Visakhapatnam: Maids given a long break from work

Visakhapatnam: Imagine waking up at 5 am and getting on your toes to complete the household chores such as cleaning, dusting, washing dishes and clothes followed by cooking. All these should be managed while catering to the non-stop forced vacation demands of the children who are at home and also handling office work simultaneously.

It is hard to imagine a day without a domestic help as a majority of the working women are largely dependent on them. As soon as the lockdown came into force and the need to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus gained increased significance, the first thing that many did was to inform their respective maids not to resume work for another 21 days.

Though it was an unexpected move, many domestic workers, who could barely comprehend what they were being told and why they were asked not to come for work, they had no other option, except to obey. "It took me a while to make my domestic help understand the seriousness of the virus spread that is increasing with each passing day. After explaining a list of dos and don'ts to follow to maintain hygiene practices, I also made it clear that her salary will not be cut despite her absence for such a long time. This offered her an immediate relief," recalled K Anuradha, a resident of Shanti Nagar.

It is just not Anuradha who made her maid to discontinue work as a step to contain the spread of Covid-19 that continues to claim lives and infect scores across the world. Given the hand-hygiene measures the maids follow, many have thought that it is better to give them a break rather than inviting trouble by engaging them amid the coronavirus scare. "I recently came to know that Seethammadhara tops the charts in the number of foreign returnees.

I feel it is unsafe to allow any person home at this point. Despite making maids aware of the precautionary measures to keep the virus at bay, they still have their own mindset and at times lack in seriousness. Hence decided to give them a long break," reasoned V Hema, a resident of Seethammadhara. Her family tmembers assist her in completing the household chores.

Though maids play an imperative role in a working woman's life, many prefer to stay away from them for a while in order to avoid any possibility of risk. This has made some of the kids share errands.