Australian Woman Explains Why Domestic Help Is Common In India: ‘No Work-Life Balance'
Bree Steele shared that one of her Indian friends told her it is just not possible to manage both housework and a job without help.
Moving to a new country can be exciting but also overwhelming. The change in culture, daily life and language can take time to get used to. An Australian woman, Bree Steele, recently spoke about her experience living in India. Steele, who works as a podcast producer, said she noticed how many Indian households depend on domestic help for daily chores like cooking and cleaning. According to her, the main reason behind this is the lack of work-life balance in India.
In a video posted on Instagram, Steele said, 'I don't cook or clean in India like chores, I don't know them because most middle class to wealthy households in India have house help. Most people have someone who does their cleaning, maybe their washing and cooking. Whatever you need, you can get help."
She shared that one of her Indian friends told her it is just not possible to manage both housework and a job without help. 'I was like, that's what we do in the west. We do everything ourselves with full-time jobs," Steele said.
But she noticed that many of her friends in India are expected to stay connected to work even late in the evening. 'Over time I've observed that my friends get work calls at like 9:30 in the night, and there is no work-life balance here. The expectation on corporate workers is just so high that if you're single, of course you don't have time to do your own cooking and cleaning," she said.
She also pointed out that cheap labour in India makes it easier for people to hire help. 'And for better or for worse, labour is cheap in India, so it makes sense that everyone has their own house help," she said.
Towards the end of her video, Steele said she felt 'ashamed" about how much she enjoyed not doing household chores every day. 'And I'm ashamed at how easy it is to get out of the habit of doing your own cleaning," she admitted.
In the caption of her video, she wrote, 'Chores? Hardly know 'em! This is one of the least talked about cultural differences between India and the west."
Steele's video has crossed over four lakh views on Instagram. In the comment section, many people shared their varied opinions.
One user commented, 'This can only happen in a country with massive income inequality, high levels of poverty, high population and poor regulation. Lots of people don't pay for their house help the minimum legal wage in India. There's a reason why house help isn't affordable in
the West."
Another said, 'Don't feel ashamed. Just pay your house-help well. They support their families by supporting your family."
'When I tell people abroad that I miss someone cleaning my house or washing my clothes they think it's crazy while it's so normal for most people to get help in India," someone shared.
Over two months ago, an Indian expat living in Sweden had also pointed out how some things in India are far 'more convenient." From getting things delivered to your doorstep in minutes to easier access to healthcare, she said life back home had its own comforts.
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