Woman's Post On Chennai Vs Delhi Maids' Work Ethic Draws Backlash: "Biased And Irrelevant"

NDTV

31-07-2025

A LinkedIn post comparing the work ethic of domestic help in Chennai and Delhi ignited a heated online debate. In the post, Naina Pathak, who moved to Delhi after living in Chennai for four years, claimed that maids in Chennai displayed greater professionalism and ambition. In contrast, she described maids in Delhi as frequently taking unannounced leaves, offering excuses, being sensitive to feedback, and reacting negatively to suggestions of salary cuts.
"In Chennai, whether it was professionals or household help, I saw sincerity. My maid started her day at 6:30 AM, worked in 5–6 houses till 1 PM, and then joined an MNC from 2 PM to 9 PM for cleaning. On weekends, she'd take up extra work — tailoring, garland-making — to earn more and give her children a better life. What amazed me was their honesty. On day one, she told me: 'I'll take two fixed leaves. If I take more, cut my salary.' No drama — just accountability," Ms Pathal wrote.
" But then I moved to Delhi. In just one year, I hired six maids. Despite getting the salary they asked for, there were constant unannounced leaves. When questioned, I got excuses — 'someone died,' 'I fainted,' 'a relative is in hospital.' It became routine. Forget saying 'cut salary' — here, even suggesting it offends them. Boundaries turn you into the villain. Even accepting leftover food was an issue, often rejected with ego. That's when I started wondering: What's different?", she added.
She attributed these differences to a broader "mindset and ambition" gap between the two regions. She further noted that many domestic workers, despite lacking formal education, speak English with confidence, prioritise time, and aspire for a better future. Meanwhile, some in the North seem content with surviving on subsidies like cheap rice and dal, lacking ambition.
"This is not about North vs. South. It's about how values, systems, and environment shape people. Where work is respected, people thrive. Where support replaces ambition, growth stops. It's time we rethink our approach — not just as citizens, but as a society. Government aid is important, but when it replaces ambition, the whole system suffers," she concluded her post.
The post divided opinions. Some supported her observations, noting cultural and economic factors influencing work attitudes, while others criticised her for generalising and stereotyping, arguing that individual experiences vary and such comparisons fuel regional biases. Some also pointed out that Delhi's urban pressures and diverse migrant workforce might contribute to the perceived differences, rather than inherent regional traits.
One user wrote, "What's the purpose of this post? Apart from being hugely problematic. Firstly, why should anyone be expected to accept leftover food? You realise how entitled and wrong that is, right, Naina Pathak? Secondly, why are we dissecting our house-helps on this forum, where they have no voice or opportunity to share their side of the story? Thirdly, house-helps in India, south-north-east-west, are mostly exploited. How are we empowering them? Now that can be an ethical post."
Another commented, "I found workplace culture in Chennai far more progressive and constructive than anything in northern part. There is a stark difference and that shows also why many giants across the world have South Indian CEO , Chief Architect , Head Of IT , etc."
A third said, "I think it depends upon person to person. When I stayed in Bangalore we had a maid who used to lift money from my wallet. I got to know much later when one day she emptied my wallet. In Delhi our maid gave us 500 Rs note lying under the sofa and is very kind and punctual. It is not good to generalise. You could have just shared your experience rather than generalizing."
A fourth simply said, "Such a #biased & #irrelevant post for LinkedIn."