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No 'servants': Maid allegedly turned away from condo gym due to estate rules; Home cries foul
In screenshots of the by-laws provided to Home, it was stated that the term "member of the family" shall not "include guests, servants or agents of the occupier".
"Angie" was left "shaken and upset" by the incident.
PHOTO: Unsplash
PUBLISHED ONJune 25, 2026 4:10 PM
BYWong Dao En
A domestic helper was allegedly told that she will not have access to the gym at the condominium where she works and lives in, as a clause in the estate's by-law explicitly prohibits them from doing so.
In an Instagram post shared by the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home) on Monday (June 22), the local migrant workers' non-profit organisation shared a story of a maid who was allegedly told by a cleaner that she is barred from using the estate's facilities.
Angie (not her real name), a migrant domestic worker, was allegedly confronted by a cleaner in April who then called an employee of the condo management who told her that she's not allowed to use the gym due to this rule.
Angie's employer looked into the condo's by-laws, and discovered that the by-laws explicitly excluded helpers from using recreational facilities in the condo.
In screenshots of the by-laws provided to Home, it was stated that "only residents and guests but not their employees" may use the gym. It also said that the term "member of the family" shall not "include guests, servants or agents of the occupier".
Angie's employer was later quoted as saying that her helper lives at the estate full-time but she is "excluded from facilities that guests – people with no connection to the building – are permitted to use".
She also pointed out that the way the rule was enforced added to "the indignity", and that two staff members standing over a lone woman who was required to gather her belongings and leave is "intimidating conduct".
"Angie was shaken and distressed. I found this deeply troubling – both the existence of the rule and the manner of its enforcement," the employer continued.
The name of the condo was not disclosed in the post.
Residents can influence estate by-laws: Home
Condo policies are set by condo owners, Home said, adding that such policies vary widely and are not determined by national laws.However, Home said that residents have the power to review their estate's by-laws, and that concerns should be raised with the management committee if residents spot discriminatory rules that excluded domestic helpers from recreational spaces.
"A condo can set rules on overcrowding, safety, noise and cleanliness," Home said in the caption, "but banning someone because of their work permit status or occupation is discriminatory."
Home added that migrant domestic workers live in our homes and should be treated as a part of our residential communities.
"Condo by-laws should target behaviour, not people," the organisation concluded.
In the comment section, many netizens expressed their disapproval for the condo's by-laws, with some even likening the situation to "modern-day slavery".
Most agreed with Home, stating that migrant domestic workers should rightfully be considered a resident of the estate as they live there.
Not the first time this has happened: Home
Home pointed out that that this was not the first time such a debate has occurred, pointing to a May 2026 news article where many employers asserted that migrant domestic workers should be allowed to use the swimming pool at condos.The discussion began when a Facebook user asked if domestic helpers were allowed to use the condo swimming pool.
In response, many netizens came to the defence of domestic helpers, stating that they are "human" as well and should be able to access recreational facilities as well.
A netizen commented, "Why not if all her chores are done? It's not as if she will contaminate the pool, making it low class? She's a human being too…"
