Comments on Life rules: Of maids and earrings

We are lucky we get domestic help really cheap her...

2009-04-19T18:18:00.000+05:30

We are lucky we get domestic help really cheap here in India compared to other countries. They have no social security nor are they organized labor. So it's easy to believe they are overworked or underpaid. I believe in dignity of labor and treat them with a lot of respect but very few of my maidservants have turned out to be honest. May be their deprivation drives them to it.

My aunt

fed, I don't know where you got your rates from bu...

2009-04-16T16:45:00.000+05:30

fed, I don't know where you got your rates from but live-in maids with experience here start with 1500/- a month. The not so experienced ones (meaning first timers at the maid thing) start from 800 or even 1000 for the ones from Burma.

Hmmm...I cannot seem to recollect the exact path t...

2009-04-13T23:14:00.000+05:30

Hmmm...I cannot seem to recollect the exact path through which I landed here. I will let you know in case I remember(highly unlikely, though, if you ask me).

@feddabonn
When someone fudges account books for their employers, you got to call then trustworthy :)

Sir-- Agree with both the points.. Sara-- yes, it ...

2009-04-13T12:18:00.000+05:30

Sir-- Agree with both the points..

Sara-- yes, it is best not to tempt with our callous luxuries. and i am trying...

Alankrita-- Thank you so so much. touched..

Callopia. Fedabonn-- I pay her 800 for about 1 1/2 hours.. she is honest and works pretty well. the post was written with an earlier maid in mind.. I was new to managing things myself and on the hindsight,

I've come here from Sara's blog...and i like ur bl...

2009-04-13T09:05:00.000+05:30

I've come here from Sara's blog...and i like ur blog...so I'm gonna stick around :) u seem v.wise!
do check out my blog and leave ur comments...

@sujoy: lol @ trustworthy as accountants. accounta...

2009-04-13T03:58:00.000+05:30

@sujoy: lol @ trustworthy as accountants. accountants don't steal, ey? they just 'manage assets'.

Ah! The dilemma, the anguish.But we can't have our...

2009-04-13T00:03:00.000+05:30

Ah! The dilemma, the anguish.
But we can't have our cakes and eat them too.
It is unfair to to expect domestic helps to be as trustworthy as accountants and cheaper than daily workers.
When you consider the sheer number of bais working in Indian homes, it is a tribute to their integrity that a minor instance of an errant bai finds prominence in local newspapers.

@calliopia: i believe the minimum wage for semi sk...

2009-04-12T20:25:00.000+05:30

@calliopia: i believe the minimum wage for semi skilled labour in mizoram is rs.115 a day, which makes it rs.14.375 a day. not sure about mizoram realities, but it seems awfully low to me. in hyderabad we paid rs.900 for 24 days a month, an hour each, which makes it rs.37.5 an hour. she asked for that, and it seemed quite fair.

am also curious about the rates people pay domestic workers.

I don't recall ever personally losing/misplacing a...

2009-04-11T13:46:00.000+05:30

I don't recall ever personally losing/misplacing anything to be suspicious of domestic help but according to my sister, a few things have disappeared from time to time in the kitchen. How much do you pay your maid btw, and how many hours does she put in? We have live-ins mostly here and we need one in a hurry

Have I ever told you how much I love your blog? yo...

2009-04-09T23:22:00.000+05:30

Have I ever told you how much I love your blog? you are so mature, so sensitive.

For me i depend on my lady so much that even if sh...

2009-04-09T09:03:00.000+05:30

For me i depend on my lady so much that even if she steals i wont have a problem. I practically leave the whole house to her...she lives there more than i do :)

but ya on the safer side i dont leave anything that can tempt her...expensive jewellery is a big no...cash small change its always there and even if she takes i dont mind. She does a whole lot more than i expected..:) I think im

Great topic Gauri -yes, that happens each time som...

2009-04-08T00:21:00.000+05:30

Great topic Gauri -yes, that happens each time something is lost but its inevitable.All of us yield to temptation at times,and so do maids!!The lat bit about David Dhawan was funny!!

My dear Gauri,I prefer to believe (not with my eye...

2009-04-07T14:18:00.000+05:30

My dear Gauri,

I prefer to believe (not with my eyes closed) that ALL persons -- who provide household services to city persons (like us) who can afford it -- are honest, until we catch them red-handed.

I would also NOT tempt them by letting precious items or cash lying around the house.

Thank you for bringing up a touchy topic that belongs to IHM terrain.