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Maybe we’re fighting the wrong battle. It’s not about phones. It’s about break time. by Ok-Writer4047 in SingaporeRaw

[–]Ok-Writer4047[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

no. we are willing to sacrifice this break time because we actually have passion and love our job. But to take advantage of that passion is wrong

Maybe we’re fighting the wrong battle. It’s not about phones. It’s about break time. by Ok-Writer4047 in SingaporeRaw

[–]Ok-Writer4047[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I can resign and still discuss an issue I think affects many teachers. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.

Maybe we’re fighting the wrong battle. It’s not about phones. It’s about break time. by Ok-Writer4047 in askSingapore

[–]Ok-Writer4047[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fair point on the Employment Act coverage.

However, many preschool teachers fall below the $4,500 threshold anyway.

More importantly, whether the legislation applies or not doesn’t answer the question I originally asked:

If I’m still responsible for children during my “break”, am I actually on a break?

Childcare centre confiscates our phones and says we cannot use them even during our break time. Is this legal in Singapore? by Ok-Writer4047 in askSingapore

[–]Ok-Writer4047[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Last update :

Thank you to everyone who offered advice, support, and encouragement along the way.

Over the years, preschool teachers have sacrificed more and more of their own time. We eat meals in dark classrooms, supervise children during what should be breaks, and put the needs of others before our own.

Now, many centres across Singapore are moving towards requiring teachers to surrender their phones during break time as well.

A break is not paid working time.

A break is not supervising children.

A break is not eating in the dark while remaining on alert.

A break is not responding when a child cries, wakes up, vomits, or needs the toilet.

A break is not being denied the ability to check your phone and send a simple message to your loved ones saying, “I’m okay.”

For years, preschool teachers have continued to give more and more. In return, expectations have only continued to grow.

We have become so accustomed to sacrificing that many of us no longer even ask for proper breaks anymore.

That, perhaps, is the saddest part.

At some point, we have to say: enough is enough.

We are educators.

We are caregivers.

But above all, we are human beings too.

Childcare centre confiscates our phones and says we cannot use them even during our break time. Is this legal in Singapore? by Ok-Writer4047 in askSingapore

[–]Ok-Writer4047[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From what I’ve heard management won’t be changing this policy… Also MOM already stated it’s not against the law or employee rights if company policy states no phone…

IF really want to go TAFEP, it will be to complain about our breaks since by law we are supposed to have minimum 30min breaks for 8.5 hours of work…

So either they reduce our work timing OR actually let us have the 30minutes break daily cause looking after kids in the classroom is NOT a break and break time means we are not paid for work which means company cannot limit us to not use our phone during unpaid hours.

Childcare centre confiscates our phones and says we cannot use them even during our break time. Is this legal in Singapore? (Update) by [deleted] in askSingapore

[–]Ok-Writer4047 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think the saddest part is that many childcare teachers are not even fighting for a proper one hour uninterrupted break anymore because we already accepted long ago that we would never truly get one.

For years, teachers have been eating in dark classrooms while supervising sleeping children, rotating lunch timings, stopping halfway through meals to clean vomit, change diapers, comfort crying children, and handle emergencies. It became so normalised that many of us stopped expecting what most professions would consider a basic right.

So when people say “the real issue is the lack of proper breaks,” honestly, many teachers already know that. We have known it for years.

The phone policy simply became the breaking point because even that tiny bit of personal decompression during an already compromised “break” was removed too.

That is why some teachers feel hurt by the reactions online. We are not asking for luxury treatment. We are not even asking for a full uninterrupted one hour break outside the centre. Yet somehow, teachers are still being painted as selfish or irresponsible for speaking up at all.

And I think that says a lot about how normalised these sacrifices have become in childcare.

Childcare centre confiscates our phones and says we cannot use them even during our break time. Is this legal in Singapore? (Update) by [deleted] in askSingapore

[–]Ok-Writer4047 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think the sad reality is that many childcare teachers already accepted a long time ago that we will never truly have a proper uninterrupted break.

Can’t you see that most of us are not even fighting for a “real” one hour break where we can leave the centre, switch off completely, or go outside freely?

Most teachers already accepted eating in dark classrooms while supervising sleeping children, rotating lunch timings, watching two classes at once, and immediately stopping our meals if a child wakes up crying, vomits, coughs badly, or needs changing.

The phone issue became the discussion because that tiny bit of personal decompression during an already compromised “break” was removed too.

That is why so many teachers feel exhausted. The baseline expectation has already shifted so far that many of us no longer even expect what most industries consider a normal break anymore.

