via Shin Min Daily News.

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