'I'm not a robot!' — Maid says after her employer doesn't allow her to take a 1-hour nap to rest in the afternoons
Her post in the Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid / Domestic Helper group reads: 'Hello to all employers out there… why do some employers not allow their helpers to take a nap to rest just for 1 hour in the afternoon? Is your helper a robot? [I'm not a robot!] But even robots can [break down without rest].'
The exhausted but eloquent maid summed up what many helpers have quietly endured for years: A robotic work schedule, but none of the perks of actually being a robot (like being able to shut down when overheating). 'This is Singapore, baby 😔. [Expect] overwork.'
Her post struck a nerve, and the comments quickly turned into a mini United Nations summit on sleep rights.
On one end of the spectrum were those who resonated deeply with her fatigue: 'Dear, I have been in Singapore for almost 8 years. I don't have a nap time. I start working from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.,' wrote one.
That's a 16-hour shift — longer than most CEOs, but minus the private jet and stock options, though.
Another commenter lamented, 'This is Singapore, baby 😔. [Expect] overwork.'
And on the other side was a mix of tough love, employer empathy, and social media blame. One group member, channelling some corporate stoicism, said: 'Singapore is like this…
Employers also work for other people, and they do not get nap times either. If they ask their boss for nap times, their boss will ask them to quit, go home, and have their nap [to their hearts' content].'
Another was less blunt but still firm: 'Sleep early after your work is done. Don't stay up 🤗. We come here to work, not vacation.'
And then there were the employers — the good, the rare, and the TikTok-loving. One proudly declared:
'My helper is different. I gave her rest time and constantly reminded her to rest, but she enjoys being in the kitchen.😆'
Another piped up: 'My employer always pushes me to go to my room to take a nap after lunch, but I don't like to nap. I like to watch funny TikToks and laugh alone 🤣.' 'But even robots can [break down without rest]…'
According to Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) guidelines, domestic helpers are entitled to adequate rest, which reasonably includes at least eight continuous hours of sleep at night and adequate breaks during the day, but what qualifies as 'adequate' is often up to the employer's interpretation — and that's where things get fuzzy.
One comment hit this nuance: 'That really depends on the chores and the hours they get rest… The employer's work is more hectic, right? We only ask the helper to do house chores and take care of those at home.'
The logic seems to be: If helpers' bosses don't get naps at their office desks, why should maids get one at home?
But let's unpack that a little…
Employers might not nap at their 9-to-5 desks — but they're also not folding laundry while chasing toddlers and dodging flying tofus. Domestic work is physical and relentless, and unlike many desk jobs, there's often no official lunch hour, much less a breakroom stocked with free coffee and a microwave.
As the maid so wisely said: 'Even robots can [break down without rest].' 'Rules from MOM: Helpers should work for 8 hours only…'
Some commenters pointed out the abuse of rest privileges: 'Employers allow naps, but ungrateful helpers use the energy to be awake at night on social media.'
Which begs the eternal question: Is it the nap that's the problem, or the TikTok energy after dark?
One more voice of reason chimed in with a reality check:
'Make sure you sleep enough at night, sister. For me, taking a nap is not the problem; it's just important that my resting time at night is 8 p.m. so that I can sleep early.'
Others cited the law: 'Rules from MOM: Helpers should work for 8 hours only. If more than 8 hours, you can talk to MOM 👍.'
But we all know — what's on paper isn't always what plays out in real life. 'I'm not a robot!'
The broader point isn't just about naps. It's about dignity. It's about recognising that people aren't machines, no matter how efficient or hardworking they are. A simple one-hour nap isn't laziness — it's maintenance.
And if a robot can overheat and crash without a break, imagine what happens to a human being.
As this debate snoozes on in the Facebook comments section, one thing is clear: Empathy, not exhaustion, should be the gold standard in every household.
Because 'I'm not a robot!' shouldn't have to be a reminder to give helpers time to rest. It should be offered freely for the sake of basic human decency, nevertheless.
