When Forrest Gump’s Momma Meets Your Maid I Maid Service No-Nos
“Momma, What’s Workers’ Compensation Insurance?”
Independent Maids are a lot like a box of chocolates, with the emphasis on you never know what you're going to get. At least that's what Forrest Gump's Momma always said.
In keeping with that truth, let me share a story about a friend of mine who hired an independent maid - and learned some maid service no-nos as a result...
"Jenny's" Story:
My old neighbor, I'll call her Jenny, hired an independent maid. This particular maid charged $10 a room. My neighbor counted 12 rooms, but her calculating, illegal, independent maid counted 14 (laundry room & foyer). And that's only where the problems began.
This unlicensed, illegal, calculating, independent maid comes once a week and stays roughly five to six hours. That's five to six hours her rust bucket of a car was parked on our street, dripping oil. No one cleans for six hours straight so, on top of that, Jenny obliged to prepare lunch for her employee.
That's right, this unlicensed, illegal, calculating, bring her own appetite, independent maid eats a free lunch that her boss prepares for her. Our neighbor provides all the cleaning equipment, the vacuum, chemicals, cleaning cloths and mops.
"Momma, what's Tort Law?"
Moreover, and this is the most important aspect of the story - she was unwittingly bearing all the risk… What if this uninsured, unlicensed, illegal, calculating, bring your appetite, independent maid got hurt? Does my maid have workers' compensation insurance? The truth of the matter lies at the heart of the American tort system: my old neighbor could be successfully sued, free lunch be damned… Imagine that.
David Bernstein, assistant professor at the George Mason University School of Law feels the "American tort system is a disaster. It resembles a wealth-redistribution lottery more than an efficient system designed to compensate those injured…"
- David Bernstein, George Mason University School of Law
( To read the rest of Bernstein's Civil Justice Memo click here ).
The best scene in my old neighbor's drama took months to play out. One day the tax evading, illegal, uninsured, unlicensed, illegal, calculating, bring your appetite, independent maid showed up with her child. Something went wrong with her babysitter, so this little girl got to go to work and it wasn't even Bring your Daughter to Work Day.
No problem, one more plate for lunch. I suppose $10 a room just gets you the body. If you would rather entrust your homes maintenance to professionals call a company like You've Got Maids®.
We pull up in one of our well-maintained company vehicles, trained, licensed, bonded and insured. We will never report to work with our children. We will not expect lunch. We'll even bring our own equipment. Why settle for less?
More Stories:
Does Your Maid need Workers Compensation Insurance? I Maid Service FAQs
Workers Compensation Reality - Protect Yourself!
About You've Got Maids®:
You've Got Maids® was carefully created to mature into a coast to coast house cleaning franchise. The founders got in to do the dirty work, so they can teach their Franchise Partners how to run successful businesses. If you think you would like to join a franchise, that is more like a family, then You've Got Maids® might be right for you. Learn more about this brand on the company's "franchise opportunity" pages.
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Editor's Note: This post was originally posted in 2010. It has been updated for accuracy and applicability in December, 2017.
