Contract maids take over

Tafadzwa Zimoyo Lifestyle Writer

When Siphiwe Chuma (not her real name) went to an employment agency to get a maid in August earlier this year, she found a wide variety available. She rejected one for not being submissive and humble – such a maid might one day lay hands on you. The second one she passed on for her immodest dressing – such blatant temptation may prove too much for the man of the house.

The third one she discriminated against for her obesity – an obviously huge appetite is not desirable in the hired help as the food bill will push up the employment costs, she would confide to her friend later.

At first sight, the fourth one, Rosemary, was just ideal for the Belvedere home that Siphiwe shares with her husband and two children, one in junior school and the other in pre-school.

But on driving Rosemary home to Epworth so that she could pick up her bags and bid farewell to her family, Siphiwe discovered that all the personal information that the girl had supplied was false. Obviously this was a thief who would make off with every valuable in sight, the very first moment that she got a chance.

Siphiwe ended up getting a contract maid who happened to be also serving her neighbour’s needs. Now she has joined an increasing number of yuppies who will no longer use live-in maids but only the contract workers which is a huge cultural shift from the traditional set-up where the maid was practically a part of the family.

For the purpose of this article even maids who may be domiciled in the staff quarters discreetly tucked in the backyard behind a high wall will be considered live-in. Although they are much better off than the workers who live in the same dwelling as the employer, the two groups tend to share similar privileges and disadvantages.

Siphiwe says that before trying one out she used to believe that contract maids are expensive, too conscious of their rights without a reciprocal attention to duty, and a high security risk.

“I was sure that they wanted a lot of money for doing very little and that they would steal from me. But I have since discovered that if you use someone who is recommended by a respectable neighbour you get a good deal.

“Although the daily rates may appear high in the end they are actually cheaper. You do not have to worry about things like their accommodation. And you only provide the meals for when they are doing your work, unlike a live-in maid who eats whatever you eat all the time.

“Another advantage is that you have your private space. Live-in maids get to know so much about you and they tend to tell the neighbouring maids who then tell their employers making your personal life a public spectacle. But because contract workers just come in for a few hours, you are on your guard and they never get to know as much,” she averred.

She says that her live-in maid used to earn US$100 a month but when she added the other costs like food and accommodation she was sure that it would double.

Now she pays her contract maid US$20 to come in twice a week. As the maid has two more such contracts this translates to US$240 a month and slightly more in a five-week month. So the employer pays less but the contract worker gets far much more than her live-in counterparts.

“She does the laundry and ironing, thorough cleaning of the house and any other household task that may be at hand over a 10-hour period,” Siphiwe revealed.

But she admitted that there is a downside to the reduced expense and the increased privacy.
“With a live-in maid there is a blurring of lines. Of course, you give her more but she also does more. Because you are eating together she will cook and do the dishes afterwards. But with a contract maid you are alone most of the time and you have to do that yourself. It can be taxing especially when you have guests or you are just tired after a day’s work. You end up doing a lot of take-aways which use up whatever you have saved,” Siphiwe related.

Gadgets like vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, timed slow cookers, microwaves, steamers and washing machines will definitely lighten the load and make life easier, but the fact remains that they still need a human hand to operate them.

A gentleman who identified himself as Tawanda says that for him a contract worker is the ideal because he would not be able to accommodate a live-in maid in his bedsitter in the Avenues.

“Besides what would she have to do the whole day? She would end up turning my home into a brothel so maybe I would only consider a live-in maid if I got married and moved to the suburbs to start a family.”

But for those with young children the live-in maid remains a highly desirable addition to the family. Brian, a married father of two, says that since his is a two-career family, there are no options to full-time domestic help.

“There is no denying that my wife and I cannot spend as much time at home as we should because we both need to earn money to support our lifestyle. I am sure this is true for most people. So a good maid, who will be a surrogate parent while staying in her place, is like gold.

“You need someone to be at home for when the seven- year-old kid comes home from school when you are still at work. You also want someone to babysit the six-month-old baby who cannot go into daycare as yet,” he said.

He also added yet another dimension; that of a de facto security guard.
“A house that is left empty the whole day long is a magnet for thieves even if you have alarms and all that. It is better to have a warm body in place. Besides if you have things to be done like repairs and so forth, you do not have to use work hours or spoil your weekends which should be reserved for quality family time and hobbies or hanging out with friends.”

In countries like the UK and the US domestic workers are so expensive that only the very rich have them with only the elite being able to afford live-in help. But in Zimbabwe it looks like live-in maids are set to be on the scene for much longer yet.