Cleaning lady from 10 am to 2 pm need to provide lunch?

JoyInTheMorning

Thu, Jul 26 2018, 11:42 pm

mommy3b2c wrote:

Seriously? Is it going to kill you to give her lunch?
My cleaning lady knows she is welcome to take as much food as she wants, whenever she wants, no matter how many hours she worked that day.

Telling the cleaning lady to take as much food as she wants is not the same as making lunch for the cleaning lady. The first doesn't require you to do any extra work; the second does.

I don't think anyone is begrudging the cleaning lady the cost of a few pieces of fruit or yogurt. I think the main issue is that most people are busy and don't have time to make lunch for, serve, and clean up after their cleaning ladies.

mommy3b2c

Thu, Jul 26 2018, 11:45 pm

JoyInTheMorning wrote:

No ones talking about a five course meal. They mean a frozen pizza or a sandwich.

amother

Lemon

Fri, Jul 27 2018, 9:27 am

mommy3b2c wrote:

No ones talking about a five course meal. They mean a frozen pizza or a sandwich.

My cleaning ladies want cake and coffee when they arrive followed by a hot lunch. They want fleish and a side. Their culture is to have a hot meal mid-day.

I give my current cleaning lady a choice of eating the food in my home or taking it home and having a can of tuna at my house. She chooses to take the food home to feed her daughter which works out for me as I don't have to prepare her a plate. (I actually give her most of my leftovers.)

A hot lunch is part of their pay. The cleaning ladies get one- way cab fare where I live regardless of whether they take a cab or not. It is part of their pay.

rachel0615

Fri, Jul 27 2018, 9:34 am

I want to say thank you for this thread. I had not thought of offering lunch to my cleaning lady. Granted she comes for maybe 3-4 hours at most since BH she is so amazing and quick. We picked up bagels for her yesterday, since this thread inspired me and she was so appreciative! I wish I had thought of it first but even so, I am so grateful this will now be on my mind so that I can show her the menschlichkeit she deserves! For the record- the bagels cost prob like 5 dollars and made her feel so good so whats the big deal?

creditcards

Fri, Jul 27 2018, 9:41 am

amother wrote:

Interesting. Who made these rules? I would never agree to hire a cleaning lady with these rules.

ra_mom

Fri, Jul 27 2018, 9:42 am

amother wrote:

Not around here.
Though if dinner is ready when she's leaving, I pack up a hot portion for her too.

creditcards

Fri, Jul 27 2018, 9:43 am

rachel0615 wrote:

Plain bagels for lunch?
What about those of us who need to take a car service to the store and back and pay $24 just for going to the store?

creditcards

Fri, Jul 27 2018, 9:46 am

ra_mom wrote:

Not around here.
Though if dinner is ready when she's leaving, I pack up a hot portion for her too.

If I have extra it goes for the next day dinner. I usually cook for 2 days. I never have enough to give away.
Besides I don't think she would like my cooked food.

ra_mom

Fri, Jul 27 2018, 9:49 am

creditcards wrote:

If I have extra it goes for the next day dinner. I usually cook for 2 days. I never have enough to give away.
Besides I don't think she would like my cooked food.

Don't feel bad. What lemon amother wrote is not usual. She must live in Squishy's neighborhood. Smile

amother

Lemon

Fri, Jul 27 2018, 10:04 am

creditcards wrote:

Interesting. Who made these rules? I would never agree to hire a cleaning lady with these rules.

It's supply and demand. If a CL's friend gets cab fare, she wants it also even if she doesn't take a cab. If you don't it she will go to someone who does.

I am often not available lunchtime. Leaving food to heat up is a problem. Tuna and fleish to go is perfect. Besides I know my cleaning lady feeds her sick daughter the leftovers.

DVOM

Fri, Jul 27 2018, 10:25 am

What an eye opening thread.

I don't currently have any cleaning help, but I did for most of the school year last year. My cleaning help came for four hours from 5-9 or 10 in the evening and ate the same dinner I prepared for myself and my kids. We don't eat fancy meals, so it was never extravagant. I wanted to be kind to my cleaning woman, who was doing a very critical job that I didn't want to do myself, but more than that it was important to me that my kids witness my respect for our cleaning help. With my help, my boys would set a place for her, call her to the table, ask her what she wanted to eat and drink, serve her, and clear her place when she was done. Her dinner break never took more than 15 minutes. My cleaning woman loved my kids, and they loved her. She moved at the end of the school year, and we are really going to miss her.

On a side note, my current place of employment serves coffee and snacks every day, and if they have us work through lunch (lunch meetings) they provide lunch too. In a past place of employment where I was expected to lunch with clients, I was given a company credit card to pay for restaurant meals. I have a friend who is sometimes asked to put in very long hours at her place of employment; lunch and dinner are provided as well as a masseuse, a manicurist, and laundry service. It is not so strange for employees to provide 'perks' to valued employees. I valued my cleaning lady; dinner was a perk I provided gladly.

amother

Slateblue

Fri, Jul 27 2018, 11:30 am

creditcards wrote:

Plain bagels for lunch?
What about those of us who need to take a car service to the store and back and pay $24 just for going to the store?

You don't have bread in the house you can serve with cheese?

My lunches for my cleaning lady:

Hard boiled eggs, bread, cream cheese

Fried eggs, bread, cheese

Ramen noodles, crackers, peanut butter

Grilled cheese
Pizza

amother

Chartreuse

Fri, Jul 27 2018, 11:40 am

mommy3b2c wrote:

No ones talking about a five course meal. They mean a frozen pizza or a sandwich.

When I am busy with a baby and a toddler and trying to work and also get out the door to run an errand, even making a sandwich can be a big deal... I just barely manage to eat myself many days. It's not food. It's the (even very minor) prep and set-up... I often offer my cleaning lady food, but I'll admit I'm relieved when she declines.

amother

Smokey

Fri, Jul 27 2018, 11:45 am

amother wrote:

These things take time, time that I don't have for myself. Op when she is done I would give her a yogert, fruit, maybe bread as well.

watergirl

Fri, Jul 27 2018, 11:46 am

I’m curious - we are generally a people who seek daas Torah for all areas in our lives. Those who dont feed your workers who are at your house during a meal time - did you ask a shailah to see if you need to? I’ve never been in this situation before but I seem to recall a relevant halacha re: feeding your workers.

amother

Smokey

Fri, Jul 27 2018, 11:49 am

watergirl wrote:

Were I work full time, noone provides me with any food