[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Homemakers! I want your attention here. Remember the day when your domestic helper called and told you ¨Memsaab/Saabji, I cannot come to work from tomorrow because of the lockdown of Covid-19¨. What was your first reaction? What were your first thoughts? Did your mind go completely blank?
Some of you would have gone into a state of shock, while some of you would have taken it in an understanding manner. Yet, deep within you, this news scared you. Didn’t it?
This is the importance of domestic help today. You can call them housemaids, maids, housekeepers, domestic workers, etc… They fall into the category of blue-collar workers as they undergo manual labour and hard work to earn a monthly wage.
In the olden days, people looked after their houses themselves. They felt hiring a helper to look after the house was an unnecessary expense. Homemakers in the olden days could look after their family activities, household activities, and other priorities with no difficulty. Nowadays, situations have changed. Expenses are going up the roof, earnings are becoming difficult.
Housemaids in India have been in demand by many families. This helps housemaids earn their daily bread by working a couple of hours or occupied on a full day basis. Some maids end up having a full day booked by working in multiple homes a day, every day. They are sometimes even called to work on public holidays as well.
Fall in demand of services by domestic helpers.
Yes, I said above that things are changing and that housemaids have increased in demand.
Then what now?
Covid-19 happened.
Yes, this has turned the tables around. When households understood that maids will not be visiting to do their daily chores, house members got together and shared duties amongst each other.
Families thought that this lockdown will be for a short period and hence thought of doing the work themselves.
As the lockdown duration kept increasing and cases kept rising, homemakers got worried. They did not want to take the risk of getting the domestic helper in case they get the virus from them.
What to do?
They invested in technological devices so that the workload at home can reduce such as dishwashers, washing machines, vacuum cleaners to name a few. These devices could fill the void.
This created an obstacle for the domestic helpers as they were now looking at a futuristic dead-end where they would lose their job. Their earnings were basic and were needed to make ends meet.
Situation today
With India opening up to the new normal, domestic help is increasing in demand, however, not like before. People have got used to getting their chores done themselves or with the help of technology, and this has resulted in domestic help lose out on jobs.
Pay for a domestic helper in India
The approximate pay in certain states of India comes to around ₹ 1000 – ₹ 3000 a month for houses that require 1 to 2 hours of work daily. That is roughly ₹ 83 a day. This ₹ 83 covers all the work they do including washing of clothes, utensils, sweeping and cleaning of the rooms, washing of bathrooms, etc…
Rates can differ to the living area, the number of members in the family, and the number of chores that need to be done.
Just imagine their condition if they keep doing this for at least three to four houses a day for 30 days a month. They receive their pay at the end of every month.
Pay for a domestic helper in European countries
The pay in Europe for housemaids would be hour-based. If he/she works 2 hours a day, we do the payment on the day itself. Wages range from €5 to €10 an hour depending on the work required
Where can we find jobs for them?
- 1. Job Portals like Rozgarkhoj helps housemaids to get jobs. If they are not tech-savvy, they can get help from someone, or contact the Rozgarkhoj hotline.
- 2. Agencies for domestic help.
- 3. Advertisements asking for house cleaning services.
- 4. Word of mouth. The network of housemaids in India is truly amazing. A maid on the 10th floor of a building will be friends with the maid on the 8th floor of the adjacent building. One can tell the other if a need arises, and they will bring in a supply of workers from places you may not have heard of.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”797″ img_size=”800*400″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]For the sake of humanity, if you can keep domestic help, keep them. They require us as much as we require them. If they worry you that they will bring in the virus along, you can do the following procedure, which will comfort them and yourself.
1. Wash their hands with soap.
2. Sanitize their hands and feet.
3. Give them a new mask when they enter your house.
4. Sanitize all the cleaning equipment they use.
5. Keep a normal distance from them and let them do their regular work.
The above steps are simple and would not take much effort. However, we need to keep in mind; sometimes domestic helpers try to take advantage of owners by working poorly and charging more for less. This should not happen.
Do your bit.
They have helped us when we needed it. Now we have to help them when they need it the most.
Thank you to all the domestic helpers that have made our life easy.
Stay safe and take care.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
