In an earlier post I introduced you to the concept of help around the house and some of the forms it can take.
This can honestly apply in lots of countries, but please be sure to research the laws and regulations of the place where you are living – and do not misconstrue this blog post as legal advice.
I am not going to revisit the reasons to have help and the differences between cultures here, but I encourage you to drop by the other article if you have questions, or drop a comment below.
In this post I am starting to walk you through how to find the 3 types of help listed below:
- Housekeeping/Cleaning Service
- Full time live out help
- Full time live in help
I’m describing the last two as “help” because this could apply to housekeepers, nannies, maids, etc. and “help” is faster.
This post will mostly focus on Housekeeping & Cleaning services because it’s a great place to start if you are new to the country and/or new to the concept of having help in your home.
Before I go any further (farther?) – I strongly recommend that you do not try to find help alone, especially if you are new here.
That sounds super meta – get help to get help – but it’s real.
When I post about getting full time help I will give you some ideas that worked well for my family.
The laws for hiring domestic help are clear and available at the UAE MOHRE site, but knowing how to navigate them effectively is another matter entirely.
If anyone advises you that any of the laws are optional – run, do not walk.
The laws governing the domestic worker industry exist for the protection of workers and also the families that hire them. Being out of compliance puts your family and your employee at unnecessary risk. If you’re anything like me, you took enough risk just to come here with your family, no need to add to it.
OK – let’s get down to it.
Housekeeping/Cleaning Services
This is a great place to start – and requires no complicated legal processes.
A housekeeping or cleaning service is an agency that will provide a person or a team of people to come to your house at a specified frequency to complete agreed-upon tasks at an agreed upon price. The agency is responsible for all of the visa compliance and payment of the staff – you just hire the agency.
This is like any standard cleaning service in the USA – only you’ll get much more value for your money.
Even if you know you want to get full time help in the form of a nanny or live-in housekeeper, obtaining services from a company will help create breathing room and lower stress while you’re searching for a great permanent solution.
There are some apps that offer one-off cleaning services, and also some great companies.
The services offered through apps can be hit or miss – most of the apps are like the Uber of home services – they are connecting you with a 3rd party and you can hope for the best, but you’ll not likely see the same person more than once. This can have pros and cons.
For all of these (apps & companies) – you get service by requesting:
- The number of cleaners to come
- The number of hours for them to be there
- The services to be done (this is in apps mostly)
You are paying an hourly fee per person that is not directly related to the specific tasks in most cases. Expect to pay between 25 – 40 AED per person depending on the company. If it seems extravagant for 2 people to come at the same time, don’t worry – they will probably get way more done than you imagined.
If you do not know what to ask for help with – talk to the owner or look up a blog (oh…..you’re here already).
For me – I was surprised at the options for services that exist, just based on what was normal in the US.
I use a company that serviced the AirB&B we were in at the beginning of our journey, I was so impressed with the women who came – they are kind, good around my kids, and consistently doing an awesome job. I am working on getting their permission to refer from here, but until then, just know….they are amazing.
The company is well-managed and highly responsive and flexible with scheduling.
Ready to level up?
Next week I will post about finding live out help – and soon I will post about live-in help.