How to Keep Your Maid Safe from the COVID-19
COVID-19 has brought several challenges in the service industry. People would like to offer services, but at the same time, there is a risk of infections. World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines require people to keep a physical distance so that they can avoid the spread of the virus from one person to another. It is hard to keep the distance in all places, but you need to try. House helps have been affected to a great extent. They would like to work and deliver the necessary services, but at the same time, they need to keep safe. There are several safety measures maids should take as they work in Singaporean homes. Both the homeowners as well as the maids have to comply. Here are some of the steps they can take to keep homes safe for maids to work:
1. Provide enough mask
Homeowners should equip the maids with enough masks so that they can wear them at all times. The disposable masks should be handled with care at all times. Apart from the increasing maid salary so that the workers can buy protective equipment, homeowners should as well take the initiative to provide the protective gear.
It is necessary to provide the protective gear because it will offer the protection needed for both the homeowners as well as the maid. Remember, when the maid is safe, family members will be safe because they will reduce the risk of infection. It is a safety precaution that all employers should take.
2. Keep social distancing
Some homes prefer maids who come and work after which they leave home. In the case of day maids, they should be allowed to work when they are keeping in mind the recommended physical distancing measure. WHO recommends at least one meter between individual. Try to let the maids work in rooms where they are alone. Family members can get outside and get involved in outdoor adventures as the maid works. It is a simple measure you can take, but it works well towards keeping the maid safe. When the maid remains safe, family members will as well reduce the chances of contracting the infectious coronavirus.
3. Sanitize things they use
The maids will use things such as mowers, vacuum cleaners and washers. The handles where they touch should be sanitized immediately they leave home. You can as well make the maids carry out the sanitization process by buying for them gloves. Maids can wear disposable gloves as they work. The gloves will allow them to keep the surfaces clean as they work in homes. It can be costly to the maids to buy disposable gloves. Homeowners can factor the cost so that they can make it easy for them to maintain a high level of hygiene.
4. Maintain healthy eating
The maids should maintain a healthy diet. If you live with the maid in your home, then you should treat her like your family member. She should enjoy the balanced diet you eat so that her immunity can be strong enough to fight off the COVID-19 infection. Health care professionals recommend people to eat a balanced diet. The FDW salary may not be enough to allow the maids to maintain a healthy diet. Try to help them access healthy foods so that they can be in a position to avoid severe side effects that can be brought about due to the infection.
5. Be friendly to the domestic helper
The pandemic has brought both psychological and physical suffering to people. It is good to offer moral support to the house helps so that they can work and deliver quality work. It is normal for homeowners to get stressed due to the changes the pandemic has brought. For instance, family members may have to change their lifestyle. The best way to go about it involves getting psychological support. The maids may be vulnerable because their salary may not be enough to pay for the services.
6. Screen for signs of illness
Covid-19 comes with signs such as sneezing, cough. Fever, runny nose, aches and sudden loss of smell. It is good to talk with your maid and get to know whether she has experienced such signs.
Try to seek medical support early and take the necessary precautions to avoid cases where the condition can become worse. Try to enlighten the maid about the signs and the need to report in case she has been infected. Instant covid tests or PCR tests might be necessary in that case. The disease is treated through isolation of affected individuals. Work with the maid, and it makes it easy to seek the necessary health support.
7. Provide paid time off in case they are sick
The maid can become sick, and you end up giving her time off. Try to provide paid leave so that she can get enough money to meet her expenses. The pandemic brings about several economic challenges. The maid will not deliver quality work if you do not offer her necessary support. Try to get the necessary help for the maid, and it will be easy for her to enjoy life.
8. Enrol them in the safety training course
There are several safety tips the maid should apply. You have to introduce the maid to the important safety tips so that she can know the right measures to take. Even if you do not manage to get her the safety training course, you can buy the necessary learning materials, and she will learn during her free time. Staying safe requires necessary hygiene measures. Ensure the maid is aware of the measures so that she can stay safe.
9. Provide a pair of dedicated cleaning shoes and attire
The maid should wear the necessary protective equipment when working in your home. For example, if you have a maid whom you would like to come and work then leave at the evening, then you should ensure the attire she wears in the street is not the one she will wear when in your home. Get uniforms and protective shoes so that she can reduce chances of contaminating your home as she works.
