Housemaids need a helping hand  

Majority of urban housewives in major cities are undoubtedly looking forward to the return of housemaids once the lockdown is lifted. But the relationship is certain to undergo a change.

Both employer and the employed will be wary of getting infected. Restrictions on giving access to the housemaids seem unavoidable and many households will be looking forward to getting the housemaids tested regularly to ensure they are not infected.

Households with senior citizens and children will be much more wary. And one wonders whether insisting that the maid puts on a mask, leaves her slippers outside, washes her hands before working and uses gloves while working will be sufficient to allay misgivings. Will households buy a thermometer gun and check the temperature of maids every day? Or will they insist that the maid gets tested every month and produces a certificate?

There will be the issue of wages and insurance. And of responsibility. Who will be responsible if the housemaid gets infected? If she does get infected, will members of every household she works in be sent on quarantine?

“We cannot abandon our domestic he lp and are morally duty bound to help her. Nor are we in a position to dispense with her services. We cannot forget her standing by us in these difficult times, coming to cook for us daily. What we need to do is to take precautions and maintain hygiene,” confided an aged Solan resident in Himachal Pradesh.

The situation is more complicated elsewhere. A Dehradun resident working in Pune said he would be forced to cut expenses since his wages have been cut and will dispense with the maid. Another techie had a different take. “During the lockdown, we have come to realise that we can do the domestic chores ourselves. So, why spend money on housemaids,” he asked.

The economy will clearly have a huge bearing on the issue. Job losses and wage cuts will affect the army of housemaids, who are already working on low wages and no social security and often no leave either.

Free testing or making it obligatory for the households they work in to pay for it is an option. An insurance scheme with households contributing part of the premium is another option. Upgrading their skills and giving them self-employment options need to be explored.

The experience with the welfare fund created for construction workers, with the Government charging a cess and mopping up over 40 thousand Crore, has not been a happy one. But that is no reason why a similar welfare fund cannot be created for househelps.

Chennai-based president of South Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), Ramachandran Ganapathi says, “If they are not safe, how can we be safe,” he wondered before adding, “ at the risk of offending them, they must be encouraged to take a test, given protective equipment, sanitisers and even a shower before they begin their work.”

Priya Gopalan, a mother of three and a homemaker from Bangalore, would not think of letting her maid go. “Where can one find such reliable people,” she asked and said, “I used to do more than half the work even earlier. But I have had this maid for the past four years and we have gotten comfortable with each other.”

Jaipur-based senior Public Relations professional Jagdeep Singh felt that people would not mind paying maids their wages for March and April. But if the lockdown gets extended, then they might decide to do away with house helps, he said. At least one Noida based housewife, however, has been thanking the lockdown for giving her the opportunity to bid goodbye to her maid. “She was never regular, came at her own convenience. Once the lockdown is lifted, I would not like to have her again,” declared a resolute Renu Bhatia.