By Chana
All of a sudden, on an ordinary Tuesday, 2 and a half weeks before Pesach, my cleaning lady Maria didn’t show up.
Where did Maria go?
I already know the answer based on many years of experience…
You, my nameless neighbor, who use Maria on a different day of the week, obviously offered her a dollar or two more per hour to clean for you on ‘my day’.
Is it fair? No. Is it the Torah way? I haven’t asked a shaylah, but it’s hard to imagine any Rav giving his blessing to such geneivah-like behavior.
Don’t you realize that if you bribe a cleaning lady to come to you, you are depriving me, a fellow frum Jew, of Pesach cleaning help that day?
If you live in Yehuppits, on Shlichus, and are the only frum family in town, you can probably bribe any cleaning lady you want, anytime you like, without hurting anyone.
If you live in Crown Heights and do it, without asking my permission first, you should be ashamed of yourself. Yes, your Pesach will be very freilach with your perfectly sparkling house. But how kosher will it be if you’ve treated me this way? Do you think Hashem isn’t watching what you’re doing?
If this article stops just one person from this miserable, disgusting behavior, it will have been worth my writing it. But I won’t say “Dayeinu,” that it would have been enough, until everyone stops it.
I ask everyone to spread the word and apply social pressure to your family, friends and neighbors to stop stealing cleaning ladies from other Yidden on Erev Yom Tov.
A truly kosheren, freilichen Pesach to all.
100% that she is herself
however as soon as she commits herself, she must let you know before she ditches you
It’s human decency to respect the one who hired and trained her first and consult with her b4 going directly to the worker
U can kick and scream all u want that it’s OK- but mentchlichkeit it is not!!
Think of others, step in their shoes….this self centeredness that u can hire anyone based in nothing is cruel
Umm…maybe her name is really Maria? So why does that make it racist?
It seems to me that both the writer as well as many of the comments have provided a lesson in “dan le’kaf zchus”. All have made assumptions and judgments about the actions and attitudes of others without knowing many pertinent details. To the author, I say this: In the hypothetical scenario that one of your “neighbors” knowingly approached and offered the cleaning lady more money in order to leave you and work for her instead, I agree that this sounds wrong. (Although, on the other hand, I put myself in the worker’s situation, and if this happened to me as… Read more »
It’s human decency to respect the one who hired and trained her first and consult with her b4 going directly to the worker
U can kick and scream all u want that it’s OK- but mentchlichkeit it is not!!
Think of others, step in their shoes….this self centeredness that u can hire anyone based in nothing is cruel
i agree with you 100%!!!!!!!! you dont own no cleaning lady, nor do you have the right to be rasict! though i do think its a bit inconsiderate of yyour neighbor. But, truth be told i dont know the REAL story so i can only talk based on what this article says
You can’t claim someone stole your maid because its not yours no mater how real it seems been that way forever, but truth is it belongs to hashem, see rashi bireishis
כל הארץ של הרב”ה היא הוא בראה והוא נטלה ממך ונתנה לה
Most of you missed the point: ehrlich, decent, mentchlich and dignified behavior that Halacha demands, if u care to reread & follow the Halacha, quoted by “#84” and others, regarding the complaint. It’s not about the employee. It’s clearly about not hurting an employer by luring away his employees. It’s far deeper than getting sidetracked with pay cuz pay is NOT the issue here. Again: The issue is hurting an employer by luring away his employees. That is hakachically not allowed. Period. The Rebbe spoke about Mosdos not taking away staff from each other for a reason. To teach us… Read more »
“Nameless neighbor” was supposed to mean I don’t have any idea who the neighbor is! If I knew, I would have spoken to them directly instead of writing here!!! I have learned a lot from writing this article: the importance of crystal-clear writing so people won’t misunderstand, the importance of judging every person favorably, and so much more. A friend, from a frum community outside of Crown Heights, hired cleaning help from a non-Jewish agency this week and the gentile owner commented, “So many people take away cleaning ladies from others, and I tell them they are hurting their own… Read more »
Good point on the article, but you shouldn’t look at people that way. You are not Trump/Hillary:
“You, my nameless neighbor, who use Maria on a different day of the week”
It’s easy/convenient to be a keyboard warrior, but let’s see you confront your neighbor in a respectful way (like #76 said, write a letter). That takes effort, midos, brain power. How do you know that next yom tov you need a maid, this won’t happen again? and then again, we’ll have a thousand yentas rubbernecking/commenting on something they really don’t care about in real life. This article is like a car wreck you see on the highway, you have sympathy / interest for no more than two seconds, and then you drive on and forget that it ever happened. Write… Read more »
this is only a continuation of house stealing, and the likes. it falls into the same category, yet worse. houses are hard to come by and a goya is too, but not at the same cost of hundreds and thousands of dollars.
