Term 3 Week 1

Q:  In your opinion, should the giving of weekly days off be legislated in Singapore?


In my opinion, giving weekly days off should be legislated in Singapore. The maids work for their employers for nearly everyday of the month and it is only deserving for them to have a day off per week to rest and relax. Their job scope is handling every single household chore, in addition to taking care of children, which many of them are employed for this reason. The job that they are doing is the one that we Singaporeans are unwilling or "do not have the time" to do, and it is extremely strenuous mentally and physically for them to go through all these, sometimes even getting severely reprimanded when making an error. Giving the maids a day off per week will most probably reduce their chances of falling sick, and also keep them happy and willing to work for their employers. Moreover, through their days off, they should be able to meet and befriend other maids, and might just learn some ways to more effectively carry out her job. The maid may even opt to go for skills improvement courses, which would positively affect her life in her future, possibly helping her get a better paying job. With the legislation, we will be able to ensure that the maids are well-treated and not overworked without breaks. With their welfare taken care of, relations with the philippines and indonesia will definitely improve too. The other foreign workers are also given one day off a week, and there is no reason why maids should not be treated in a similar way. In conclusion, it is in the consideration of the welfare of the maid, and that they are not our slaves, that we have to legislate that all maids have to be given weekly days off.