Wealthy people tend to be busy people. They stay late at work, so there is no time for housework. The best way out of this situation is to hire a housekeeper.
What will be required of you
If you decide to perform the duties of a housewife for rich people, get ready for:
1) an interview with an HR manager. Bring a copy of your passport, medical certificate, CV and some photographs to the meeting. This data is necessary, because for future employers you are an absolutely stranger, whom they will let into the house;
2) checking by the security service. The absence of a criminal record, connections with crime is an important condition for obtaining such a position;
3) an interview at the owner's house. You may be asked to cook a dish or tell how household appliances function in order to see the future assistant “in action”. Working hours are usually paid;
4) probationary period. It is 3 months. Show yourself with better side strictly adhering to the following rules:
- neat appearance. Neat hair, a clean uniform (at least 2 sets a day in case you get dirty), appropriate makeup, clean-shaven legs, etc.;
- absence bad habits. No one likes a housekeeper who goes out for a smoke break every hour or wipes crystal glasses while drunk;
- quality performance of direct duties. The ability to handle household appliances and correctly use cleaning products, careful attitude to household things - the main "commandment" of a hired assistant;
- good mood, restraint. Forget about gloom and gossip - these are your "enemies" in the new workplace.
Myths and reality
Often young girls are afraid to occupy such a position due to false fears. Let's try to understand and dispel them.
- Worrying about your own safety. Some persons believe that the owners can mock a subordinate (“they are rich, they are allowed to do everything”). In fact, the relationship between the employer and the assistant is good, because no one needs black PR.
- Money scam. Girls are afraid to damage property and "work for food" all their lives. To prevent this from happening, perform your duties as efficiently and accurately as possible. Pay attention to the contract: it is better to prescribe the relevant clauses in it.
- Intimate relationship with the employer. Such cases are rare, because no one wants to spoil the reputation, destroy the family and lose a good housewife. If the boss is interested in additional services, he seeks private housekeeper with sex. These responsibilities are negotiated orally or specified in the contract.
- Claims of the boss's wife. You must understand: the spouses of wealthy people can be hysterical or very pleasant people to talk to. To improve relations with the mistress of the house, you will have to be a little psychologist. Guessing the mood, not asking unnecessary questions, not allowing too much in conversations with the employer - simple rules that will help you get comfortable and stay in a new place.
The work of a housekeeper is one of the most difficult, and if we are talking about a wealthy family, then not always decent problems or quirks are added to a decent pay.
Alina, a girl who worked as a housekeeper in several wealthy families, told the correspondent about the juicy nuances of her work. By the way, the non-disclosure clause is the first in the contract with the employer. So, all coincidences, as they say, are random.
Often, says Alina, men are looking for housekeepers. True, their duties do not include cleaning the premises at all.
“When posting an ad, I never would have thought that there would be so many offers of intimacy. Once, having already settled down, on the first working day I was offered 100 dollars for sex, ”says the girl.
Fortunately, there are also real job offers. However, even here there are curious situations.
“In one family, I was asked not to clean the toilet, as the wife of the employer usually cleans it. I didn't understand what was the matter. But she learned from the nanny that she washes it, pretending to be a housekeeper in their role playing", - Alina recalls the juicy details.
In fact, housewives are not always so kind that they remove some of the duties from their housekeepers. For example, one of the girl's employers decided to demand the maximum for the money paid.
“I thought I would come, work and leave. But she did not give a minute to rest. Strictly from 9 to 6 without a break gave tasks. Once I got sick. At work, the temperature rose to 39. So she did not let me go home.
She blocked the outer gates of the mansion and expressed her dissatisfaction, explaining it by the fact that "once you came to work, then work." She also paid the least. Then I called the police, they took me to the police department, but I refused the application. And, as a result, she ended up in the hospital with pneumonia, ”recalls the housekeeper.
The duties of domestic servants usually include dry and wet cleaning of the entire house, washing windows, ironing clothes and keeping the wardrobe clean and tidy. Sometimes they are asked to look after the garden, says Alina, but it is unrealistic to complete such a volume of work in a day.