Someone who has made a verbal contract with you and doesn’t keep it – isn’t someone I would trust in my house with my kids or my property. And a real friend who was raised properly by their parents would have called and made arrangements with the other people using the maids services. Not nice and not mentchlach, but then again some people have no manners or consideration of others feelings and their wants and needs supersede others. Its not a good way to raise kids . Especially when they copy parents behavior
I am quite shocked at the outpouring of venom against the writer of this article. The presumptions that the cleaning woman was taken advantage of, underpaid, disrespected etc was at least laid to rest by the writer’s clarification. It is totally unfair and Halachically wrong to poach someone elses worker, help, by offering more money. This is a form of bribery from which we are told to stay away and form of hasogas gevul. It is so inconsiderate to prepare for your own Pesach at the expense of someone else. I would not feel comfortable sitting down at a Seder… Read more »
“Im willing to share, everything, except MY HUSBAND and CLEANING LADY!!!
It is a lost cause change begins with yourself stop preaching this is crown heights get used to it
Before we talk about cleaning ladies, I think there’s a lot, a LOT more work that needs to be done about nbeing sensitive to others’ needs. Cleaning ladies are the tip of the iceberg, and honestly, she can do what she wants, including quit beofre Pesach and find another job – no “stealing” involved.
How about being nicer to other frum Jews in general – saying good Shabbos, not asking for pictures in shidduchim and then saying no because the person isn’t photogenic enough, not judging based on weight, helping other frum Jews find jobs, etc.
I think we need a Rov to validate your point. The bottom line is, even for Mentchlichkiet, human decency sake, I’m quite sure this is not the way of a Chossid or a frum Jew! What are we teaching our kids when we are insensitve to others needs?
Find out who is leaving for Pesach and can share their cleaning help days with you!
Love it. Nothing more entertaining than listening to the self professed “Republicans” and “Conservatives” of Crown Heights yapping on about who stealing who’s illegal alien.
Maybe if you could be bothered to pay these poor souls a living wage, instead of exploiting them and treating them like chattel, “Maria” would be a bit more loyal.
When its someone else’s its a free market when its my cleaning help how dear
The Halacha says to follow minhag hamedina. That means: With contract, Employer holds the rights. No contract: employee holds the rights. There is no hasogas gvul here.
Can’t read so many comments so probably No-one will read mine but why, again, is everyone freaking out. The author is right, she has a point. You’re opinions and frustrations are irrelevant. Before I hire any cleaning lady I ask her who she’s working for. And once, when I found out it was a chasseedish Jewish lady, I refused to hire her. I wouldn’t have extra help in the account of her stiffing another jew and I told her so very clearly. So why all the anger ( really? Racist for calling her Maria? And is it so Terrible for… Read more »
Can’t read so many comments so probably No-one will read mine but why, again, is everyone freaking out. The author is right, she has a point. You’re opinions and frustrations are irrelevant. Before I hire any cleaning lady I ask her who she’s working for. And once, when I found out it was a chasseedish Jewish lady, I refused to hire her. I wouldn’t have extra help in the account of her stiffing another jew and I told her so very clearly. So why all the anger ( really? Racist for calling her Maria? And is it so Terrible for… Read more »
nothing like a bit of pesach cleaning to get the woman all over the world in a tizz wazz!!
