Ask Andreas: Should My Maid Eat with the Family?

Is it the norm for maids to eat with the family? My house isn’t big, so I don’t really feel comfortable asking her to eat in the kitchen or her room, but we don’t get much family time together so want to spend it catching up wherever possible!

It is not the norm for maids to eat with the family, but it is not unusual. Remember that she is an employee, and certainly most maids would never expect to eat at the employers’ table.

While you may feel uncomfortable with her eating in the kitchen or in her room, she most probably will not. There are also variations, where maids eat with the family one day a week, or on their birthday, or with the children when the parents are out.

It depends very much on how you feel about your maid being at the table. It also depends on how your maid feels about sitting at the table. Many maids feel deeply uncomfortable with such a thing. You’re the boss, so you decide on house rules.

While you should be kind and respectful to your maid, she is not a houseguest and you are not required to be “social”.

Read more from Andreas by picking up a copy of his indispensible guide, Hiring and Managing Domestic Help from our Sassy Sale shop in Hong Kong right here!