Vaccination karwaya hai? Ask Delhi-NCR residents before hiring help

Fearing a third Covid-19 wave, Delhi-NCR residents are being extra cautious while hiring part time house helps, and making sure that they take as employees only those who are vaccinated. Agencies that provide domestic helps share how this clause is being put up by almost all of their clients, who are expecting the domestic helps to have taken at least one shot before joining them.

Finding a domestic help is, as it is, a tedious task for many. But, denizens are now faced with one more challenge — finding a vaccinated house help. With a third wave of Covid-19 anticipated to hit the country in just a few weeks from now, residents of Delhi-NCR are being all the more vigilant and making sure that they hire part-time helpers only once they are vaccinated.

Delhi-NCR residents are emphasising on hiring only vaccinated part time domestic help. (Photo: Sanchit Khanna/HT (For representational purposes only))

“We are getting so many calls every day for helpers and nannies, but everyone is very particular about the maids being vaccinated. They tell us, ‘Dono nahin toh ek vaccination shot laga ke hi lana’. In fact, even after this [ensuring vaccination], we do an RT-PCR test and only then send them,” says Delhi-based Jibin Alex, owner of a firm that provides nannies, nurses and maids.

Some people are going the extra mile and investing time in educating their helps about the importance of getting vaccinated, one such individual being Ishita Bhatt. “My part-time maid was very scared of vaccination. She and her family used to feel if they go in for free vaccination, they might fall sick ya marr jayenge. I told her we will get the paid one done for her. Gradually, she understood why it was necessary to get vaccinated. I also told her that if she doesn’t get a jab, we won’t be able to keep her,” says the Gurugram-based environment consultant.

House helps are also well aware now that if they need employment, they have to get the Covid-19 vaccine. (Photo: Vidya Subramanian/ HT (For representational purposes only))

Some residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) are taking upon themselves the onus of ensuring that domestic helps get the jab. “Recently, we held a vaccination drive for maids and other workers. We have even compensated those who got their shots outside,” shares Prabhat Bhardwaj, RWA president of Central Park 2, Gurugram.

And, domestic helps seem to have realised that if they want to remain employed, getting jabbed is the only way. “Pichle saal se hi kum kaam hai, kyunki lockdown mein nahin aa sakte the hum. Iss baar bhi bahut kum logo ne humein aane diya. Sab puchte hai ‘vaccination karwayi hai kya?’ Ab samajh gaye hain, kaam karna hai toh injection lagwana padega,” says Seetha, a domestic worker.

Author tweets @anjuri

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