I’m in shock with these vicious and ignorant comments!!This is not about the cleaning lady. This is about the neighbor that was selfish and went behind her back. I was always careful and taught my children never to ask a friend or neighbors cleaning lady without consulting them first.
I’m really sorry that the author had to justify her reasons for having a cleaning lady.
All those holier than thou people who are attacking the writer just seem meanspirited!!
Did u know that a lady who had a few kids very close in age, was by yechidus, and she shared her struggles with the rebbe, she needed a Break!! And the rebbe told her that she should hire help….!! We have seen the rebbe treat each and every individual with dignity!!! There is a video available ONLINE of the rebbetzins cleaning lady….. coming to the rebbe by dollars after 22 shevat!! The cleaning lady was crying to the rebbe for how much she misses, the rebbetzin!! Ofcourse we should treat our help nicely. The author is addressing a different… Read more »
Everyone is entitled to a clean house before pesach. You are no more entitled bec you are younger.
and YES, you are missing something!
Jealous nisht-farginners. Maybe she has cleaning help bc shes disabled? Pregnant? Works full time? Sick? Or just lucky!??! Jealous people are gross.
#2 the point of this article is where people KNOWINGLY poach/recruit/employ workers that werr supposed to be working somewhere. This is Halachically unacceptable and wrong
#3. This is why I NEVER give out my help to share with friends!
I didn’t have much money but I am not the best at keeping an organized home. I put a letter in a book of the Rebbe once asking if I should get a cleaning pady and the answer was about an enemy’s donkey under its burden. I was under the burden of keeping a clean home and yes. I needed help, so b’ezras Hashem I got it. Hashem blesses the home if the wife is happy. Boruch Hashem, soon after then my husband got a raise.
I wish people would be forced to post in true names on this site. It would possibly curb the angry, judgemental and hateful (perhaps jealous) comments, and it would also help me out immensely when it comes time to my kids shidduchim. No I’m not kidding. You show your essence here even if you do so anonymously. Or perhaps especially because you do so anonymously. I hope your sons and daughters don’t hear you speak this ill and judgementaly of others in life… But who am I kidding… You probably don’t even know ‘who you are’ when I’m referring to… Read more »
The reason this is posted HERE, is to make a point to our own community members who are doing something wrong. Paying a higher rate, then dumping the cleaning lady after Pesach can hardly be called treating her nicely! Yes, we should pay more, and for many of us, we wish we could pay much more, but the market rate and our own finances dictated a certain range. OF course we understand that a cleaning lady will want to go somewhere that pays more, and we should try to give a bit more for this time of year, or give… Read more »
Get help?! The other kind! Just because one man is sick or dying dies not mean the rest of the world stops or lessens their living! Nebach for all the foolish comments labeling this writer as spoiled or whatnot. She points out an extremely valid and ongoing problem that takes place in ALL Frum communities sadly, maybe especially in NY. Her motives are not a fancy and primped house (or she’d be having her own lady all week if so “spoiled”…), rather a clean and chametz free house for Pesach. Y’all have NO idea how many kids she has, if… Read more »
If you don’t have little kids and people aat at the table, why do you need to Pesach clean anything other than the kitchen and your dining room table and chairs? The rest of the house should be easy peasy because there is no chametz there…and the kitchen and table aren’t shayach to clean until just before the chag itself. So why the cleaning lady in the beginning of NIssan?
Or maybe I’m missing something?
this is the Torahs guideline…
“For his part, an employer may not directly recruit a person working elsewhere, causing another employer to lose a worker.”
