Why Domestic Staff Can Improve Your Lifestyle
- Date: 2010-09-12 - Word Count: 384
Share This!
The tradition among middle and upper class families of employing domestic staff to do household chores goes back hundreds of years or more, and offer great time-saving value to their employers who are busy attending to their jobs, travelling, or attending business interests. In some societies such as in England during the Edwardian era, the grooming and apprenticeship of domestic staff was elevated to a complex, perfectionist art with strict rules of conduct.
All servants had specific duties, such as doing the laundry, taking care of the elderly, running errands, cooking, setting the table in the proper order, dusting the furniture, cleaning the kitchen and bathroom among other duties, sometimes assigned by gender. A butler and a family chauffeur were functions done only by men, while child-rearing duties were only done by females.
Most domestic staff around the world usually had little or no legal protection, typically being treated as only slightly above slave labour without regard to hours worked or wages paid, their lives being at the mercy of their domestic employers. During the early twentieth century in industrialized countries, many people organized and began demanding better working conditions for domestic workers, which were improved in many countries, but in some countries things are still done the old-fashioned way.
Virtually all the domestic staff work in some countries is done by immigrant labour, as the local population is unwilling to do it. In other countries the income level between urban and rural inhabitants is so great that urban families will hire rural migrant labourers to do domestic work.
Toward the middle of the twentieth century and beyond, domestic staffing agencies evolved to screen domestic staff applicants to make sure they were able to do typical assigned duties, and were then sent to families as temporary workers. This served a double purpose of offering a prospective family a worker that was capable of doing whatever the family wanted, plus the domestic staff worker would receive a fixed wage and fixed number of hours during the time they were employed. It also offered legal protection to both parties since either could report any wrongdoing by the other to the staffing agency. It also required the family to notify the agency in advance if they wanted to change the work agreement, such as extended hours or different days of employment.
All servants had specific duties, such as doing the laundry, taking care of the elderly, running errands, cooking, setting the table in the proper order, dusting the furniture, cleaning the kitchen and bathroom among other duties, sometimes assigned by gender. A butler and a family chauffeur were functions done only by men, while child-rearing duties were only done by females.
Most domestic staff around the world usually had little or no legal protection, typically being treated as only slightly above slave labour without regard to hours worked or wages paid, their lives being at the mercy of their domestic employers. During the early twentieth century in industrialized countries, many people organized and began demanding better working conditions for domestic workers, which were improved in many countries, but in some countries things are still done the old-fashioned way.
Virtually all the domestic staff work in some countries is done by immigrant labour, as the local population is unwilling to do it. In other countries the income level between urban and rural inhabitants is so great that urban families will hire rural migrant labourers to do domestic work.
Toward the middle of the twentieth century and beyond, domestic staffing agencies evolved to screen domestic staff applicants to make sure they were able to do typical assigned duties, and were then sent to families as temporary workers. This served a double purpose of offering a prospective family a worker that was capable of doing whatever the family wanted, plus the domestic staff worker would receive a fixed wage and fixed number of hours during the time they were employed. It also offered legal protection to both parties since either could report any wrongdoing by the other to the staffing agency. It also required the family to notify the agency in advance if they wanted to change the work agreement, such as extended hours or different days of employment.
Related Tags: family, home and family, housekeeper, domestic staff
Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Important Things to Know About an Assisted Living Residence in Texas
n assisted living residence is a facility designed for senior citizens or persons with disabilities - Understanding How the Probate Process Works
The probate process is required within the U.S. to settle estates of deceased persons. The time requ - Fun Ideas for the Family During the Christmas Holiday
The Yuletide season is one of the most awaited holidays of the year because it is the time for joy a - How To Find The Right Composite Decking Deck Builders
Another rising home improvement project homeowners are starting to do a lot more of is the composite - Every Home Should Have A Radiant Barrier
The most easy and successful home improvement project you can do to your House, would be to install - The Different Types Of Rain Gutters
When purchasing a house or planning to do improvements to a home, there is always one project that s - How To Get The Best Replacement Windows For Your Home
Installing replacement windows can be the single most important home improvement project you can do - Holiday Accommodation Gold Coast: Pointers For Selecting The Best
With a multitude of holiday accommodations in Gold Coast, choosing the one for yourself can be quite - Want Holiday Accommodation In Gold Coast Queensland? Get Online To Find The Best Deal In A Quick, Co
There are several ways to find holiday accommodation in Gold Coast. You may refer to travel guides t - Celebrate The Ten-days Festival Of Navratri.
Dasara known as Dussehra, Navaratri, Vijaya Dashami is a festival of triumph of GOOD over Evil. The
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Adoptees Need Support When Voicing Feelings about Birth Parents
"I feel like a mistake.""I'm not like them.""Where's my family?""Why can't I find a suitable career? - Progressive Cooking: All About 'cuisine'
The French are known for their interest in art and all that is fine. It therefore comes as no surpri - Moroccan Decor - Oh My! Make Your Home Shine With Moroccan Rugs and Tapestries.
It is said in Morocco that he who enters Fez with a rug will leave with a moneybag. This saying o - Online Criminal Background Checks-Importance & Ease
Have you ever thought your new neighbor looks like one of the pictures on the post office bulletin b - Installing A Burglar Alarm
Want to protect your home? Ready to install a burglar alarm? The popularity of the home burglar ala - Lowe's Backyard Playground Sets
Lowe's is an excellent first place to look for anyone who is looking for the best swing sets on the - How Could Short Term Health Insurance Help Me?
Short-term health insurance plans allow people to have health insurance for a limited amount of time - Watch Out For Those Stinky Skunks!
There are various species of skunks found throughout the United States including the striped, spotte - Asthma In Kids: An Increasing Epidemic
Many believe that the majority of asthma cases are confined to adults, but this is definitely an inc - Stairlifts For Riders Of Above Average Weight
A stairlift is an affordable device that is used to give people with limited mobility access to the