Despite the fact that payment in wealthy families, as a rule, is quite pleasant in terms of money, there is always a risk that it will be deducted from it for some wrongdoing.
“Once I broke a vase. Looks chic. I was asked to pay $500 for it. I repaid the debt from my salary, but took the broken vase with me. I have a friend who works in this area.
In general, he estimated it at 13 thousand tenge. It turns out that family friends gave this vase to the owners, saying that it was from Egypt. But it turned out that the vase is from China,” says Alina.
Now it all looks funny. Then it was no laughing matter.
In another family, the employer asked Alina to take out her diamonds in front of her and spray them with a special cleaning and protection agent. Having once read the composition of the product, the girl was very surprised - it included ordinary liquid soap and flavored substances.
The girl admits that she always left her employers herself, a few months after starting work. The fact is that many of them came up with new duties for the housekeeper, more and more, and, as a rule, not specified earlier in the contract.
The clauses in the contract are very diverse, up to instructions on what and how to do. For example, another housekeeper, Aizhan, said that the contract with one of the employers included a point that was obvious to every housewife - to wash white linen separately from colored ones. It turned out that the previous servant managed to ruin the master's blouse in this way.
For Aizhan herself, for example, the most unusual thing was that she had to wash and dry the decorative pebbles that adorned the corridors and halls of the house. At the same time, stones had to be carried from the second floor to the first, in order to arrange water procedures for them, and up; and they weighed a total of about 30 kilograms.
How housekeepers endure beatings, humiliation and harassment, why they do not leave the profession, how much they earn per day and what tasks they perform - we talked with a maid working in a wealthy family.
How I Became a Maid
For the first time, like many others, I came to clean someone else's house almost by accident. The child needed expensive treatment, and there was not enough money. My friend told me that you can earn something by cleaning houses. I realized very quickly that only “inconvenient” clients agree to newcomers like me: the road to them takes two and a half hours one way, or these are complex houses for little money, or large families who have gone through many options, or those who who do not need regular cleaning. In a word, those to whom an experienced maid will not go.
Then there were difficult two years when I agreed to almost any job. Then I met agencies and realized that the client is always right, even if the truth is on your side. Agencies do not insure you against harassment and dishonorable rich people. Their responsibility to you is limited to introducing customers. Over time, experience came and permanent objects appeared.
In our country, it is impossible to get a state diploma in my specialty, so I had to study based on practice and personal experience. Soon I realized that you can grow professionally in any job, if you have a desire. I am young and energetic, I have a family, children. I come with only one purpose - to work. I am not interested in other people's husbands and wealth. I love people and positively look at things. I smile when I enter the house, and I don't sigh when I leave it. I think that decency and human qualities are as important as professionalism. It was soon noticed.
Now, after eight years of work, my clients are respected public people, whose peace and life are guarded, and you can get into the house only after passing several levels of interviews and signing a non-disclosure agreement. After going through the personnel department, an interview with a psychologist, checking through the special services and a personal assistant, I got to a short meeting-interview with my future leader and the owner of the house.
What errands do I do
My work is all economic activity other than safety. All helpers in our home work on a schedule that is tailored to the lives of our clients. My regular duties at different times included, for example, taking care of the wardrobe and various delicate surfaces (mother-of-pearl, marble, stones, precious metals, wood, leather, glass).
Sometimes during my working day I need to sew on a couple of buttons, and sometimes I need to draw a picture for the nursery, because tomorrow there will be a photo session at home.
Now I buy groceries, run various errands, sometimes I buy interior details, sometimes I buy furniture. I also pass the children's, dietary and sports menu to the chef, although often I have to cook it myself. In addition, I work with various services: pool and garden professionals, technicians and engineers, designers and tailors.
I know what the children in our family like, what to put in the suitcase for the boss. I set the table and make flower arrangements on special days, and also welcome guests. All financial aspects also lie with me. In addition, I make sure that other maids and drivers arrive on time. Sometimes during my working day I need to sew on a couple of buttons, and sometimes I need to draw a picture for the nursery, because tomorrow there will be a photo session at home. I book tickets, make doctor appointments, show properties for sale, and do many other things that I have been entrusted with.