— Halacha2Go, #569
I agree with you! Instead of relying on your ” Maria” all us hard working ladies get to work and do it ourselves! Number 32 we gotta get together and knock sense into ppl who are relying on their “Maria”
Good luck to all you hard working woman out there doing ther best to bring in peach :):):)
that deals with this EXACT issue Dibur hamaschil Oni hamhepech bchororo. Toisfos CLEARLY says that it 1000 percent not allowed to take away a worker that usually works for someone else by offering them more money UNLESS it is in a case of a melamed that is better.
this is not about the cleaning lady leaving her for more money. that is a separate issue. it is about her neighbor enticing the cleaning lady for more money behind the other lady’s back..and the second lady being sly about it..that is the gist of the complaint. its the deception of her neighbor that she is complaining about and hurts the most..what maria does or doesn’t do, is a separate issue..its called being sensitive to OTHERS needs and not going behind backs and not just thinking what is good for you and getting it at the expense of others.
..
i wonder what trump would have to say about this!!
How do you know that she wasn’t deported? Use citizens, not illegals, and you won’t have this problem.
When I get a better offer, I will say very nicely, “R., it was great working with you; I will finish out the week/ two weeks, but then I will have to go.” Maybe I’ll give him a month. Probably not. This is the issue. Not that her cleaning lady gave notice – she just didn’t show up. No notice. A decent person calls in sick if they are. You can’t stay home from work and a week later come back and tell your boss, hey I was sick with the flu. You call so a temp can be hired… Read more »
Instead of publicizing this, write a private letter to your neighbor.
Use your brain.
I am a great grandmother who cleans for Pesach myself. My holy daughter “lends ” and gets upset the same way. I didn’t bring her up this way. Influenced by the place she lives.
You don’t own anyone and overwork them anyway.
I have a very good cleaning lady that comes once a week to me, full day, cleans and does laundry, and yes it saves me and my sanity and helps me be a better mother and wife! And i dont know how i would manage without her. I know that she works all other days by other families, one who is an almana!! I really needed her to come additional days for pesach cleaning, so i asked her to come every sunday, starting 6 weeks before pesach, i offered her a couple dollars more, but i didnt dare even think… Read more »
Many of us senior citizens pay for cleaning help because we have to, not because we want to. It’s upsetting when you treat your cleaning lady well and keep her on a regular basis, and then just before Pesach she naively accepts a job from a neighbor thinking that the neighbor will keep her permanently.
The neighbor pays her more and dumps her right after Pesach. I know because this has happened to me. Now I am wiser and give her a bonus before Pesach.
None of the cleaning ladies want your 1099, if anything they are entitled to a w2 with all the rights of an employee.
I couldn’t even finish reading all the comments because I just got to upset!!!! Are you all seriously sticking up for the cleaning lady and for the spoiled rich person who can afford to pay more money? You should be ashamed of yourself. All this woman is saying is don’t take away my cleaning lady. Yes she will surely go to whoever offers her more money regardless of how well you treat her. Every yiddishe household needs a cleaning lady almost as important as other basic necessities especially before pesach. Just because you have more money does not give you… Read more »
I have like very little money and kept losing my cleaning help. I incrementally kept on having to raise rates but finally have same person for past 7-8 weeks. A record. Just like “happy wife, happy life”, same thing with cleaning help. If she’ll be happy, you will be happy.
The ethical issue raised in this article does not focus on the “rights” of the cleaning lady but rather on the behavior of someone knowingly ( implied by” neighbor” and who has had this cleaning lady on a paricular day of each week) enticing the cleaning lady away from the author who she knows always has her on Tuesdays, and of all times, before Pesach. “Hasagas Gvul”,plain old “breach of ethical behavior”? I didn’t hear the anger in this woman’s voice, I heard the unjustified hurt.
