Diary Adventures of LagosMums: DALM | Real Issue with Domestic Staff
Everywhere is awash with news of the kidnap of the three Orekoya boys from their home and with it many emotions are running rampant.
There is the angry and judgmental mum who cannot understand how you would hire from an online platform, there is the person who is reacting by firing their nanny. There are those blaming the bank for being unyielding and will not give a mother time to care for her family as needed. What about those saying Nigeria should have 12 month maternity leave (like the UK and some other countries). There are those saying that well if mums were sitting at home with their children then this would not happen.
There are so many allegations and opinions going around. I have heard from some skeptical people that perhaps the parents were putting this act on to raise money. To which I answered if you had watched the video of the hysterical mum that aired on TVC, you would know that this was no gimmick.
There are a series of the not to do’s that we can point out. Do not hire from OLX or just any ource for that matter. Do not leave staff with a new nanny on the next day. However don’t we have stories of long time domestic staff that has still aided a crime?
What is the solution? Is it to no longer hire nanny’s? Fair enough, but then would this also mean that no drivers or also no support staff at all? Because in reality the risk is the same. What can we really do?
Mums are talking. I listened to the police commissioner on channels TV who said “the problem with the elite is that they will hire a stranger and bring them into their home”. He went on to offer that before people hire any domestic staff, check with the police to carry out a background check. I personally did not know the police offered this sort of service.
People recommend using agents, but not every agency is created the same. There are some that personally verify the identity of every staff they place while there are some who simply place anyone who walks in off the street. Be careful with this.
At the end of the day, there is no one magic answer. What is clear though is that we need to be discussing what we can or must do differently because it is a series of actions. Some of what we must do includes being more security conscious, knowing your neighbors, know the security guards in your area. Verify the source of your staff, carry out background checks. Using alternative options such as enrolling the children in an after school service should also be considered.
The reality is that we should all be more security conscious, more careful, prayerful.
I also think this it is time for parents to call on each other and to support one another. [Tweet “it is time for parents to call on each other and to support one another”]Set up a roaster whereby parents keep their children in another mums house one day per week. Where there are many children and multiple staff it will be harder to perpetuate a crime.
I do not know that there is one answer to this problem, the dangers of hiring domestic staff. Rather there are several steps that employers can and must take that will make it harder for a crime to be committed against our children and our families.
Lets not make the mistake of forgetting and quickly go back to life as usual – what will you do differently?
If you already have staff how well do you really know them? including your security staff, driver, cook etc. Take the time to increase your security awareness.
Share with us some steps you have taken.
