We expats all employ staff of some kind such as a maid, driver etc. because it is either an affordable luxury for a few years or the company is paying for it. Another reason, which I think most expats don't consider when they first come over here, is that it is our responsibility as comparatively wealthy foreigners to provide jobs for these people and pay them well compared to what they might earn working for locals.
There are a lot of feelings of guilt living in a country such as India because of the abject poverty all around. Most of us are not considered wealthy in our home countries and often struggle to make ends meet or at the very least, have no spare cash at the end of the month, because of the high cost of living in the west. How do you explain that to someone who lives in a 10'X12' home with spouse(if they are lucky) children, inlaws, siblings etc. with unreliable water and electricity supply. "I am sorry, we just can't spare any more or we won't be able to buy another laptop or take another vacation or eat out as much or buy more knick knacks for our home that you will end up dusting..." That is a very difficult reality to swallow and all foreigners have to come to grips with it in one way or another.
The truth is, though, that we can only do so much so we hire our help, treat them with respect and caring and over pay them....and constantly give thanks for the conditions under which we are lucky enough to live our lives.
A complicated flip side to this is that a lot of domestic help will no longer work for Indians because they won't pay as much and expect a lot longer hours (not always but as a rule) which upsets the local economy somewhat. No one earns as much here as in the west, including engineers, doctors etc. and the cost of living does not demand it so by overpaying our help, are we really helping things or are we skewing wages unfairly? What will happen when not as many foreigners are needed, which is inevitable with development?
Everyday poses endless moral dilemnas for expats in India. I didn't bargain on this aspect of life here!
There are a lot of feelings of guilt living in a country such as India because of the abject poverty all around. Most of us are not considered wealthy in our home countries and often struggle to make ends meet or at the very least, have no spare cash at the end of the month, because of the high cost of living in the west. How do you explain that to someone who lives in a 10'X12' home with spouse(if they are lucky) children, inlaws, siblings etc. with unreliable water and electricity supply. "I am sorry, we just can't spare any more or we won't be able to buy another laptop or take another vacation or eat out as much or buy more knick knacks for our home that you will end up dusting..." That is a very difficult reality to swallow and all foreigners have to come to grips with it in one way or another.
The truth is, though, that we can only do so much so we hire our help, treat them with respect and caring and over pay them....and constantly give thanks for the conditions under which we are lucky enough to live our lives.
A complicated flip side to this is that a lot of domestic help will no longer work for Indians because they won't pay as much and expect a lot longer hours (not always but as a rule) which upsets the local economy somewhat. No one earns as much here as in the west, including engineers, doctors etc. and the cost of living does not demand it so by overpaying our help, are we really helping things or are we skewing wages unfairly? What will happen when not as many foreigners are needed, which is inevitable with development?
Everyday poses endless moral dilemnas for expats in India. I didn't bargain on this aspect of life here!
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