I live in a community with many frum Jews and many who share cleaning ladies. Some deal directly with the cleaning ladies and disregard their friends’ schedules and some first talk to their friends before approaching their cleaning lady for more hours. This article doesn’t bring proof that the neighbor actually paid more but it’s self understood that a cleaning lady will opt to work for the house that may be simpler or give her more hours altogether or on a consistent basis. The article also doesn’t say if the author called the neighbor to discuss. Very possible that the… Read more »
Since we are on the subject of having a cleaning lady, I don’t understand how some of these young women that don’t work and are on public assistance could afford to have a person come to their house to clean for Pesach or any other time, I work everyday and I can not afford some one to come to my house and clean my apartment, plus I like to clean my self because I know how I like my apartment to be cleaned.
Seriously?? That’s what you care about!!
“For his part, an employer may not directly recruit a person working elsewhere, causing another employer to lose a worker.”
— Halacha2Go, #569
Why do we abide by the Torah
Why do we have the TOrah.
So we know how to behave.
I am not a RAV i WANT TO HEAR WHAT THE HALACHA SAYS ON THIS.
You want a cleaning lady – pay for it! It costs money to have someone do a service for you. It costs money for dry cleaning It costs money for take out and to dine It costs money to send your kids to school It costs money to take a cab It costs money to do have any service If cleaning help is Important for you- tjen you pay. My time is worth more than they money I pay a cleaning lady per hour. So I happily pay her to clean my house. I given her 5 raises in the… Read more »
You wrote so beautifully. Maybe some Maxhon Chana generous kind girls can spare some time to help a bubby, get paid, have a hot lunch, get pre yomtov experience for when they iyh run their own homes, have lovely interaction from a local bubby and poss be invited to a yomtov or Shabbos meal too! The best of both worlds.
Have a beautiful yomtov!
I personally have a lady who i 1st called the balabusta & she oked it but then after a year she chose to work for me not for the original lady. Am i to blame that she found my hs easier perhaps. I would never go over to someone elses help wihtout addressing her employer first!!
Not your slave. You don’t own her and no one can STEAL her she’s her own person and can choose on her own where she wants to work. Admit it if someone offered YOU more you’d probably also go and think abt the person “stealing” her maybe she also needs her that day? Wherever went giving someone the benefit of the doubt people?
ok 2 things
1. when your parents told you as a kid to be nice to all people- they didnt just mean JEWISH FRUM PEOPLE.
2. Capitalism is a beautiful thing. Pay your help more and they’ll show up. Unless of course Bernie Sanders wins the presidency in which case she’ll probably stop showing up because she can make more working at Mcdonalds or Walmart.
why don’t you simply out bid your neighbor?
I love it when my neighbor asks me if she can borrow my “Goyah” 1. I don’t own anyone 2. She’s called a cleaning lady 3. I clean my own toilets (i know shocker right? Gets them every time.) Pretty much #47 sums it up. They are freelancers. Offer them more and better treatment and they’ll stay. Otherwise they will leave. Sorry Miriam Swerdlov it’s a free market, you can work for whoever you want especially with such an off the books job. Have a kosher and freilachen Pesach.
Right on! I had no choice but to hire help – pregnant, with young children and a husband who worked late nights (and therefore could not help me) we paid for cleaning help. If someone offers her more money for your day the rightful thing is for her to come to you and tell you, and give you a chance to pay that amount! I loved my cleaning lady, she was thorough and taught me a lot about how to run my kitchen, best places to store xyz, and she was so sweet with my kids! I gave her lunch… Read more »
No intrest in addressing the disgrace that has lined this. You are to be a light on to the nations (not a back stabing sorority) No back to business. An employer should pay only what is required for the person to live, since any more including raises actually discourages production psychologically. (read the studies) What you can’t do you can’t do but what you can do you don’t have to do. I don’t know where but I’m sure it talks about this somewhere in all the business laws (halacha) that were given to us as our guide. And chassid does… Read more »
Most of these comments are missing the point. #24 and Miriam Swerdlov: well said. Don’t judge the author without knowing any details. After her explanation you see that all those comments were not valid. And the point is not whether to have a cleaning lady or not; it’s not about how to keep her; and it’s not about the cleaning lady…
It’s selfish of those who bribe her, very inconsiderate and by doing so, they are hiking up the price. How can anyone feel it’s ok to do this??!!