On average, in St. Petersburg, a housekeeper who only cleans is paid from 2.5 thousand rubles per working day. In our house, the maids receive a contractual salary for their work. We don’t have such a concept as a “tip” (as in the hotel business).
Pros and cons of being a maid
The most important thing, of course, is respect from both sides. If you respect your employer, it will certainly be noted. Customers encourage their employees. It could be extra money, cooking or design training, or helping you solve some of your problems. Sometimes just a kind word is also very important in our profession.
One of my clients contributed to productive work by handing out slaps to the staff. When I got my kick, the only option to get the money was to wait until the end of the month.
During my work, I met different people: among my colleagues there were real professionals from whom I tried to learn, there were clients who taught me to value myself and grow. There were negative examples. When you work in a large house, where there are three maids in a shift, you have a constant turnover of staff before your eyes. I saw assistants who abused trust.
For example, one of the workers was found drunk in the pool when the client arrived from a business trip. The other, having ruined the linen with improper washing, corrected the situation by taking a train to Moscow, and buying exactly the same, but new - and returned back. This is all in one day and at your own expense, of course. One of my "uncomfortable" clients, contributed to productive work by handing out slaps to the staff. When I got my kick, the only option to get the money was to wait until the end of the month. Humiliatingly, I waited because I couldn't come home without funds.
Why leave the profession
The reasons for leaving are clear - it can be harassment, disrespect for work, humiliation. Sometimes people do not go to work and run away because they have damaged some expensive thing and are afraid that the owners will force them to pay for it. I messed up a couple of times too. True, not very expensive. I paid for one, I didn't pay for the other. It was at the very beginning, but for myself I learned that if I want a good relationship, it is important to keep a human face. We are all human and anything can happen.
You seem to be a member of the family, but you always remember where you belong.
Of course, now I can say that not everyone will be hired. I must be confident in a person - I can not stand intrigue and omissions. In our house, regarding work, everything should be transparent and clear. A responsible and dedicated employee always wants to help. As for our employers, within reason they forgive a lot.
I already defined my boundaries a long time ago - I leave when I can’t respect the client. However, in our field, if you leave somewhere with a scandal, then everyone around knows about it, and the agencies certainly do. Then, at least for the next six months, all the "uncomfortable" clients will become yours.
Features of the profession
Our work is unusual in that you seem to be a member of the family, but you always remember where you belong. Over time, people get used to it and can no longer cope without you. A lonely man can't find his bag and calls you at night for help. A beautiful client, the wife of a wonderful person for whom, in addition to your main job, you plant roofs and grow special varieties of apple trees in tubs on the terrace of the 21st floor, is jealous of your personal life, and it becomes so unbearable that you are forced to leave. Sometimes I take pictures of the family or accompany them to the movies, help the boss choose the right tie. They hug me at a meeting and goodbye, but this is not friendship. This is important to remember.
I was brought up in such a way that I always try to love what I do - then it brings satisfaction. At first, I was always looking for what I would do next when I left this business (my two first educations were related to design). Then I found the opportunity to be realized in close areas, doing someone else's house. At first it was just a quick way to make money, but now I appreciate the free schedule and time to be with my family.
Text: Valeria Danilova-Ledovskaya
Maria is 45 years old and she is a housekeeper in rich family, where she is paid 30 thousand rubles. For the owners, this is not much money, but she considers her salary to be very decent: almost all of her friends receive much less.
I found this place through a friend. As a rule, people do not submit such advertisements to newspapers and the Internet and do not apply to a recruitment agency, because a proven, reliable person is needed. I have higher education, but it so happened that recently I worked in a store, and then it closed. I never thought of becoming a housekeeper, and then a friend said that one family could not find a woman to work around the house. I've always enjoyed doing housework, and I decided to try my luck.
