STEALING

What is stealing? For me, the word stealing has a lot of definitions. Of course, I understand the most common is, when you take something, an item, that does not belong to you. That is simply stealing.

But what should we call it when people take away someone else’s rights?

Being a domestic helper, we have the right to know what our rights are. The employer should be responsible to let their helper know for instance, that if you are not allowed to take a day off, they must pay you in lieu. Also, they should let them know how much the minimum salary of a domestic helper is, or that the employer is not allowed to ask the domestic helper to clean another house, office, condo – or ask them to do a job that is not part of your everyday task. For me that is stealing too. It is stealing to deny people their rights.

Why do many employers so easily accuse a domestic helper of doing wrong? Is it because to them, we are poor only, and  cannot afford to buy anything? Do these employers try to ask themselves if they are not  stealing too?

Not allowing a domestic worker to know the truth about her rights and not following the government rules that is STEALING.

YOU ARE STEALING WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY THAT OF YOUR DOMESTIC HELPER!

 

By Jofel 

Jofel was accused of stealing by her former employer and has been staying in the HOME shelter for a year and eight months now, whilst her case is being investigated by the authorities. Jofel denies the accusations against her. She has not been convicted, yet she has not been free to leave the country, nor hold a job – and thus has had no means of income for the past  years. Jofel volunteers at the shelter by helping her peers, and developing her skills in crafts and writing. Read her life story here.