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
‘Every religion should be respected’
In response to MS News queries, Edric, 39, co-founder of a creative agency, shared that his helper asked for permission to fast a few days before Ramadan started.
He admitted that he was taken aback initially as he wasn’t expecting it but he quickly agreed.
He also revealed that he comes from a religious household where he and his wife are both Christians, with his wife being Catholic while he is of a different denomination.
“So to us, every religion should be respected and it didn’t seem like a question that even needed to be asked in our house,” Edric said.
Helper’s husband glad she found a good employer
According to Edric, his helper expressed her appreciation and gratitude a few days into starting her fasting.
She said she had spoken to her husband back home during their usual nightly chat, and he was very happy that she had found a good employer who allows her to fast.
Source: https://allthingsdelicious.sg/ for illustration purposes only
She also added that she wanted to express how grateful she is. “I was perplexed. I couldn’t understand why saying yes to fasting would warrant a thanks.”
When asked for his reaction upon learning that her previous employers had said no, Edric said: “Huh? Why?”
“We’re all living in a bubble, and I’m in my own. So educating myself was the main motivation,” he added.
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.
