Stuck between work from home, work for home
Bhubaneswar: Life under coronavirus lockdown has taken away many things. The initial fear of letting anyone inside one’s house, including maids, is slowing wearing off as the country completed 50 days under the lockdown.
The lockdown has left million families struggling between work from home and work for home. The netizens are starting to feel the burnt of managing household chores without maids, helpers or cooks.
Many residential complexes are still in a fix on whether to allow maids in there, while the elderly and ill or those leaving in joint families say it is becoming increasingly difficult to work without maids and can result in calamitous damage to health.
Shilpa Mishra, a 34-year-old entrepreneur, has been managing both her business and house in the absence of her maid. “I want the lockdown to end soon. I did not expect that it would continue for so long,” she added.
Shilpa said managing her child and ailing mother-in-law, both of who have separate food and medicine needs, was burning her out. “Fearing infection, hygiene has become a priority. As a result, there is additional cleaning, dusting, sanitising and disinfecting in the whole house apart from regular chores,” she added. “I have been slogging for months,” she said.
A domestic helper not only maintains a household, but plays a key role in the economy. The job helps them earn a living. A large number of women and also men (fewer) are engaged in house cleaning and cooking, among other services. A maid cleans houses, including sweeping, cleaning utensils, dusting and laundry. In the absence of maids, women have been doing all of this alone, or with the help of their better halves. But, the patience of having to do it regularly is fading away.
Snehanjali Mishra, a retired government employee in her mid-60s, said she has been struggling since the lockdown was imposed. She suffers from joint pain. “My husband (72) and I are not keeping well because of age related issues,” she added.
“We have to depend on our driver and maid for most of our daily needs, starting from stocking up on essentials to cooking and keeping the house clean. It has been two months since we are without them. It is affecting our health,” Snehanjali said. “Sometimes, our neighbours help and get us staples on request. However, managing all household chores on a daily basis has become overbearing,” she added.
Women in joint families are no longer in a condition to run the homes smoothly. “The lockdown has come with a series of problems. One is being a resident of an area that has been listed as a containment zone,” Nirupama Prusty, a resident of Suryanagar, said.
“In our house, there are eight senior citizens, who have different health complications and needs. Preparing different food for so many people on a daily basis, and then washing utensils or cleaning the house is taxing. However, we are in two minds on whether to allow the maid fearing the spread of the virus,” Nirupama said.
Not everyone is equipped to buy a dishwasher or vacuum cleaner. Hence, it is creating unimaginable pressure on families functioning without domestic helpers.