Adjustment of a Domestic Helper to Life in Singapore
Singapore is a very quick pace and competitive society. Most Singaporean women are either career driven or a professional housewife with very high expectation in all aspects of their family life. In order to focus with their own careers, they generally hired a domestic helper to look after the children, elderly, adults or pets, as well as their managing household chores such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, and marketing.
Hiring a domestic helper in Singapore comes with its own set of expectations and requires a series of adjustments – to new culture, environment, food, time, and most of all with their employers. Living in another country and being away from their love ones are not as easy as what we think. They often fully aware of having to live far from their homes and family for extended periods, however, they are just human after all, they are prone to feel homesick, which can affect their work performance.
How to Get Along with Employer?
When you employed to work in a private household like in Singapore, you are often clueless about the actual conditions of the family that you will be working for until on your first day work. Anxiety will always be part of every new experience whether you are an experienced domestic helper or not. Most of employers would try their best to get along with their helper and will consider them as part of their family. Since you will be working and living in the same household with your employer and wish to stay longer in your work as a domestic helper, you must get along with them, treat them with love and care as your own family and develop a healthy working relationship with your employers.
Some Useful Tips on How to Stay Longer in One Employer as a Domestic Helper
1. Love your Job
Not everyone has a job and not everyone can easily get a job. You are already fortunate to have it, even if it’s a difficult job, you must and need to love it. As long as your employer is not hurting you. Once you love what you are doing, you will enjoy it. Being a domestic helper is not as easy as it seems, but you must have a long patience especially for those naughty kids or nagging elderly to look after. Being happy at work and loving what you do is an overall productivity booster and it enhances your job performance.
2. Love your Employer or Patient
You’re in charge of your relationship with your employers, and the quality of that relationship helps you achieve your goals. Treat your employers or patient as your own family. For employer, it’s not easy to entrust their household or love ones to stranger’s hands. As a helper, you need to be as caring as possible to the family you are working for. The only way you can truly care for them is to make sure their well being and safety at all times.
3. Be a Faithful Helper
You should be honest and faithful to your employers no matter what. Serve them with genuineness. Making sure that the household is well taken care of while your employers are off to office or in a business trip. Treat them well and surely your faithfulness to them will gain you goodness as well.
4. Dress Modesty
Modesty is important if you are working as a stay-in helper. It helps maintaining a good environment and bonding with the people you are dealing with or surroundings. Avoid wearing shorts or clothing that is too revealing when you are in the premises of your employer’s house.
5. Ask Permission
Remember being respectful is one of the kindest thing to do and it is important as asking permission because it is a good way to show respect to your employers. It helps you become more responsible and trustworthy. For example, never give the address of your employer for you can get into trouble for that.
When your employer sees you as kind, trustworthy, reliable and hardworking helper, they might give you a reward by salary raise or a bonus. Who knows? Another great thing by staying in one employer, is that you already mastered their daily basis and adjusting to their lifestyle. Though, it is often a give and take relationship. While you may be accepted as part of your employer’s family, you must never forget your role as a domestic helper. You should never threaten the harmony and relationship of the family you are working for. Keep and protect the trust you are given.