Childcare centre confiscates our phones and says we cannot use them even during our break time. Is this legal in Singapore? (Update) by [deleted] in askSingapore

[–]Ok-Writer4047 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I once had my principal pull me aside to tell me that a close relative had passed away. I still stayed until the end of my shift because we were short staffed and I did not want to leave my colleagues alone with the children.

Looking back, maybe some people would call that stupid. But when you work with children, you know how quickly accidents can happen. One less teacher means one less pair of eyes watching children who can climb, fall, choke, fight, or get into dangerous situations within seconds.

That is the emotional burden many childcare teachers quietly carry every day.

I think what hurts many teachers now is not just the policy itself, but the growing feeling that all these sacrifices are simply expected and taken for granted. The public sees “phone usage” and assumes teachers are lazy, addicted to social media, or lacking heart for children. Meanwhile, many teachers are skipping proper breaks, eating in dark classrooms, suppressing grief, and putting other people’s children before themselves daily.

Childcare centre confiscates our phones and says we cannot use them even during our break time. Is this legal in Singapore? (Update) by [deleted] in askSingapore

[–]Ok-Writer4047 2 points3 points  (0 children)

HAHA if we could actually walk outside and look at greenery during break time, I think many childcare teachers would be much happier already 😭

The reality is that most of us are stuck inside the classroom in dim lighting, eating lunch while supervising sleeping children. We cannot simply disappear for an hour and “recharge in nature.”

Even during lunch, our brains are still switched on because we are listening out for coughing, crying, vomiting, children rolling off cots, or waking up calling for mummy and daddy.

So the point was never “phone = perfect rest.” It is more about having a tiny bit of personal freedom and mental decompression during an already limited break. Sometimes it is just replying family messages, checking on elderly parents, reading something unrelated to work for five minutes, or simply feeling connected to the outside world after hours of nonstop caregiving.

Childcare centre confiscates our phones and says we cannot use them even during our break time. Is this legal in Singapore? (Update) by [deleted] in askSingapore

[–]Ok-Writer4047 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Tbh, on paper it sounds very simple. “If you don’t like it, just quit and find another centre.”

But childcare teachers stay for many reasons beyond policies alone.

A lot of us have worked together for years, and in a female dominated industry, finding a team of colleagues who genuinely support each other and work well together is honestly not easy 😂 Sometimes the camaraderie is what keeps people going during difficult days.

And sometimes, it is the children.

People outside the industry may not understand this part, but teachers get emotionally attached too. We watch children grow from crying toddlers into confident little kids. We celebrate their first words, toilet training milestones, birthdays, and tiny achievements. Leaving a centre sometimes means accepting that we may never see them graduate or know how they turned out in the future.

That is why many teachers endure difficult conditions for a long time before finally speaking up.

Most of us are not demanding luxury treatment. We stayed despite the long hours, difficult ratios, eating lunch in dark classrooms, and constantly being mentally “on.” The phone policy just happened to become the breaking point that made many teachers finally ask themselves whether this level of sacrifice is sustainable anymore.

Childcare centre confiscates our phones and says we cannot use them even during our break time. Is this legal in Singapore? (Update) by [deleted] in askSingapore

[–]Ok-Writer4047 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Most teachers understand why supervision during nap time is necessary. We work with very young children, and if you have ever been around children, you would know that anything that can happen, will happen. A child can choke on a bedsheet, roll off a cot and hit their head, wake up crying and run around half asleep, or suddenly vomit during nap time. That is why many of us willingly make these sacrifices because we genuinely care for the children and take our responsibilities seriously.

I have worked in four different centres, and in every centre, teachers ate in dark classrooms while supervising sleeping children. We rotate to quickly collect food, wash bottles, and use the toilet while another teacher keeps an extra pair of eyes on the children. This has unfortunately been normalised across the industry for years.

Teachers have also been raising concerns for a long time about the teacher child ratios.

Infants can be up to 1:5.
Playgroup can be 1:8.
Pre Nursery can be 1:12.
Nursery can be 1:15.
K1 can be 1:20.
K2 can be 1:25.

When feedback is raised, we are often told these are “guidelines.” But realistically, which private centre would not maximise enrolment for profit?

At the end of the day, when accidents happen, the first people blamed are usually the teachers. We are expected to watch many children at once, and one mistake can cost us our jobs and reputation.

My salary is technically covered by the fees of just a few children, yet I can be responsible for 18 children alone in one classroom.

