Afraid of losing domestic helps amid COVID pandemic, Noidawallahs offer pay hike, bonuses for their services

Over the last six weeks, as various stages of unlock have been gradually put in effect, residential societies across Noida have eased restrictions on the visit and movement of outsiders. Apart from other conveniences, they've allowed the entry of domestic helps into societies and homes after months. Many residents, who were balancing work and taking care of the house by themselves, breathed a sigh of relief at the development. But most residents are wary of having their house helps visit other homes as well. Hence, they are offering them them perks such as pay hikes and other benefits, resulting in a bidding war for their services to keep helps away from other homes.
Scared of losing house helps, Noida residents offer them higher pay
Prashant Shukla, a software developer, who lives in a society in Noida Extension, says, "My house help used to do most of my work – cooking, cleaning, and washing clothes. When she resumed work, society members objected, saying that she is going to other societies, too, and that's risky. When I asked her how much money she needs to stop going to other houses, she said Rs 3,000, because other societies are offering her Rs 2,000 extra. I agreed, and now I’m paying her Rs 6,000."
Unlike Gurgaon, where many RWAs and societies have set restrictions on the number of houses domestic helps can work at, in Noida, the restrictions are largely imposed by the residents. They tell us that it's more of an informal agreement between the apartment owner associations and residents, with people asking their house helps to work in just their society and not in others. To compensate for the loss, they are paying them extra. Sanjana Labh, a homemaker, who lives in Greater Noida West, says, "My house help told me that several societies objected to her working in more than two homes. The thought of her leaving was scary. So I asked her how much the other families are ready to pay, and I told her mai do-teen hazaar aur de doongi, tu bas yahin kaam kar."
Offering perks to house helps such as smartphones for their kids' online classes
Perks don't stop with pay hikes. Ravi Singh, a resident of Noida Extension, says, "My neighbour bought
smartphones for his house help's kids so that they could study at home since their school has online learning, apart from paying her Rs 1,000 extra every month. Naturally, she chose to work there and left another house."
Most residents say that they found it challenging to maintain the house and take care of the cooking while balancing their office work for four months. Mohammad Ayub, a resident of Sector 58, tells us, "I found it impossible to survive without my house help. For three months, I managed somehow, but it was a relief when she resumed work. I knew she was a little apprehensive herself, given the COVID scare, and that other houses didn't want her working at my place, so I gave her a Rs 5,000 bonus apart from a flat raise of Rs 2,000."
For house helps, the choice of which house to select is usually a combination of loyalty and monetary benefit. Saudamini, a house help, says, "I had three families and two bachelors' homes for all the chores. After
lockdown, when I went back for work, all of them said that I shouldn't work in other houses. Family waalon ne bola hum Rs 500-1,000 zyada de denge, But both the boys said Rs 2,000-3,000 zyada le lo, so I picked them."