How to prevent helper BURNOUT
When is it TOO LATE?
By the time a helper says "I'm giving my 30 days notice" - it's already too late. In our 15+ years of experience we know she will not change her mind, and our customers will have to start the process of finding and hiring a new helper AGAIN! At Arrow our goal is to help customers FIND AND KEEP A GOOD HELPER. There are 3 reasons helpers resign early:
Lack of rest
Too little encouragement and too much criticism (coming soon)
Recently I was in the Philippines where I have a small house that was under renovation. The workers showed up promptly at 8 a.m. in the morning and finished promptly at 5 p.m. at night. At around 10 a.m. they stopped for a 15-20 minute coffee break, at noon they took a 1 hour lunch break and in the afternoon around 3:30 p.m. they stopped for more coffee and a snack. This was their routine. Their boss was expected to provide the coffee and snacks. Workers in the Philippines generally have set working hours with lunch and coffee breaks.
In Hong Kong, domestic workers are sometimes expected to work from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. with no set lunch break, no coffee breaks, AND some employers expect them to do a lot of chores before and after they go for their day off OR ask them to exchange their days off for money. Helpers say "Yes Ma'am, it's OK" because they don't know how to say "No" to the boss and then after 3-4 months they then tell their boss that they are having a "family problem" and need to resign. The real reason is that they are burned out, but they will never tell this to the employer. The helper now has no job, and the employer needs to pay another agency fee and wait for a replacement to arrive. It's a total lose - lose situation. Because the employer doesn't know the real reason, the cycle continues...
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO MAKE SURE YOUR HELPER DOESN'T BURN OUT?
Give your helper a full day off EVERY week.
Helpers willingly accept a reasonable curfew (8 or 9 p.m. on their day off) and they anticipate completing a few simple chores before heading out and after returning at night. They do not expect to prepare breakfast for the family and clean the kitchen before leaving OR do the laundry, and so on. They put in great effort for 6 days. They DESERVE a day off, away from you and your family. Avoid messaging them on their day off unless it is truly urgent.
Ensure that your helper has adequate breaks during work hours.
Your helper requires time to unwind, check their phone messages, indulge in a mindless Facebook video, or talk to their children, etc. They should be able to do this during their lunch or coffee breaks. Try to respect their personal time during these moments. NOTE: Most children in the Philippines are asleep by 8 p.m. so if you tell your helper she cannot use her phone to contact her family until after the work day is finished, she won't be able to check on her kids. How long would you stay at a job where the employer didn't allow you to contact your family?Establish a reasonable workday.
Household chores seem to be never-ending and monotonous. However, it's important to remember that some tasks can be postponed until the following day. If your family's schedule tends to stretch late into the evening, compensate your helper by providing them with longer breaks during the daytime. This will allow them to unwind, catch up with their loved ones, indulge in a refreshing shower, and get the rest they need. It's widely known that most adults require a minimum of 7 hours of sleep every night. Therefore, it's crucial to avoid imposing a workday longer than 12-14 hours, as it can ultimately lead to burnout.
We hope you and your helper will have a long and fruitful working relationship. Making sure she gets enough rest will help you along that road.
In my next email, I'll talk about how Filipinos react to feedback from employers.
If you have a co-worker, friend or family member looking for a helper please send them to Arrow and to mention your name for 5% off the normal fee. Thanks!
