SINGAPORE: A Singaporean employer has sparked discussion online after claiming her domestic helper asked to be reimbursed S$600 for household expenses even though the receipts provided only totalled S$350.

The employer, who shared her experience in the Facebook group SINGAPORE TRANSFER (No Fees/SD), DIRECT HIRE & NEW HELPER on Wednesday (May 13), said the issue only surfaced recently after months of reimbursements reportedly going smoothly.

According to the employer, the helper had been working for the family for about four to five months. 

She explained, “We knew that similar to most helpers, she struggles financially and doesn’t manage money well, but it’s not a huge concern for us yet. In the previous months, we let her keep all the receipts for grocery and household purchases in order for us to reimburse/expense her money.” 

“It went well before, as the total receipts matched the amount of money she was requesting. However, this time when we were calculating the receipts, there was a huge gap of S$250 missing.”

When questioned about the missing receipts, the helper reportedly explained that she had failed to keep all of them.

Although the employer acknowledged that it is understandable to occasionally lose receipts, she said the missing amount was simply too large to brush aside.

“I fully understand we sometimes lose receipts and they can easily go missing, but S$250 missing in a month is not a small amount in a month,” she wrote.

The employer also pointed out that the helper was not inexperienced. “My helper has been in Singapore working for 10-13 years, so she is not new.” 

“She also speaks perfect English; therefore, it shouldn’t be a language problem or misunderstanding. Not to mention, she actually managed well in the previous months. The receipts added up correctly before.”

Not knowing the appropriate course of action, the employer turned to the Facebook group for advice: “Can you share with us whether this is common and how to manage this? I’d like to seek some advice from the group and hear different perspectives on this.”

“How come you expect your helper to pay first?”

More than 150 comments poured in after the post was shared in the group. 

Many commenters said the employer should only reimburse the amount that could actually be verified through receipts. 

According to them, doing so would encourage the helper to be more “careful” about keeping proof of purchases in the future.

Some also pointed out that there are now easier ways to avoid this kind of misunderstanding altogether. 

One user, for example, suggested that the helper immediately take a photo of every receipt and send it over on WhatsApp after purchasing groceries or household items.

Another recommended giving the helper a “prepaid card” such as YouTrip instead.

One shared, “As an employer, I don’t ask my helper to pay first. I go to the supermarket with her to pay. If I cannot go, I pass her Youtrip card with S$50 inside and tell her exactly what I need. She comes back and returns me the card with the receipt.”

Still, not everyone felt the employer should refuse to cover the missing amount entirely. 

Some commenters believed there should be room for compromise, especially if this was the first time such an issue had happened.

One wrote, “I think this time round you can reimburse 50% because the helper also needs to bear the mistake and pain…then she will remember to account for every purchase next time.”

At the same time, quite a number of netizens seemed more puzzled by the arrangement itself than the missing receipts. They questioned why the helper was expected to use her own money first to pay for household groceries.

One said, “How come you expect your helper to pay first and then you to reimburse? Especially when the amount is in hundreds?” 

Another commented, “Stealing S$1 is still stealing. I won’t divert from the stealing issue, but I am very curious: why is your helper paying first? Perhaps you have not made your post clear? Helper paying first, especially in such big amounts, is unheard of, really.”/TISG

Read also: Maid complains of no privacy at employer’s home: ‘Even my room has CCTV’

This article (‘My maid asked for S$600, but the receipts only came up to S$350’: Employer shares concerns over helper’s reimbursement claim) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.