Sick Helper

[ritalee]

As you may know, its been pretty cold for the past week.. my helper has been sick a few weeks ago then my baby was sick ... so last week i did all the grocery shopping etc everything that needed to be done outside so she doesnt have to go out and catch a cold...but by friday she was coughing already..i keep asking her to wear more clothes and if she needs a heater or anything she kept saying no...so she went out for her holiday came back really late the next day she was coughing again so i took the baby out of the house and asked her to wear a mask if she is near the baby ... this morning i thought she stopped coughing my baby was watching a video she was right beside her cleaning her toys ...of course my baby would go and play with her ... after a while she was coughing again so i took the baby away... then in the afternoon my baby was coughing and i can hear her wheezing...
my husband came home and asked her does she usually get sick easily she said yes all the time ... should i replace her? its the 2nd time in 3 weeks ... she doesnt even care ... she goes near the baby when i'm not looking ...she doesnt wear alot of clothes even though i know she has them plus i gave her quite a few sweaters ... she only wore a jacket when she went out for her holiday...i'm really tired of the baby getting sick all the time and its always the same thing ... i asked the helper can you tell me when you are sick and not wait for me to ask you when i can hear you coughing ? shes only been here for less than 3 months and already have done quite alot of mistakes such as putting my husband's hugo boss suits in the washing machine...i feel bad firing her because she has two kids at home...

 

[carang]

sometimes it's ok for a baby to get sick, it helps to develop the immune system...
my hubby and i disagree about how colds are caught. he, like you thinks that you can get a cold from not wearing enough clothes ( i agree that it is possible because your immune system is weakened if your cold, however colds are caught because of a VIRUS, not because you were not wearing enough clothes).

i used to teach a young girl whose grandmother would dress her in (i'm not joking...) 8 layers!!!!!! it got to the point that the poor girl could hardly move. when i told her that it was ok to take off some of the layers because i had a heater and the room was qutie warm (the poor thing was almost wet through from all of the clothes) she said that she couldn't take anything off because her grandmother would get very angry with her. this child got sick MORE often BECAUSE she was not allowed to develop her immune system, every little thing would make her sick!

now, obviously, no one wants their child to get sick, but it happens... everyone gets sick, it's a part of life. and running to the doctor because you have a cold is crazy. the doctors here prescribe antibiotics for colds (colds are VIRUSES, antibiotics only fight BACTERIA) and all this accomplishes nothing...if you helper has something more serious than a cold, of course you should be concerned, what i'm saying is...if it's just a cold, relax!

(i'm sure there will be plenty of folks who disagree with me! and i, too would like to hear their take on the situation)

 

[jane01]

I agree with Carang. Colds are caused by a virus and have nothing to do with how many clothes you have on. Too few clothes might cause hypothermia, not the common cold. The reason we catch more colds in winter is because we are inside more, not because it is cold. Personally, I think you should allow your helper to wear whatever clothes she is comfortable in. Parents in HK seem to overdress their children, winter and summer (no offence to anyone, just a general observation).

It sounds like you want to keep your helper, but require her to improve her performance. Would you consider either a performance review - noting what she does well and not so well? If you really feel strongly, perhaps a formal warning letter. I have to say I don't like people coughing around my baby and I don't think you are being unreasonable by asking her to stay away from the baby or by wearing a mask. I know it builds up immunity, but no mum likes a sick child.

If your helper is new to HK, she is probably being exposed to new viruses that she hasn't had to fight before. When I first came to HK I had a couple of bad winters and now I hardly catch anything. Perhaps ensure that her diet is adequate - fruit and vege in particular and consider a multi vitamin. Does she get enough excercise - eg. a walk in the sun and fresh air each day. Does she get enough rest and sleep. Sleep is sooo restorative for the body and most adults need 8+ hours a night (although we don't always get it). Having some time to herself is also good for overall health. Can she have a proper lunchbreak during the day? What time does she finish working for you at night? If it is late, can you cook and clean up from dinner at least a couple of times a week to give her a break from working all day?

Anyway, just a few suggestions, feel free to disregard anything that doesn't work for you.

 

[ritalee]

actually the thing i dont like the most is ... she went out at 630 in the morning on her holiday and didnt come home until late ... but supposedly she was already not feeling so great.. i guess shes fine when she goes out to have fun but not fine when shes working at home...last time she had the flu ...i kept asking her to go take a rest ... basically she didnt have to do anything the whole time ... i guess this time she excepted the same ...what i dont like is that i think shes really irresponsible and selfish ...if she actually cares about her health she wouldnt go out for that long on the coldest day of the year when she was really coughing that is if she is really sick ...