Do you serve your help on real dishes?

amother

Wed, Dec 24 2014, 9:44 am

Obviously this doesn't apply if you only use disposables...
If your family eats on real dishes and uses real utensils and glasses, do you serve your cleaning lady or babysitter on paper or real?
Anon cuz my neighbor and I were just having this discussion and disagreed, so I said I would ask the ladies here.

DrMom

Wed, Dec 24 2014, 9:56 am

My cleaning lady eats off of our regular plates. I don't serve her, as she works when I am at work. She brings her own food, although she supplements with eggs from our fridge (which is okay by me). She is frum and knows her way around our kitchen.

greenfire

Wed, Dec 24 2014, 9:59 am

there is no reason not to treat all people like you would your very self ... real dishes wash with soap & water ...

real chairs are also nice to share to those that come through your home

watergirl

Wed, Dec 24 2014, 10:06 am

No way!! And I would never serve my help - let her eat standing up while shes making our dinner.

While I'm at it, I should mention that I so have the help enter the house through the back door and use a bathroom which is outside.

Where I live this is standard practice... In 1962... In Mississippi.

Simple1

Wed, Dec 24 2014, 10:09 am

I use both real and disosable, so either one would be fine in that case for a worker.

But Dr mom's post brings to mind a real kashrus issue if the lady is not jewish and brings her own food.

Last edited by Simple1 on Wed, Dec 24 2014, 10:10 am; edited 2 times in total

JAWSCIENCE

Wed, Dec 24 2014, 11:28 am

If they are eating your food at the same time as you (it sounded like this was what you were referring to since you said the family was using real dishes) then you should be using real dishes for the help just like everyone else.

If they are eating your food but everyone else is not there, then they can chose - if they don't want to wash the dishes they can use disposable, but I would let them decide.

If they are bringing food from home and it is not kosher then you have a problem. I bought a setting of dishes and silverware for my nanny when this was going on because I worried she would not feel nice eating on paper, but she always brought things in tupperware so it never got used. lol.

if they are not eating treif food why in the world would you feel you davka need to use paper? you think they will contaminate your dishes or something? or just that they won't want to wash them?

amother

Wed, Dec 24 2014, 12:47 pm

My mother taught me to treat the help as you would any other person (her job is to wash my dirty clothes and my job is to teach your children in jewish school even when they treat ME worse than their own help. We probably get paid the same per hour if you add in the grading and prep time I put in. Sorry this is a little pet peeve of mine.)

When we ate out for dinner we brought home takeout for the housekeeper.

When I stop to get my kids a treat on the way home from school I buy something for the housekeeper too.

When she is here during meals she eats the same food as us. She serves herself because I dont know what she wants to eat and she takes a plate from wherever she pleases.

My kids always say bye to her and walk her to the door when she leaves. They give her a hug and say thank you when she buys them gifts.

mazal555

Wed, Dec 24 2014, 1:53 pm

I do not have regular help. On the occasion that someone is working in my house, I of course offer them something to eat and drink and of course put it on a regular dish. Why wouldn't I? If we are eating a meal while they are here, I offer them to come and join us. On occasion when someone had brought something not kosher, I explain that I keep kosher and they are welcome to eat whatever they want but would they be offended if I give them plastic for whatever is not kosher? I have never had someone seem offended by that. Because I have clearly communicated that the problem is not them just that their food is not kosher. It's not like it's a mystery anyway that I am Jewish and keep kosher.

amother

Wed, Dec 24 2014, 2:19 pm

I am always always offering her food - she eats when she pleases she leaves right b4 our supper time so she usually eats when the little kids do and they eat on paper so so does she. She's is almost a party of our family and we are all very very nice to her my kids always say hi thanksyou and bye - she buys them birthday presents and us likewise - she's a human being and needa to b treated as such .