The lady has a point. Be mentchlich and considerate.
First world problems….
I once had a “mashpiah” in Morristown say that all girls in sem should learn Spanish to speak to their cleaning ladies. I think the stereotypical east coast cleaning lady is of Hispanic/Latino origin. Saying Maria isn’t the end of the world.
Mrs. Swerdlov to stick your neck out for someone else! Really impressed, especially after reading the explanation from the author! The bottom line is, what does Halacha say about this? Can someone who knows please spell it out for everyone?
its funny that there are 48 articles over a silly article that takes 30 seconds ot read.
moving right along….
Thank you Miryam Swerdlow and everyone else who supported me here. I should have made a few facts clear: I am a bubby. I don’t have the physical strength to do my own heavy cleaning. And I have no one at home who can do it. Do I have the money for cleaning help? Not really, but I pay for it anyway because I don’t see any alternative. My cleaning lady comes a few hours a week (too few for a 1099, I think) and gets paid the regular amount that people pay in the neighborhood. I give her a… Read more »
Yes, you are right….IF the cleaning lady has a contract. If she is a ‘freelancer” and works at 6 different houses each week, then….no. If the cleaning lady comes to you once or twice a week, and also works at 5 other houses, she is her own boss and can dump you anytime she wants. Without your permission. And if she gets a job offer, she can choose whether to work more hours or dump an existing customer. Just like every other freelancer. Listen, I write for people. Right now I have one client who asks for daily stuff. And… Read more »
Individuals don’t have to issue 1099’s.
Unless you have a “business” that is paying her…
Lubavitchers – Mendel – Jews – moshe
Is NOT the same as cleaning ladies are all Hispanics .
While many a cleaning help may be Hispanic to generalize is be ignorant.
A better example would be when my banker Shloime called in sick? Or when moshe picked up pennies. Stereotypes are real- Hispanics are not cleaning help- some cleaning help might be Hispanic.
Col change the title
A person has a right to go and clean where they want to, nobody owns anybody, maybe you should of payed her more money, just like any other job
Excellent comment.
-Shainy Peysin
Has rights to choose and take better job and better benefits ….your friend /neighbor has right to hire anyone at any rate ….
Yes , you are upset ….but cleaning lady is a person , give her benifits and she will stay by you ….
Thank you Miryam Swerdlov.
I’m behind you 100% and you are right.
This is not socialism.
If someone can, or saves to do what he feels he needs, why should others belittle him/her and call her spoiled?
i am embarrassed at the barrage. i shouldn’t read comments…. maybe i could because i have a cleaning lady…..why the hateful tone from people? why does it bother you if someone has help? so you are better, cleaner, more organized etc., but not all of us are, and we r not taking money from anyone to do this, when we couldn’t afford it, we didn’t get help, and when we BH could, we took help. I am sure that the people that could, help out families that don’t have for Pesach. And i am sure the writer of this article… Read more »
That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Maybe someone has convinced you that way, but in any normal school they have to give teachers a new contract every year. And if the teachers contract is up and chooses to go to another school, they are free to do so.
After the teacher signed a contract and agreed to return for the next year, then it is not right to violate your contract and go to the other school. No different than violating any contract in any job.
How can a human being steal another? I find this article repugnant – someone who cleans your mess for a living deserves respect as well as a fair wage. I live in Israel & my cleaning lady (she just started) is a young Jewish married mother – and she is frum. She cleans my toilets because a) I don’t want to; b) she does a far better job; c) she needs to put food on the table. I am appalled that this writer thinks she “owns” her “Maria.” Are we back owning slaves? My CL likes coming to me –… Read more »
Think of the cleaning lady, she also needs to make a living. Why shouldn’t she get paid more? If you want her so much then tell her you will pay her more. I think it is selfish of you to prevent her from making more money because you want to keep her for yourself.