In other news, another employer also seemed to forget that helpers aren't robots, probably from having a system error in human empathy, until her maid finally asked, 'Dear employer, how do you just lie on the sofa every day holding your mobile phone? Do you realize that servants are also human and feel tired?'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
9 hours ago
- CNA
‘A remarkable educator': Former principal of Anglican High, Yusof Ishak Secondary principal dies
SINGAPORE: The former principal of Yusof Ishak Secondary School, who led the school in its move from Bukit Batok to Punggol, died on Monday (Aug 18). Madam Maureen Lee, 59, was the school's principal from 2018 to 2024. Before that, she was the principal of Anglican High School from 2010 to 2017. Both schools posted tributes to her online on Tuesday. No details are known about her job position this year or the cause of her death. In a Facebook post, Yusof Ishak Secondary School said that its former principal was instrumental in leading the shift of the school campus from Bukit Batok to Punggol and laying the foundations at its new campus. 'A bold and visionary educator, she led the team to push new frontiers with what school and learning could be like. Her inspiring leadership has inspired many educators to go beyond to try new ways to engage students,' the Facebook post read. 'Her heart embraced staff, students, parents and the wider community. In all that she did, she showed what it means to believe, inspire and nurture growth in those under her care.' In 2023, CNA interviewed Mdm Lee about being a principal. When she took on her role at the start of 2018, students at Yusof Ishak Secondary School were told the same year that they would be the last cohort at the school's Bukit Batok campus before it relocated to Punggol. During her time there, she made herself easily available to the students. Under her 'Dear Mdm Lee' initiative, students got the chance to write letters to her, sharing their struggles with her or even suggestions for improvements to the school. She promised to reply to each letter, she said at the time. When asked at the time what she thought was her students' impression of her, Mdm Lee laughed and said that they might see her as someone who was like a friend or a confidante, because she responds to their letters. "I'd say I'm a nurturing principal, open to their ideas. And sometimes, they may even be crazy ideas but, well, (there) is a sense of wonder in every kid," she added. Before taking on leadership roles in schools, Mdm Lee was a physics teacher at Henderson Secondary School for 13 years. She became vice-principal at Balestier Secondary School in 2001 and moved to Kranji Secondary School to become its principal in 2005 before she went to Anglican High School. Mr Chan Chun Sing, former Minister for Education, took to Facebook on Tuesday to pen a tribute to Mdm Lee, noting that he had met her many times when she was principal of Yusof Ishak Secondary School. 'We lost a remarkable educator yesterday. Madam Maureen Lee led with compassion, vision and deep care for her students and colleagues,' he wrote. 'Her legacy will continue to guide us. Our thoughts are with her loved ones and those whose lives she has touched.'
Independent Singapore
14 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Singaporean spots ‘fault in our stars' on flag
Reddit screengrab/tim-how-when SINGAPORE: Given that it's the Little Red Dot's birthday month and this year is an especially important one, everyone should expect to see the flag, well, practically everywhere, but when a sharp-eyed local Reddit user saw one that did not seem quite right, they s hared a photo of it on the r/Singapore with the title 'The Fault in Our Stars.' 'Has anyone seen this mistake (pentagon of stars is inverted) anywhere else?' the post author, u/tim-how-when, asked, adding that they are 'curious if this was a one-time commission, or if it extends to an entire batch/supplier.' The photo shows an otherwise innocent-looking Singapore flag posted on a gate, except that the positioning of the stars is not quite right. The fact that whoever manufactured the flag got this important detail incorrectly was mind-boggling to many of the commenters. 'How would the design even get that wrong?' asked one, who wondered if the person responsible for the flag 'created a project file from scratch rather than grabbing the flag vector from NHB or Wikipedia.' Another asked jokingly if it could be 'a silent protest from the maker of the flag.' Others thought that the rise of the machines, aka AI, may be behind the error. 'It could be someone asking AI to create it and not checking after — Malaysia had similar incidents recently,' one wrote. Another, however, did not buy this, writing, 'There's no way someone is using AI for a country flag. How lazy can they be? The design is right there, just copy it.' 'Me putting 'detail oriented' on my resume vs me doing my job,' a Reddit user joked, while another wrote, 'Are people buying counterfeit flags off Taobao nowadays without knowing they can redeem for free?' 'Definitely not made in Singapore!' opined a commenter. One chimed in to say that the person who made the flag must have been smoking a KPod. At least one person, however, said they've encountered the same issue, writing, 'I once had a small Singapore flag with this same error. It is the flag with a hollow, clear plastic tube with a chocolate candy inside. Others, however, appreciated the clever spin from the post author in the title. ' The heading made me spit out my water laughing,' wrote one. 'Now THAT'S a title that I have not seen in a loooong time,' said another. /TISG Read also: 'Respect our country's flag' — Singaporeans upset after seeing underwear hung in front of Singapore flag at HDB block () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