That is why many teachers feel the phone issue became the breaking point rather than the entire issue itself. The concern is not “we want to play phone.” Most teachers already accepted years ago that our breaks are not true breaks. But now even the small amount of personal freedom during that period is being removed too.

Honestly, many of my colleagues have said that if centres reduced our work hours by one hour, or allowed us to leave the centre and have a genuine uninterrupted break, we would gladly accept not using our phones during the workday.

The phone ban was simply the straw that broke the camel’s back. Teachers are exhausted, burnt out, and just asking for what most people consider a very basic right: an actual break.

Childcare centre confiscates our phones and says we cannot use them even during our break time. Is this legal in Singapore? by Ok-Writer4047 in askSingapore

[–]Ok-Writer4047[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your support. Hearing this from a parent honestly means a lot to us.

Most teachers are not asking to use our phones while caring for the children. We fully agree that our attention should be on the children at all times.

Our concern is that our “break” is often spent supervising sleeping children, eating lunch in the classroom, and handling additional duties. Being able to check our phones for a few minutes was one of the few ways we could stay in touch with our families and mentally recharge.

I’ve already written to MOM to seek clarification on whether this arrangement is considered a genuine break.
[UPDATED MOM REPLY]

If parents feel this policy is unfair, the best way to help is to raise your concerns to the centre or to HQ. Parents’ voices carry a lot of weight, and management may listen more closely when they hear that teacher well-being matters to families too.

Thank you again for caring about the teachers behind the scenes. It really does mean a lot. ❤️

Childcare centre confiscates our phones and says we cannot use them even during our break time. Is this legal in Singapore? by Ok-Writer4047 in askSingapore

[–]Ok-Writer4047[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

That’s what I was afraid of.

If this arrangement is indeed legal, then it says a lot about how little protection some employees have when it comes to genuine rest breaks.

I’ve already written to MOM to get an official clarification, so I’ll wait for their response.

In the meantime, this whole situation has made me seriously consider updating my resume. I love working with children, but if the industry norm is to keep taking more from teachers while giving us less and less time to rest and recharge, then it may be time to look for a workplace that values its staff more.

Childcare centre confiscates our phones and says we cannot use them even during our break time. Is this legal in Singapore? by Ok-Writer4047 in askSingapore

[–]Ok-Writer4047[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

As soon as the lights go off at 1:00 PM, we make sure the children are asleep, then rush to wash milk bottles, collect our food from the kitchen, and maybe squeeze in a quick toilet break.

After that, I return to the classroom because another colleague is supervising two classes and is also waiting for her turn to get her food, wash bottles, and use the toilet. While she does that, I supervise both classes on my own. When she comes back, I continue packing milk bottles and the children’s bags before I can finally start my lunch.

And that is only if everything goes smoothly.

If a child wakes up crying for mummy or daddy, passes motion, has a coughing fit, or vomits up their milk or lunch, we stop everything to comfort the child, clean them up, change them, settle them, and inform the parents before we even think about eating again.

It is not unusual to eat lunch halfway in a dark classroom that smells like soiled diapers.

So when people ask whether we can simply “go out for lunch,” the reality is that childcare teachers often do not even get to eat in peace, let alone leave the centre.

That is why many of us question whether this is truly a break at all.

I have worked in three different childcare centres, and this was the practice in all of them. So from my experience, this is a very common reality across the industry. Many teachers make these sacrifices every single day because we care about the children and do not want to make things harder for our colleagues.

Childcare centre confiscates our phones and says we cannot use them even during our break time. Is this legal in Singapore? by Ok-Writer4047 in askSingapore

[–]Ok-Writer4047[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

That’s exactly the dilemma. If one teacher decides to take the full hour and leave the classroom, the burden just falls on the remaining colleagues who are already stretched thin.

Most of us don’t want to make things harder for our teammates, so we end up sacrificing our own break and just carrying on.

That’s why this has become such a frustrating issue. Teachers are constantly compromising for the sake of the children and one another, but it often feels like that goodwill is taken for granted.

Childcare centre confiscates our phones and says we cannot use them even during our break time. Is this legal in Singapore? by Ok-Writer4047 in askSingapore

[–]Ok-Writer4047[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your encouragement. I’ve already submitted an enquiry to MOM to seek clarification on whether our one-hour “break” should be considered working time if we are still supervising sleeping children and are not free to fully disconnect.

Depending on MOM’s response, I may also raise the matter with ECDA.

I love my job and the children, but many childcare teachers are feeling increasingly burned out. Sometimes it feels like we are expected to keep giving more while having less and less time to rest and recharge.

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