Commentary: Making room for helpers in small flats leads to uncomfortable questions

Singapore families who care for children and the elderly often rely on hiring domestic helpers, but limited space presents challenges. A recent viral post showed how a woman arranged her helper's quarters in a 4-room Build-To-Order (BTO) flat, with a bed in the home office and a partition dividing it from the work desk. Netizens criticized the setup, focusing on the helper's welfare, privacy, and dignity.

The helper clarified that the work desk was only used during the day, and she had full access to the room at night. However, some netizens argued that families without spare rooms should not hire helpers. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) recommends giving helpers a separate room, but if that's not feasible, adequate space and privacy must be ensured.

In multi-generational households with limited space, helpers may share rooms with family members. The writer shares her own experience of having a helper in a four-room flat with two young children and her 86-year-old father. The helper's room served as both the kids' study and playroom after 9.30pm when the children slept. The writer emphasizes the importance of respecting boundaries and the helper's rest time.

Despite the challenges, a helper can provide flexibility to balance work and caregiving. With Singapore being a super-aged society, issues related to space and caregiving may become more prevalent in the future. While there are no easy solutions, the writer advocates for building better caregiving infrastructure and social support to reduce reliance on live-in helpers.