Helper using a remote control to turn on air conditioner
Employer frets over cost after maid uses aircon all night, asks: ‘Do employers in SG typically allow helpers to sleep in the aircon room?’
SINGAPORE: A discussion about whether employers should let their domestic helpers use the air conditioning has been making the rounds online. It started after one employer shared that she was worried about the electricity costs after her helper left the air conditioning running in her room the entire night.
Posting on the r/asksg subreddit on Sunday (Sep 13), the employer explained that her helper, who joined the household about a week ago, has a room to herself and performs her chores well.
After noticing that the helper had been running the ceiling fan at full blast, her husband decided to switch on the air conditioning for her one night. The following day, however, the helper seemed to take that gesture as a sign that she was allowed to keep the air conditioning on all night. This left the couple in a dilemma.
According to the employer, none of her previous helpers had ever used the air conditioning before.
“So far, all the helpers I've had do not sleep with the aircon. I also don't want to mistreat my helper, but I'm just curious: do employers in SG typically allow helpers to sleep in the aircon room the whole night? I'm worried about the cost,” she wrote.
‘It's the least we can do for their welfare’
In the comments, many people felt that the helper should be allowed to use the air conditioning if it helps her sleep better, given the hard work she does for the family.
One user said, “If having aircon will help her sleep better, yes, aircon the whole night even if it costs more. Good helpers are hard to find; you take care of them, and they take care of you.”
Another pointed out, “The weather is getting hotter these days due to climate change, and the air con can mean a difference between a comfortable night's sleep and waking up several times due to the hot weather. Just imagine if you have a friend or relative staying over at your home—will you allow them to use the air con?”
They added, “If you are worried about the cost, you can adjust to the recommended temperature of 25 degrees by NEA, which is a good balance between cost and comfort.”
Others shared rules the employer could set for air conditioning use so that the cost would not rise too much.
One wrote, “Just let her know air con is only for sleeping hours and max it to 8 hours per day. These days the warm weather is truly horrible, and it's the least we can do for their welfare. Won't cost you much.”
Another said, “From day 1, I set the rule that the aircon cannot be below 25 deg. I apply that rule for myself and for the other rooms, and yes, 25 deg is already good enough. Other than that rule, it's up to her if she wants to do it the whole night or turn up the fan speed to high.”
Newsletter
Get updates straight to your inbox
A third added, “Most people I know use a 3-hour timer on their aircons, especially if used in tandem with a fan. We used to hold our helpers to the same standard, but because her condenser unit is shared with ours, the total cost doesn't go much higher as long as it's running while ours is running. Previously, our helpers just used the aircon from about 10 onwards with a 3-hour timer, as well as a standing fan. Usually mornings are still a bit cold, so it's fine.”/TISG