To think you can do without your housekeeper?

[tiggertogger]

I live on the best street in a nice village. Full of big houses where most people have housekeepers and other staff (drivers, chefs, dog walkers, gardeners, nannies) Since the lock down, the workers have all continued to arrive as normal. The only notable absence are the flower deliveries. I messaged my neighbour to ask why her housekeeper was continuing to work despite the lockdown and she said her house was too big to do herself and the housekeeper needed the money. I just don't understand. We told all household staff to go on leave for 3 weeks, paid. A normal action to take and yet all my neighbours are carrying on as normal. Some are old, some have young families, all as far as I can see are selfish fuckers. It's making me hate them all. AIBU to think they could cope without them for 3 bloody weeks and continue to pay them as it's a drop in the ocean? Or are there household staff rules I'm not aware of?

@jjcrackers sorry can you quote the part of the guidelines you get that from? I don’t see where it says anything like that. I don’t have a housekeeper by the way, I just don’t support vigilantism, particularly I’ll informed vigilatism.

We monitor the system every 12 hours when it produces its report. We've had issues with paparazzi, stalkers and criminal gangs in the past.

Surely there are staff that can do that sort of monitoring remotely.

How the other half live.

Why did I bother to read this?????

@WinterCat I've volunteered for the goodsam.org but yes it is irritating me as the more people carry on as normal and don't put distance between households, the more people will die and the longer we'll have to isolate for those following the Guidance. It's not rocket science but I see there are similar idiots here as my neighbours. Hope you all enjoyed your bbqs on Monday 🙄🙄

Is that you Kirstie?

@thewashingmachine that would definitely be a preferable option, I guess they haven't done it as they are carrying on as usual. I couldn't bear to have other people live with me all the time and would rather do everything myself than have others in my house.

@Nomorepies that's the right thing to do 👍 wish my neighbours were like you. It's making me so angry with them!

YANBU

OP sounds as if she is making up a little story

Or are there household staff rules I'm not aware of?

I'm not sure but thank you for alerting me to this potential dilemma. I'm going to have to think what plans I can put in place for my butler. And his assistant.

My house staff (ie Mary who walks the dog, Sandra who cleans once a week, Jimmy who does the windaes every month and Alfie who cuts the grass every fortnight) are all at home, staying at home. Still paying them though as my employer are paying me.

Indeed. A 'look at me, I'm so holier than thou and I live in the BEST STREET IN A NICE VILLAGE while being holier than ALL MY RICH NEIGHBOURS TOO' nice little unnecessary story.

It would have been better OP came right out and talked about nice houses and lovely streets.

Give me strength!

We have a cleaner - she isn't coming this week. Or next probably. But it was a really hard decision we made between us. She is self-employed. She doesn't work, she doesn't get paid.

If only there were some way you could still pay her to isolate at home.

And I see there are more people like OP here, I don't know if I should take them seriously or not.

Totally agree with you OP. That is the selfish behaviour spreading the virus.

@aupresdemonarbre ok I read the document about that someone posted and it says you can have 'tradespeople' which surely means someone to fix your boiler.
This is common sense?! The government are asking people to stay at home. Why are people trying to find loopholes to suit their own situation?
It is likely that a cleaner would have to travel on public transport to get to their place of work and then they are doing a job that isn't an essential service.
I don't understand why people aren't helping the government out?

I guess this is why the virus is spreading so far. Everyone has a reason the advice doesn't apply to them.

exactly this!

You lost me at "the best street"

@Jjcrackers....I NEED my cleaning service even more now. Between running my care agency and taking shifts at our local hospital I don't have the time,effort or energy to clean and disinfect my home the way it NEEDS to be. My service doesn't use public transportation because we don't have public transportation.

I think the OP was only mentioning how wealthy her street is so that others would understand that the neighbours are in the same position and would be able to afford to pay staff for a few weeks, without having unnecessary people coming in and out the house.

YANBU. If I was in your/your neighbours position I would be doing what you are.
What is the point in the government telling us to stick to their own households if some are having numerous people from numerous households coming and going?? Understand if it is a carer but outwith that it is absolutely not essential.

🥱

You lost me at "the best street"

Agreed. The point could have been made without all the (I couldn't even say stealth) bragging in between.

Our staff are part of our household unit. Though because there are so many, I've also had to employ a policing unit to ensure they're all complying. To ensure the police are doing a good job I've employed some scientists to build us an army of cyborgs but now the M15 have got wind, confiscated our advanced technology and are putting me in a cell. Instead of a final phone call I opted to write a post on MN. Please be warned.