So today I shall begin with a topic that many of my family and friends find interesting, housekeeping. And to be more specific, I will discuss housekeepers.
image from here
It is a common practice here in Saudi to have a live-in housekeeper. I don't know many families who don't have one. When I first moved here I was all like "I'll never have a housekeeper. I don't want another person living in our home. I can do my own cleaning. Blah, blah, blah.". Sometimes we need to think before we speak, and other times we need to experience before we speak...lol. I'm speaking now from experience.
When I first moved to Saudi, I wasn't planning on working. I was going to be a stay-at-home wife and mother. I thought it sounded like a great idea. However, I'm just not that kind of gal, which I soon learned. Within one month I was attending an Arabic school and within five months I was offered an English teaching job. My first year of working full-time was fine. I didn't have little guy then, so working and taking care of things at home for just hubby and me was easy. My second year I became pregnant so I compromised and hired a part-time housekeeper. She came to my home and cleaned two times a week for about 3-4 hours each time. I paid her the normal rate, a little over $5 an hour. I had little guy but waited until he was an year and a half before agreeing to a full-time housekeeper. My work load was becoming insane (hello, did you know that teachers have homework too??? like A LOT of homework. who knew!) and little guy was keeping me quite busy. So I finally agreed to a full-time, live-in housekeeper. And while that sounds nice, it's not always so nice. I am truly grateful for the help, but there are a lot of things involved. So here are some common questions and answers...
WHY do so many families need housekeepers?
-Cleaning here is way different than in America. This is mostly because it is so dusty (desert=sand=A LOT of dust, brownish-orange dust btw). Dusting needs to be done on a daily basis. Our floors are tiled because carpet traps dust and can cause health problems (allergies, etc). We vaccum our floors and then clean them with a mop, everyday.
-Houses here are bigger than in the US. Bigger equals more space to clean.
-Cooking here takes a lot more time. Most things are made from scratch. We don't do microwave dinners or prepared salads that come in a bag. Overall, I think this is a healthier way of life, but very time consuming.
-Daycares are not common like in America so housekeepers also help by being a Nanny for any children her employer may have. And while some schools do offer daycare services, a lot women prefer to keep their babies at home with their Nannies (which is probably why daycares are not all that popular).
Who do you hire and how does it all work?
-The majority of housekeepers are hired from outside the country. They usually come from southeast Asia; Phillipines, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. More recently, Kenya and other parts of Africa have been added to the list.
-In order to hire a housekeeper, the employer (usually the man of the house) goes to an agency. He fills out the neccesary paperwork. He and his wife can choose which country they prefer to hire from, her religion (with Saudi Arabia being a Muslim country, some families prefer Muslim housekeepers, others don't mind either way...for the record my hubby and I are Muslim and our housekeeper is Christian, for us it's no big deal). The couple can also specify other things. For example, we requested a housekeeper with prior experience in the Middle East, experience with children, and someone with a good command of the English language. The couple can also specify which age bracket they prefer.
-The employers must pay the fee to begin the process. This fee is a lot, I think it's around $2000 (I believe this includes airfare).
-Processing can take months. It depends on your requests and it depends on the country your housekeeper is coming from. Our housekeeper is Phillipine and it took about three months for her to come.
-Housekeepers must have a physical exam before leaving their country and then again after entering Saudi Arabia. She will be tested for health problems, STDs, etc. If there are any findings she may not be able to work abroad.
How much do you pay housekeepers? Are you responsible for other things too?
-Housekeepers are paid a monthly salary as per contract. Salaries depend on country of origin (I know, how stupid, right?). Sri Lankans earn about $107 per month, Indonesians earn about $173 per month, Phillipines earn about $200 per month, and housekeepers from Africa earn $267 or more per month. If both parties are happy and agree to extending the contract, she will receive a raise.
-Housekeepers and employers sign a two year contract. Both parties are responsible for their end of the deal.
-The employer is responsible for the housekeeper's food, shelter, some clothing, personal items (such as toiletries), and medical expenses.
-The employer must pay for the housekeeper's plane ticket to return to her country after her two year contract is up. If agreed upon by both parties, she may stay in Saudi, not go on vacation to her home, and take cash worth the value of her ticket instead.
Isn't it weird having someone living in your house with you?
Yes. It was not easy for me to adjust to this and it still isn't. It's nothing against my housekeeper, but sometimes we just want some privacy, as a family. It's not like having Alice from the Brady Bunch living with you...lol. But everyone sort of learns how to work it out. My housekeeper isn't downstairs much in the late afternoons/evenings so we get our family time in then.
What does your housekeeper do in your home?
My housekeeper cleans, takes care of laundry, cooks one meal a day, and occasionally helps with little guy. Although we call her little guy's "Nanny" out of respect, I prefer to do everything for him. He's my son. :) However, if I have an appointment or need to run an errand my housekeeper will help watch little guy if he doesn't want to tag along with me.
How are housekeepers treated?
Just like with anything in life, there are good stories and bad, on both sides. There are stories about housekeepers who run away, who have abused children, who have stolen money and things from their employers. There are also bad stories about employers not providing food, men in the house who sexually assault the housekeeper, employers who have physically abused their housekeeper. I believe that you have to establish a certain atmosphere. You don't want to be overly friendly, but you need to be nice. You get what you give. We know that our housekeeper has a lot of children back home. She sents her entire salary to them. We like to give her salary advances every few months. I buy her extra things sometimes, even if she doesn't ask. For Christmas we bought her a calling card so that she could talk to her children for the Holiday. These extra things are important. This is a woman who has come from a poor situation and is working hard to provide for her loved ones back home. She deserves to be respected and treated well. At the same time, one must be careful not to cross a certain line. You have to keep that employer/employee thing going on.
Overall...
Between working, and taking care of my family, it sure is nice having the extra help. So I think overall it's been a good choice. But there are times, LOTS of times, when I wish we didn't need the help. For one I am WAY too picky about cleaning. Like borderline OCD. Also, as I've mentioned, having an outsider living in you home can interfer with life. And I sometimes feel as if I have another child, but a grown one. But I have learned that all of these feelings are normal. Most women feel them. And I'm lucky. Things have worked out pretty well so far. So I do not want to complain. But let me tell you, if there was a way to manage it all without the help, I'd go without it. Maybe it's the independent American girl in me. ;)
So enough of that (although, if you have any other questions, don't be shy, ask away)...check out this adorable Good Housekeeping cover from 1934...
You can find this and a huge collection of others here.
Btw, If you have any ideas for "Saudi Sunday" topics, please let me know. I could use the suggestions. And for my family/friends who read this but can not comment, drop me a line elsewhere and let me know.
Goodnight. ;)
I know you and I've talked about it but it was so cool to read all about it! I like Saudi Sundays...I'll have to think of some..the girls at work are always asking me things
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