Dilemma regarding long-time housekeeper

cptofthehouse
Tue, 21 Oct 2014 12:22:02 +0000

I have always contributed to my housekeepers, who also served as nannies, maids, caretakers retirement plans. I have two right now who work for me and are paid by MIL’s funds since she needs a lot of help and can well afford it. We pay taxes, SSN, the whole nine yards so that it’s all above board, and I also include an IRA contribution each year to them. As a result of not going under the table, I feel I’ve kept things with all of those who have helped me raise my family, and keep the household clean and running, on a business basis with provisions for their futures. I also like the women who work for us and would help them find other jobs if we were moving, could not afford their services any more, had other needs better met by others.

It seems to me that your housekeeper would do well in people care, either as a nanny or aid. The one woman who works for me is wonderful that way and I could recommend her highly in that capacity, but not as a cleaning woman. The other is great at house cleaning, but doesn’t have the personality, patience or desire to work with, say, a demented elderly woman or other person needing help in from an aid. But there are needs, a lot of them in both areas. Frankly, your housekeeper might benefit greatly from getting certification as a home health aid, and that would be a good offer on your part to arrange and pay when you let her go. As well as some retirement contribution. I don’t have any idea if the women who work for me even deposit their pension checks I write at year end into the IRAs I set up for them, but they have that option and I made it easy for them to do so.

THough I like them very much, and they seem to like me as well; I’ve known them for a long time now, NO, they are not anything like family to me. I’m stuck with family, believe me, I have enough family. And they have plenty of family. They are not even friends. They are very valuable employees and I treat them as such. They seem to be very content with the arrangement they’ve had–they’ve certainly had other options over time, and always have worked me into their schedules regardless, even when they’ve been paid more. If they want or need something and think I can help, they’ve asked for it from me. But we’ve kept the relationship at arm’s length.