There were quite a few requirements: age after forty, but not elderly, not beautiful, but with a pleasant, preferably Slavic appearance, cultured and well-mannered, hard-working, honest and quiet. And you also had to know how to cook. I did not think that I would last long at such a job, but I have been working for a year and a half. Only the closest people know that I am a housekeeper, but not because I am ashamed of my occupation, but because my employer set such a condition. He is a famous person in the city and does not want me to talk about how he lives. The attitude towards me is quite normal, not friendly, but not official either; I have the keys to the house, and I hope they fully trust me.
I don't clean a duplex apartment every day from top to bottom, my job is just to keep it clean and tidy. I also cook - usually once a day, lunch or dinner for two days. Today I cook lunch, tomorrow - dinner. I go for groceries with a list given by the hostess. Money on checks is returned to me on the same or next day. I dine where I work, and nothing is deducted for it.
Saturday and Sunday are days off, but if you need to come sometime, then you pay extra for it. Two or three times a year, the owners leave for about two weeks, and then I have a vacation, which, however, is not paid. On holidays, I usually receive gifts: on March 8, the owners gave me a beautiful handicraft box, on Easter - a bright Easter-style set: a pepper shaker and a salt shaker.
I am divorced, the children are adults and live separately, so I spend, in fact, only on myself. The rent is 3,500 rubles, and a little money is also spent on food thanks to free meals in the master's house. I am fond of machine embroidery and, taking into account consumables, I spend about 1,000 rubles on this. per month. For now, I don't have enough skill, and later, when I've got my hands on it, maybe I'll try to sell my products via the Internet.
I’m not particularly fond of cosmetics, I buy only the most necessary things from perfumery and household products, because this item of expenditure is small - about 300 rubles. per month. I spend 300 rubles a month on mobile communications. (subscription fee). I spend about 1,500 a month on transport, but if I call or go on business, they will compensate me for these expenses.
I visit language classes in order to try yourself as a housekeeper abroad, what I spend 6,800 a month on: I study two languages, English (I already studied it at school and at the university) and Spanish (new). I don't like the Karelian climate, I love warm countries, and I still have romance in my soul, besides, I don't think that at my age you can't change your future.
I save some money: I buy euros for about 11,000 rubles. per month. The person I work for has only foreign currency accounts, in dollars and euros - he said it himself. He repeatedly noted that it is not necessary to store in rubles, such advice in the press is a hoax. In general, if you even rotate around other circles, hear snippets of conversations, you can understand that ordinary people and those who are “higher” live in completely different worlds. They tell us one thing and they know another.
So, Maria's salary is 30,000 rubles. The expenses are:
Rent - 3,500 rubles.
Cosmetics, perfumery, household needs - 300 rubles.
Language courses - 6 800 rubles.
Mobile communication - 300 rubles.
Transport - 1,500 rubles.
Hobby (machine embroidery) - 1,000 rubles.
Purchase of currency - 11,000 rubles.
Total 24,400 rubles. For other expenses, Maria has 5,600 rubles left.
For reference:
Homeowners or housewives who do not want or cannot, due to various circumstances, maintain cleanliness and order in the house on their own, sooner or later come to the conclusion that they need a housekeeper, on whose shoulders one could shift, if not all, then the lion’s share of homework.
If ten years ago it was believed that only the upper class could afford an au pair, now, despite the crisis, many people with average earnings have housekeepers. Their services no longer seem prohibitively expensive, but they save a lot of time and effort.
The simplest and most common option is an incoming housekeeper. As a rule, one or two visits of the housekeeper per week is enough to keep the house in order. A typical list of duties that a housekeeper performs without living includes most often cleaning the premises (dry and wet), washing and ironing clothes, caring for and putting things in order in the wardrobe, watering flowers, washing glasses and performing one-time house errands. The salary that a housekeeper receives for doing this work for the day in Moscow is approximately 1,200 rubles (per exit). Often, housekeepers are found through word of mouth, but recently a more civilized way has become more common - through special agencies, where housekeepers take special courses and an official contract is concluded.