Independent Singapore
17 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
'I'm not a robot!' — Maid says after her employer doesn't allow her to take a 1-hour nap to rest in the afternoons
SINGAPORE: In the never-ending tug-of-war between rest and responsibility, another domestic helper in Singapore just dropped a truth bomb that's been powering through Facebook faster than you can say 'afternoon nap.' Her post in the Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid / Domestic Helper group reads: 'Hello to all employers out there… why do some employers not allow their helpers to take a nap to rest just for 1 hour in the afternoon? Is your helper a robot? [I'm not a robot!] But even robots can [break down without rest].' The exhausted but eloquent maid summed up what many helpers have quietly endured for years: A robotic work schedule, but none of the perks of actually being a robot (like being able to shut down when overheating). 'This is Singapore, baby 😔. [Expect] overwork.' Her post struck a nerve, and the comments quickly turned into a mini United Nations summit on sleep rights. On one end of the spectrum were those who resonated deeply with her fatigue: 'Dear, I have been in Singapore for almost 8 years. I don't have a nap time. I start working from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.,' wrote one. That's a 16-hour shift — longer than most CEOs, but minus the private jet and stock options, though. Another commenter lamented, 'This is Singapore, baby 😔. [Expect] overwork.' And on the other side was a mix of tough love, employer empathy, and social media blame. One group member, channelling some corporate stoicism, said: 'Singapore is like this… Employers also work for other people, and they do not get nap times either. If they ask their boss for nap times, their boss will ask them to quit, go home, and have their nap [to their hearts' content].' Another was less blunt but still firm: 'Sleep early after your work is done. Don't stay up 🤗. We come here to work, not vacation.' And then there were the employers — the good, the rare, and the TikTok-loving. One proudly declared: 'My helper is different. I gave her rest time and constantly reminded her to rest, but she enjoys being in the kitchen.😆' Another piped up: 'My employer always pushes me to go to my room to take a nap after lunch, but I don't like to nap. I like to watch funny TikToks and laugh alone 🤣.' 'But even robots can [break down without rest]…' According to Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) guidelines, domestic helpers are entitled to adequate rest, which reasonably includes at least eight continuous hours of sleep at night and adequate breaks during the day, but what qualifies as 'adequate' is often up to the employer's interpretation — and that's where things get fuzzy. One comment hit this nuance: 'That really depends on the chores and the hours they get rest… The employer's work is more hectic, right? We only ask the helper to do house chores and take care of those at home.' The logic seems to be: If helpers' bosses don't get naps at their office desks, why should maids get one at home? But let's unpack that a little… Employers might not nap at their 9-to-5 desks — but they're also not folding laundry while chasing toddlers and dodging flying tofus. Domestic work is physical and relentless, and unlike many desk jobs, there's often no official lunch hour, much less a breakroom stocked with free coffee and a microwave. As the maid so wisely said: 'Even robots can [break down without rest].' 'Rules from MOM: Helpers should work for 8 hours only…' Some commenters pointed out the abuse of rest privileges: 'Employers allow naps, but ungrateful helpers use the energy to be awake at night on social media.' Which begs the eternal question: Is it the nap that's the problem, or the TikTok energy after dark? One more voice of reason chimed in with a reality check: 'Make sure you sleep enough at night, sister. For me, taking a nap is not the problem; it's just important that my resting time at night is 8 p.m. so that I can sleep early.' Others cited the law: 'Rules from MOM: Helpers should work for 8 hours only. If more than 8 hours, you can talk to MOM 👍.' But we all know — what's on paper isn't always what plays out in real life. 'I'm not a robot!' The broader point isn't just about naps. It's about dignity. It's about recognising that people aren't machines, no matter how efficient or hardworking they are. A simple one-hour nap isn't laziness — it's maintenance. And if a robot can overheat and crash without a break, imagine what happens to a human being. As this debate snoozes on in the Facebook comments section, one thing is clear: Empathy, not exhaustion, should be the gold standard in every household. Because 'I'm not a robot!' shouldn't have to be a reminder to give helpers time to rest. It should be offered freely for the sake of basic human decency, nevertheless. In other news, another employer also seemed to forget that helpers aren't robots, probably from having a system error in human empathy, until her maid finally asked, 'Dear employer, how do you just lie on the sofa every day holding your mobile phone? Do you realize that servants are also human and feel tired?'
