Home Safety Against Domestic Robbery
From time immemorial there have been cases of domestic robbery being carried out by unfaithful domestic helpers. This trend has been on the rise for the past few years and people who are aged, single women, various families and children are targeted.
A domestic robbery is a term used to describe the theft of belongings in a house by a domestic helper. Domestic help has become an integral part of every household these days and in many cases give shelter to the maids/servants under their roof. Since the helper stays throughout the day and night in a particular house, he/she understands on how the home functions and the pros and cons of the head of the family. If you have a maid at your house, here are a few important precautions which you need to follow;
Background check: Before hiring a maid, make sure you make a background check of him/her. Ensure that the domestic help has a stable health along with a legitimate behaviour and a good personality. It is advisable to know the history of the servant from his birth and the people associated with him/her.
Register with the police: An important aspect of hiring a domestic help is to register the servant’s details at the police station for all the purposes. A form available concerning the details of the domestic helper has to be filled in along with in depth information about the valid identification, contact number, reference and a photograph.
Family communication: Many people get their domestic helpers from remote areas of the country. In such cases it is always better to get in touch with their family members constantly and also permit the servant to interact with his/her family in your presence. The person hiring a maid has to clearly know all the details and behavioural manners of the person from the family.
Gauging behaviour: In order to know your maid well you can schedule an interview or have a talk with her and ask her opinions on various things. Questioning her on various aspects like, how to handle a child and what to do in situations like if she finds money or jewellery dropped on the floor. If she is agitated with your questioning, it is advisable to reject her. Having a maid with a pleasing personality as well as sober behaviour is preferable.
Related people: Stay alert on who your maid interacts with. Keep a keen eye on her movement inside and outside the house, as this can risk your living. The interaction and relationships of your domestic help with other people play an important role in your home.
Never be ignorant: If you notice your maid getting accustomed and involved with people both inside the house or outside, take an immediate action to know the fact. If you spot your domestic help hanging around amidst a bad company, immediately consider replacing her as she can pose an immense harm to you and your family.
Do not leave her unsupervised: Always make sure that you do not leave your maid unsupervised at the time of cleaning. Fewer domestic helpers tend to pick up or snip various precious accessories lying in and around the house.
Employee-employer communication: In order to convey your message in a flawless way, it is important to maintain an employee-employer relationship and it requires a two way communication. It is very important for the employee to communicate with the domestic help as it helps the maid to understand the daily chores to be done even in the absence of the owner. Also this would help you from creating an environment wherein the domestic help does not take an advantage of his/her presence at your house.
Keep your belongings safe: This is one of the most important steps to keep your home from being robbed by your domestic helper. It is advisable to keep your jewellery, money and other precious commodities in a safe place away from the knowledge of your servant. Domestic helpers mainly target the jewellery and the money in a house as this can be easily accessible to the servants in many houses.
Never be completely dependent on your maid: Many owners are completely dependent on their maids for every chore. From taking care of the child to cooking. Doing almost all the chores in a house makes the servant get accustomed to each and every part of the house. If a servant has been given access to all these things, it will be easier for him/her to plan a theft.
Avoid having your maid’s room near the main door and bedroom: If you have a maid who is staying with you in your apartment, make sure that your maid sleeps and lives in a separate room away from the main entrance of your house and the bedroom. The door to a servant’s room can either be from the corridor or from your kitchen rather than the main entry. Also make sure that your maid does not have access to the main door at night.
Selected amount of grocery /money: If you’re a working woman, make sure to give your maid a selected amount of grocery or money to take care of the cooking part. Do not let your servant have access to the entire kitchen filled with groceries and refrigerator in your absence. This will help you keep a track of the groceries or money spent every week and will also avoid your servant from robbing the items. A point to be kept in mind is that never make your domestic helper feel that you always doubt on him/her. Keep a vigil on them without their knowledge or without offending them.
While planning a holiday: If you have a maid residing at your home it is advisable to take her along with you on a holiday. If you prefer going without her, make sure you plan her holidays and send her to her hometown during those days.
Important cautious measures: Act wisely and never talk about your personal assets, your money, your jewellery or any other family issues in the presence of the domestic helper even though he/she is an important part of the family.
Also Read:
Tips to protect your home from robbery
Choosing the right security camera
Securing your apartment and protecting your family
