Support your Helper to be an Ideal Domestic Helper

If you have a large family, and each member has a specific need as well as your home needs constant cleaning, it is obvious that you would look for a domestic helper to help you out. But you must also note that it is a stranger that is going to come into your household and manage it for you. She will use all your household equipment, cook food for your family members as well as work for your family. She may also be completely different from your culture, religion or even language. It may look like a completely difficult start. But you can make it a good employer-employee relationship by following some of the below mentioned simple tips and transform her into an ideal domestic helper.

Understanding your obligations

The first and foremost tip starts from you and the way you follow your obligations as an employer. What you will do with the domestic helper will reciprocate. You must ensure that you keep the duties confirmed for her to work for you and respect her time off days and hours. Also, you must ensure that the domestic helper you hire is paid her due amount as per her experience and on time.

It is also your responsibility to offer her a safe and fair environment to work at your place. You must take care of her welfare as you are her employer. You must take care of her insurance that should be done for health and against any accident or unforeseen circumstances while she is working for you.

Be clear on your expectations

It is best as an employer for you to list out the expectations from the domestic helper you are hiring so that it is clear for her what you want her to do on a daily basis. Either you or she can make a timetable to avoid any ambiguity on what she should do and what you want her to do daily.  Also ensure that she understands how to use your household equipment. She may have not used some of these and so it is important that you maintain patience and teach her the steps to use such devices.

If you can guide your helper well, you and your family will be served well. You should state clearly if she will take care of your kids, pets, or an adopted child as well. List out which are the most important or urgent tasks she should perform daily such as housework, childcare, gardening, pet care, laundry, ironing etc. You must also let her know if she will travel with you in case you are going on a holiday or moving to another location.

Communicate properly

Every employer has a different management style and has a completely different expectation from their domestic helper. Some employers may want a completely professional relationship whereas the others will want the maid to be a part of the family.

Proper communication is most important for you to turn your domestic helper in to an ideal one. You must let your maid know your style of management. You must also keep her informed on a regular basis of what is happening in your home and your culture as well as norms, so that you can build a trustworthy and healthy relationship. She will also want to stay with you longer once she starts learning your style of living. She can even help in contributing to your expectations and help your family stay together.

Be an understanding employer and she will be an ideal domestic helper

When you treat another person with kindness as well as understanding, you develop longer and much better relationships. The same goes for your domestic helper. You will develop a better employer-employee relationship if you can understand her sacrifices, living conditions and social challenges. Some maids even leave their homes which have their children, elderly parents, and spouses to work for you. If you can understand her circumstances better, it will keep her appreciating your gesture and care and she will offer her services to your home with even more dedication. You will know many maids who have worked for over three decades as they had understanding employers.

A relationship of mutual appreciation creates a harmonious living condition for you and your family along with your foreign domestic helper. If you can consider her as an extension of your family, so will she and your relationship will continue to foster. She may also learn many things from you. For e.g. how finances should be managed and how she can avoid getting into too many loans. This can help you build a good relationship with her as she will trust you and return her favor as well by serving you well.

Understand their exact status

Many of us do not want to admit that our domestic helpers or maids are equal to us, but it is quite the contrary. When a maid enters their role of helping you in your home, they are there to do your laundry, cook food for your family, cleaning the home and care for your children. Aren’t these activities done by you when you do not have any help? So, how can she not be equal to you in terms of her work? Domestic helpers are a legit profession, and maids or domestic helpers should be treated equally as well as with respect for the work that they do for us. Remember that if you care for them, you will be cared as well.

Finally, it is important that you know attitude is more important than skills for an ideal domestic helper. Skills can be taught but not attitude. At the same time, it is also important for you to evaluate in advance that she should be willing to learn and adaptable to your family environment.

Hence, if you hire a domestic helper that has a good attitude, you will be able to work with her and create a better and homogenous relationship. She will also be equally happy with her job with you and would want to give her best service for the years to come!