Helper thanks employer for letting her fast during Ramadan
A man in Singapore was taken aback after a domestic helper under his employment thanked him for allowing her to fast during Ramadan.
She later revealed that her previous employers had not permitted her to do so.
The man, who goes by @thatbotakguy on TikTok, related the story in a video posted on 4 March.
Asks for permission to fast
According to the Original Poster (OP), his helper is a practicing Muslim from Indonesia.
As such, she had approached him to ask if she could fast during the month of Ramadan which started on 18 Feb and ends on 20 March.
“I didn’t see any problem with it and so I said of course, go for it,” he explained.
@thatbotakguy Why people like that ah? #sg #singapore #respect #religion #fyp
According to the OP, he felt that her religious practice would not affect her work at all.
“I’m not going to stop you from doing anything like that because it doesn’t affect me in any way,” he added.
Source: @thatbotakguy on TikTok
However, he was surprised when his helper later thanked him for allowing her to fast.
The OP said he did not initially understand why she felt the need to express such gratitude.
Not his place to interfere with beliefs, says employer
“Sometime this week, she actually thanked me for letting her fast,” he said. “So I was a little bit shocked as to why she would thank me.”
When the OP asked her about it, she revealed that her previous two employers didn’t allow her to do so. The revelation left him unsure how to react.
The employer said he felt it was not his place to interfere with someone’s religious beliefs.
Source: @thatbotakguy on TikTok
He also added that he was “in no position” to decide how strictly someone should adhere to their faith.
The OP then asked other employers for their stance: “If you’ve got helpers or hired help, what’s your take on this?”
“Do you let your helpers observe their religious practices, in this instance, fast, and if no, why not?”
Some employers think fasting lowers productivity
The clip has since prompted comments about how employers treat domestic helpers, and whether they should be allowed to practise their religion while working.
A netizen shared how some employers think that fasting reduces their domestic helpers’ “work efficiency”.
Source: TikTok
Another TikTok user added that some employers may be worried that fasting would affect their helpers’ energy levels and therefore, their ability to perform their duties.
Source: TikTok
Meanwhile, one netizen claimed that they allow their helper to take a nap in the morning during Ramadan because they wake up at 4.30am to prepare the pre dawn meal.
Source: TikTok
One commenter respected the OP for what he did and reminded everyone that domestic helpers are humans too.
Source: TikTok
Also read: Domestic Helper Hasn’t Seen Her Kids In 6 Years, Employer Flies Them To S’pore
Domestic Helper Hasn’t Seen Her Kids In 6 Years, Employer Flies Them To S’pore
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Featured image adapted from @thatbotakguy on TikTok and Inter Great Employment Pte Ltd. Image on the right for illustration purposes only.
