Women’s domestic work is often unpaid. (Representative image: Reuters)
A Twitter user found it amusing that a domestic worker created a WhatsApp group to let her employers know about her furlough plans. The tweet is now drawing criticism for its classiness.
A woman has come under fire on Twitter after she ‘joked’ about a domestic worker setting up a WhatsApp group to tell the homes she works in about her furlough plans. While this isn’t unusual for the regular employee, a domestic worker who considers it “funny” has sparked anger on Twitter. It didn’t help that the Twitter user in question used the term ‘housekeeper’, which has now been retired in favor of more dignified terms for the profession like ‘housekeeper’ and ‘domestic worker’.
The Twitter thread triggered by this tweet has also been criticized for making similarly condescending “jokes” about domestic workers. “Thread about the arrogance of the privileged and their contempt for the working class,” one person criticized.
“Domestic help, not housekeeper. Also, what’s so funny about it, idk. Not mailing/message your employers about your leave plans? ? Just because she’s not officially employed doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve to be treated like a real employee,” another pointed out.
Our housekeeper just created a whatsapp group of all the houses she works in to keep up to date with her vacation plans 😭😂— Kosha (@imkosha) February 22, 2023
Housekeeper, not maid. Also, what’s so funny about it, idk. Not mailing/message your employers about your leave plans? ? Just because she’s not officially employed doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve to be treated like a real employee. https://t.co/zswMWCRX8r— Mona Lisa ✨ (@preyoncex) February 22, 2023
Treating domestic workers as if they belong to an inferior class of workers while preying on their extreme labor is a long-standing classist practice. Not only that, women have done backbreaking unpaid work in their homes for generations.
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