18/06/2024
I never know what/how to feel when seeing posts like these. The first is from a Facebook group which tries to connect domestic workers and employers directly, removing the need for an employer agent if the employer is able to apply for the work permit - bypassing agent fees which the agency typically passes on to the employer who then passes it on to the worker in the form of salary deductions over a few months. Although they’re private, anyone can easily join such Facebook groups and they can actually benefit both workers and employers. But the unease comes when so many of these posts portray (to me) workers in such subjugated ways (for lack of a better word). And they want to appear this way from perceived employability (told by their friends or family or agency) - that employers only want to hire helpers who are tame and meek and never question. I did cherry pick the second post from another Facebook group but such sentiments run so commonly. It’s infuriating and seemingly helpless and highlights what can be so insidious about a live-in employment situation.
