pregant cleaning lady wwyd?

goforit

Fri, Jun 22 2012, 4:27 pm

title says it all. my cleaning lady form the past 3 years is pregant. she still wants her job, but I feel bad to make her clean the floor. wwyd?

ora_43

Sat, Jun 23 2012, 1:08 pm

I think it'd be worse if she were out of a job.

If you pay her by the house, I suggest offering to switch to paying her by the job. Figure out what tasks she usually does in how many hours at what pay, then offer that pay that sum for those tasks no matter how long it takes. That way she won't feel pressure to keep up her usual pace.

Isramom8

Sat, Jun 23 2012, 1:44 pm

I'd be very uncomfortable. I'd probably end up giving her only light jobs, making her snacks and giving her breaks.

sarahd

Sat, Jun 23 2012, 6:19 pm

Oh, boy. Did you ever read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn? The mother in that story was newly widowed, heavily pregnant and working as a cleaning lady. Until she was let go because her employers felt terrible making her scrub floors in her condition. So her family starved. But at least her employers didn't have to see her working hard.

Sat, Jun 23 2012, 6:51 pm

I cleaned my own floor when I was pregnant. If she says she wants to keep her job and you are satisfied with her work, by all means keep her on. If you are concerned about her well-being, give her a paid maternity leave.

miami85

Sat, Jun 23 2012, 7:30 pm

I would say if she shows up and willingly does her job without complaining, then I don't think you should feel bad. I mean I don't love it, but I scrubbed my own floors in my ninth month (with not so much as a contraction). My job had physical moments at times, but I knew that my livelihood depended on it, and I never made a peep--even though everyone around me was trying to make my job easier. I mean figure out what chores are needed, maybe she shouldn't be lugging a basket of laundry up 3 flights of steps, and maybe cut her hours a little--or allow her to take longer, but giver her a chance to earn her income.

seeker

Sat, Jun 23 2012, 8:05 pm

Why not have an open conversation with her? Ask her to tell you if certain tasks become too difficult. Maybe she'll have an easy pregnancy and everything will be fine, and maybe it will come to a point where you'll have to reduce her hours and call in someone else for the heavy work. But I think if she's been working for you that long you probably have a good enough relationship that you can work it out together.

However, I'd avoid giving her jobs involving potentially toxic substances like certain oven cleaners or silver polishes, which could be extra toxic during pregnancy. There are safe alternatives so it doesn't have to mean giving up on those jobs.

chocolate chips

Sat, Jun 23 2012, 8:08 pm

My mother had this. She also felt terrible but her lady told her that she will be able to do it up until a certain time then it was too much for her so she found my mother someone else and left.

Ask her if she is ok, take away some of her 'duties' such as making the beds/changing the linen, running up and down the stairs too much and offer her drinks and food. Let her know to feel comfortable to tell you if she cannot do it and ask her if she minds if you find someone else because you are uncomfortable making her work. If she needs the money she will tell you she wants to stay.

ETA: I never had a cleaning lady so I did all the "cleaning lady" jobs on my own until I was 9months preg (and sometimes dh helped me...)

Raisin

Sun, Jun 24 2012, 3:42 am

maybe suggest she comes for less time each time, but more often. Eg if she comes to you twice a week for 6 hours, have her come 3 times a week for 4 hours.

shnitzel

Sun, Jun 24 2012, 8:37 am

Why can't someone pregnant wash floors? Ask her if she wants reduced hours and tell her you want to know if she is having any complications or pain because you are worried about her but there is a very, very good chance that her number one concern is being able to feed her family and not that her back is going to be achy.

MaBelleVie

Sun, Jun 24 2012, 9:41 am

There's nothing wrong with a pregnant woman cleaning floors, but a full day of physical labor may be too much. I like raisin's idea of dividing her hours, if shes open to that. If she wants to continue as usual, I would make it clear to her that she should feel comfortable taking breaks as needed while she works.

goforit

Sun, Jun 24 2012, 10:50 am

op here she doesn't speak much english and is very quiet and shy.I tell her to take drinks and breaks she doesn't could be she doesn't understand or is shy. I keep on giving her drinks food.... the problem is I arrange when she should come with her boyfriend because he speaks english. I don't know why but I feel like he makes her work. he always says yeh fine and if you ask her directly(I have relative that speaks her langauge) she says rather tomorrow..... she only works 3 hours 2x a week so can't break that down more. so any other ideas? what would really be better for her? work or not to work?

MaBelleVie

Sun, Jun 24 2012, 11:36 am

Get your relative to translate a full conversation with her and find out the truth. but definitely don't fire her just because you don't feel comfortable. 3 hrs 2x a week sounds fine in any case.