While most of us would never pass up an opportunity for a pay increment, one foreign domestic helper in Singapore declined to be paid more when offered a raise — to S$800 monthly.

According to a Facebook post by one employer, Kanya Ramesh, her helper would not accept her offer to raise her monthly pay from S$750 to S$800.

Previous increments in salary

In her post on Facebook group FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum), Kanya explains that her helper had been with them for five and a half years.

When she first joined the family, Kanya discovered that the helper's previous employer had only paid her S$400 a month. Shocked, Kanya offered her a monthly starting salary of S$500 instead.

Subsequently, after two years of working for them, Kanya gave her an increment of 50 per cent, leading to her current salary of S$750.

She also added that on top of this amount, she gives her helper yearly bonuses and red packets for Deepavali, Christmas and her birthday.

And in view of it having been two years since her helper's previous salary increment, Kanya wanted to increase her salary to S$800 this year.

That's when her helper declined the offer, saying she was "already receiving too much."

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Appreciation for helper

Kanya wrote that she was stunned to hear this, observing that "it is very rare to come across such a person".

She wrote that her helper may not be perfect, but she appreciated her "honesty and self effacing ways":

"In this day and age it is very rare to come across such a person. She may not be perfect, forgetful at times and makes the same mistakes over and over again. But her honesty and self effacing ways have endeared her to me."

Kanya also expressed her gratitude for all the helpers that support employers in running their homes efficiently:

"Here's to all the helpers who are working quitely [sic] in the background without complaints, helping our homes run efficiently while we go out to work. Here's to all the wonderful souls to whom we trust our kids, parents and beloved pets while we are out to make a living."

Here's a screenshot of her full Facebook post, in case you can't see it:

FDW minimum wage

Singapore laws do not set a minimum wage for foreign domestic helpers.

However, there are guidelines set by some of their source countries.

For instance, S$570 is the minimum monthly salary imposed by the Philippines Embassy's Overseas Labour Office with effect of May 1, 2017. This was done in response to the “fluctuation of exchange rates of the USD” in relation to the Singapore dollar.

The government of Indonesia also requires domestic helpers working in Singapore to be paid at least S$550 per month.

Kanya did not say what her helper's nationality is, but it looks like her current salary certainly exceeds the minimum wage guidelines set by the source countries we could find.

According to the Ministry of Manpower, such salary increments are not mandatory, but rather, can serve as incentives:

"You could consider raising your FDW’s salary periodically as a reward for good performance and loyalty in service...This incentive, which both of you should agree on, could motivate her to perform better."

Here's to good employers who view their helpers as fellow human beings and employees who work at jobs just like our own.

Top photo via.