Working women - managing maids

Hi,

I am reasonanly new to the site and definitely enjoy being a part of this great group. I do browse a lot and been to various sites but 'Indus ladies' forum stands apart. It is moderated to the right extent and I see a lot of interesting and useful forums with 'unfrivolous' postings. It gives a feeling of a mature and supporting community. Kudos to all the members!

Here, I want to share my experience in managaing maids (being a working woman and mom) and possibly take some new tips from friends here. This posting may not make much sense to friends living abroad but, back in India, maids are affordable and quite useful for nuclear families with working women.

My whole attitude towards maids has come a full circle after 8 yrs of having them. Here I am not talking about maids who just do jaadu/pocha alone but mainly the cooks/baby sitters who kind of become a part of your family after some time. I have learnt a few lessons (for good!) which has helped me manage them better.

1) Treat the whole affair of managing maids in a very professional way when it comes to salary, respect, leave, etc. This will make them respond in a professional way too. Clearly spell out the tasks and do not ask/expect more. Consider the current economy while paying salary (A good idea is to see what % of your family income is given to them and what value, in terms of your time, she saves - this gives you the perspective). If the maid sticks around for a longer time, start giving incentives and yearly raise. A 10% increase every year is good, apart from a festival bonus once a year. Give feedback and ask how they feel, once in a while.

2) Balance your emotional relationship with them to the right extent. Do not go overboard trying to talk about your family matters, etc. At the same time, be sympathetic to their problems and offer solutions, if possible. Do not over-intervene in their personal lives. Respect their privacy.

3) Appreciate the good work. If a specified job was not done properly, talk about it in a non-emotional manner - ask for the reason before jumping to conclusions.

4) Dont compare salaries. If you think you are getting value out of it, dont mind paying quite higher. It definitely pays you back and buys you loyalty.

5) With baby sitters, it is very important to take care of the emotional side. Your child will sense if something is wrong in your relationship with the nanny. Give them some freedom while managing the baby (small pleasures like choosing the dress, complimenting them for their bond with the child, etc). At the same time, make it very clear that you are the boss when it comes to managing the baby and she needs to follow your guidelines (tricky with elders around but it works if you sound the elders that you will be one dealing with her and they can tell you if something needs to change).

6) Finally, remember they are human beings and likely to err once in a while. Dont blow it out of proportion. Dont react immediately, calm down, step out and deal with it later. When you deal with it, do it firmly but gently and once for all - should not be wishy-washy.

Will be good to hear what others have to say!

Cheers,

Sumathy