I own a store on Kingston Ave after training a worker for the longest time I find him working at another shop on the Avenue it’s just wrong pepole have no respect. but to do what’s good for them self when I met up with this worker that worked for me for 5 years he said he was offered more money
To all of the folks who want to pay a cleaning lady a wage so low that you’d never embarrass yourself by offering that low of a wage to a bochur: Your “demand” has brought in a “supply” of immigrant cleaning ladies and other manual laborers, but it has also brought in a certain percentage of immigrant terrorists entering through the same open borders that let in the immigrant cleaning ladies. If we paid at least minimum wage, we would not be dependent on open borders. There are plenty of unemployed or underemployed citizens in the US who are trustworthy,… Read more »
It is well-known that during the Cantonist era, the wealthy and well-connected were able to get out of having their children drafted. This was done through bribes and other forms of influence.
Now, those poor, helpless Jews, who lost their precious neshamos – how are they suppose to feel about that?
Agree with 32.A freilichan Erev Pesach!!!!
Good luck to us all hard working ladies!
I know that the schools have a rule that they can’t hire someone working at another school without consent. If you want to hire someone else’s help ask the person who hired them first if they need them. It is wrong to go directly to the employee. When I saw that my neighbor was painting her house I asked her to let me know when she’s done before I hired the painter. The cleaning lady can ask for a raise on her own, I’m sure hard working people will be given raises.
ditto! best thing I ever did. they were making me lazy, my kids into brats and my husband broke!
now we all pitch in and guess what the place is cleaner then it ever was with 30 hrs a week cleaner !
if you continue with an attitude this way how this person and that person is so called “stealing” your cleaning lady then obviously before you start accusing others that they are doing everything wrong… think before you speak and first work on yourself… im sure you are not all that innocent either
oh and a good idea would be that instead of writing articles complaining that your cleaning lady didnt show up…maybe start cleaning?
I’m sorry, but I honestly don’t understand. I would never trust a stranger with free range of my home as long as Hashem gives me the ability to do so (besides, it’s never how I would want it anyway).
I work full time, so I do my cleaning on Sundays beginning just before Tu B’Shvat, one room a week with a couple of times in between for other stuff. Once you get used to it, it doesn’t really take all that much time.
And get your kids involved, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t help around the house….
I come on this site to hear/ see news and this is top story … a ” stolen” cleaning lady??!!!
I know someone in ch who absolutely freaks out when ever her cleaning lady doesn’t show, this women is 44 she crys like a baby , abuses her family , totally crazy ! I don’t have a cleaning lady , my husband and kids all pitch in and we get everything done with much laughter singing and dancing in the kitchen and most of all when their time comes to make pesach they’ll know how!
oh please
i am hispanic too and i’m not offended
calling all chabadniks mendel is racist? or jews moshe?
You know, having a cleaning lady isn’t a given. And one day, even if she only comes one day a week, won’t make or break your Pesach cleaning. Also, just BTW, many people, including some of those with big families and full time jobs, DON’T have a cleaning lady. So it’s possible to do without one. Besides for that, no one ‘stole’ her. She is her own person and makes her own decisions. She has no obligation to come to you instead of to your friend. Yes, you are the one hiring her. But if one day she is offered… Read more »
whether u think of this woman as spoiled or not, whether the cleaning lady has a right to work where she chooses… WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE MATTER AT HAND? The fact is that another woman is aware that by offering more to her friend’s cleaning lady, her friend will be stressed, left with no help,and yet she does so anyway. this is inexcusable. why is everyone bringing in other issues? so what if there are ppl in CH struggling to put food on the table- does that make such a person’s behavior excusable? This article is… Read more »
Totally agree!
The way you wrote your article instead of me thinking “hey she has a point” makes me think “what negative and terrible attitude-fly a kite!”
