Is your maid your family member?

I know people from all walks of life in the US. Very, very few have a maid, especially not daily. Some have what they call housekeepers, that come weekly or bi-weekly to do heavy cleaning, but not many. Forgive me, but you refer to people being ''master'' of their maids?? It sounds like the stories of people owning slaves and they were their masters...maybe it's just a way of saying you are their boss, or employer? I can't imagine referring to myself as anyone's master, ever.

Oh boy. You might want to clarify the master statement. It will draw some people into being offended by its use. They think of slavery when you use "master" instead of boss or employer. Hahah. I know you didn't mean any harm, people are just overly sensitive in 2025. In fact, people want to discontinue the term master bedroom in houses here.

I’ve never had a maid. It’s not that common in the United States. Some people have someone come every couple of weeks to clean, but it usually isn’t a regular thing.

Maids are not a normal thing here. Most of us do our own cleaning and yard work. Gardening also.

I feel pretty close to the lady who helps me garden but she is not family.

I don't know about this We don't really hire a maid here Rich people do, but not people like us. I might be rich but paying a maid here would cost £12 per hour and I would rather be my own maid than spend a fortune paying someone to do what I can do myself

There are certain circumstances when longtime maids become like family members because they can be trusted. But this is rare nowadays as many helpers come from agencies.

I had a bad experience with a maid, when I was a child my pocket money was always taken by my maid and my mother only found out about it when I was an adult. Since then we can't trust anyone except people who have been with us for a long time.

If they lived in with us, we would treat them as family. We eat in the same table and have the same food

When I had maid a few years ago, my wife and I considered her family since she helped us raise our kids and would come with us on family vacations

It's not usual for people to have maids here. Some might employ a cleaner once week or once a fortnight. Gardeners are sometimes employed on a part-time basis too.

We don’t really have maids here in the UK. Some people hire a cleaner, or gardener ….but they only undertake the job they are employed to do.. If a Nanny is hired they will just see to the needs of the child, but they may live in, so they may become more like one of the family.

I would like to have a maid, if it wasn't so expensive. I would have to pay her, and I don't make that much, so Yes, I would treat the person as a family member and give gifts at appropriate times. . . eat with us. I would have to vet the person though.

For real l don't have a maid for now but l prefer hiring one outside the family circle

That’s so true—many household helpers here in the Philippines end up feeling like part of the family, especially when they’ve been with you for years and even help take care of the kids. It’s just part of our culture to grow close. But nowadays, hiring a helper comes with more requirements—like education standards, health clearances, and making sure they’re covered with benefits like SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG. It’s definitely become more formal and a bit harder, but it also helps protect both the helper and the household. So while it’s okay to treat them like family, it’s also important to set clear boundaries and meet all the proper requirements to keep things fair and safe for everyone.

Tough question. LOL I am sure I am not "attached" to my house help. For somebody to integral part of your life, you have to think of them in it. We take them for granted yes, but once the payment factor comes in, the integration part goes straight out of window. We don't feel obliged to care for them. I have looked after them well, but since she is a shared person...working in other homes too, I absolve myself from any larger obligation related to her. After all, all obligations should be shared. Right? To the extent, obligation is mine...I feel I am fair and just.

We have never had a maid.

Some maids are very sincere and I think they should be treated as family members.

The two people that work for me are family--my husband's 2nd and 3rd cousins. I think sometimes you need to separate yourself from the help. They could take advantage of you. That's not the case with my helpers. They are family.