You want to vent and let out your anger? -Job well done!
You want to make a positive change? – Job FAILED!!!
It’s all about packaging…
The way you wrote it makes people defensive
You don’t say what you pay but where l come from it’s $25 an hour…for the majority it is just a dream to have pre -Pesach help… or any help !!! like a previous writer said cut out springcleaning… remember if you treat her like a mrntsh she eill respond in kind
What is a good mentchlich amount to pay our cleaning help.
Stop hiring illegals. Dont expect loyalty from an illegal worker.
1) You don’t own her. This article makes is sound like your neighbor took “something” from you… makes me sick
2) Why are you mad at your neigbor but not your hire? if she doesn’t appreciate your year long commitment to her than you need to find someone who will. Call her and tell her if she doesn’t show when you need her most then she won’t have her job back.
I made 20 pesachs without cleaning ladies. Cut out the extraneous spring cleaning and stick to what’s halachically required and you will see that it’s a lot more manageable than you think. And while we’re at it lets stop with the abuse, overworking and underpaying cleaning ladies. If your neighbor is treating her better and paying her more no wonder she jumped ship. She’s your employee not your slave and has a right to work where she chooses.
agree ! this has been going on for too long!
There is a simple solution to this very frustrsting & unfortunste thig… put 20c into a tin every day… it adds up to $1 a week without being too much of a burden
Then tell your cleaning lady well in advsnce that you will give her $X (whatever additional you wish) an hour for Pesach cleaning on your own days… hatzlacho…this will be for next year…hopefully we will all be in Yerushalayim
When my cleaning lady stopped coming before Pesach, I didn’t take her back after Pesach. And she was out of a job for that day, because the one who paid her more didn’t want her permanently. I wonder if she’ll fall for it again.
Was sick of training them in only to leave you. Then start again. Then they leave before yom tov.
I never thought I could manage without a cleaner, especially since I work. But with the kids chipping in and a schedule, I’m so much happier now.
This is ridiculous. I hate this attitude. You cannot “steal” a cleaning woman. She is a person who can choose who to work for and who not to work for. Someone else offered more money? You can either offer to pay more, too, or find someone else. (Or, gasp, even clean yourself!) It is awful when people band together to offer low prices only. Imagine being in a job where there is absolutely no room for growth, no opportunity to make more money? It’s miserable and not conducive to working one’s best. Everyone wants to know that if they work… Read more »
You couldve offered her a raise in advance special for,pesach cleaning time. Why should she put in hours of backbreaking labour with no extra reward. Also you dont own her and she can choose where to go.
Signed
Sick of people abusing their cleanin ladies.
I can’r believe i’m reading this. some people in CH are struggling to put food on a table every day and especially for YomTov and this is the biggest issue this spoiled brat of a woman can complain about?
Get real woman and clean your own house.
Is answered at the end of toisfos, Bova Metziah daf beis, עני המהפך בחררה
No cleaning until Maria comes back?
And this causes cleaning ladyes to ask for more money per an hour!!
wow! So true! Well said
Its a free market – if you would have matched the offer you wouldn’t be writing this article, Another theory is you mistreated your “goy” – (a title which is repugnant) – and she found someone who will treat her with the respect she deserves. You don’t own anyone – they have the right to do what they want when they want.
While I don’t dispute ANY of what you say, and also encourage folks to play fair, allow me to ask you this:
Do you issue Maria a 1099 at the end of the year?
I can see from the way you are writing that you are very upset because it is wrecking pesach and you are very stressed however more people would listen to your words when if they are written without all the anger.
Are you kidding me?
This is racist. You should change the title at once, as this will surely cast negative light on your site and to the public frum image of hispanics at large.
I fully am in agreement of the toichen of this article, and the manner in which people behave is hepech ahavas yisroel, but reffering to cleaning ladys as Maria is a chutzpah shein komahyu, and you have an achrayos to avoid RACIST language!