‘Dignity of labour cannot be selective’: Residential society’s rate card for house-helps trigger fair salaries debate
An executive pointed out that like the residential society, corporate hirings are also based on rate cards, especially for standardised roles and entry level.
- Oct 3, 2025,
- Updated Oct 3, 2025 2:48 PM IST
Fixing a rate card for services doled out by house helps is nothing short of hypocrisy, said a social media user, kicking off a discussion on what fair salaries and benefits entail. The discussion ensued after a user on LinkedIn shared a residential society’s rate card for domestic-helps.
Media consultant, Kumar Manish, shared an image of the rate card that divided the rates according to the chore as well as the size of the house or the number of people. It said for flat cleaning, a help could charge Rs 1,500 per month for a 2BHK and Rs 2,000 per month for a 3BHK. Likewise, cleaning utensils once a day could be charged Rs 600 per month and Rs 1,200 per month for two times a day. Dusting a 2BHK would amount to Rs 800 per month and a 3BHK Rs 1,200 per month.
Cooking is further divided into one or two times and then for 2-3 people or 4-6 people, and reaches up to Rs 6,000 per month.
“Saw this rate card getting viral on X from a high-class residential society allegedly in Delhi! On the surface, it looks fine, but when you think a little harder, there is something amiss!” said Manish. Business Today could not independently verify which residential society this rate card was from.
Manish said that hypocrisy is not just in India’s boardrooms but in its living rooms as well. “We fight hard in corporate boardrooms to negotiate fair salaries, appraisals, and benefits. But when it comes to domestic workers, the women who clean our homes, cook our food, and care for our families, society suddenly feels proud to fix “rate cards” that leave them with no voice, no choice,” he said.
“Dignity of labour cannot be selective. If we demand it for ourselves in MNCs, startups, or consultancies, we must extend it to those who hold up the invisible scaffolding of our daily lives. This isn’t just unfair economics. It’s hypocrisy,” said Manish.
An executive replied to Manish’s LinkedIn post that companies use the same method for corporate hiring. “The rates become more fluid, subjective, and dependent on more factors (education, cultural fit, specialized knowledge, etc) the higher you go to more senior positions, but can be absolutely standardized in entry level and junior roles,” said the executive, adding that standardised jobs usually get ratecarded.
“What is wrong about this pricing and rate card? How is this exploitation?” asked another executive, who also pointed out that domestic helps are still to negotiate, and without rate cards a marginal increase of Rs 500 would allow them to leave without a notice period, unlike in the corporate world.
Yet another emphasised that domestic staff need a union, while another pointed out that caste dynamics also come into play in such situations.
Fixing a rate card for services doled out by house helps is nothing short of hypocrisy, said a social media user, kicking off a discussion on what fair salaries and benefits entail. The discussion ensued after a user on LinkedIn shared a residential society’s rate card for domestic-helps.
Media consultant, Kumar Manish, shared an image of the rate card that divided the rates according to the chore as well as the size of the house or the number of people. It said for flat cleaning, a help could charge Rs 1,500 per month for a 2BHK and Rs 2,000 per month for a 3BHK. Likewise, cleaning utensils once a day could be charged Rs 600 per month and Rs 1,200 per month for two times a day. Dusting a 2BHK would amount to Rs 800 per month and a 3BHK Rs 1,200 per month.
Cooking is further divided into one or two times and then for 2-3 people or 4-6 people, and reaches up to Rs 6,000 per month.
“Saw this rate card getting viral on X from a high-class residential society allegedly in Delhi! On the surface, it looks fine, but when you think a little harder, there is something amiss!” said Manish. Business Today could not independently verify which residential society this rate card was from.
Manish said that hypocrisy is not just in India’s boardrooms but in its living rooms as well. “We fight hard in corporate boardrooms to negotiate fair salaries, appraisals, and benefits. But when it comes to domestic workers, the women who clean our homes, cook our food, and care for our families, society suddenly feels proud to fix “rate cards” that leave them with no voice, no choice,” he said.
“Dignity of labour cannot be selective. If we demand it for ourselves in MNCs, startups, or consultancies, we must extend it to those who hold up the invisible scaffolding of our daily lives. This isn’t just unfair economics. It’s hypocrisy,” said Manish.
An executive replied to Manish’s LinkedIn post that companies use the same method for corporate hiring. “The rates become more fluid, subjective, and dependent on more factors (education, cultural fit, specialized knowledge, etc) the higher you go to more senior positions, but can be absolutely standardized in entry level and junior roles,” said the executive, adding that standardised jobs usually get ratecarded.
“What is wrong about this pricing and rate card? How is this exploitation?” asked another executive, who also pointed out that domestic helps are still to negotiate, and without rate cards a marginal increase of Rs 500 would allow them to leave without a notice period, unlike in the corporate world.
Yet another emphasised that domestic staff need a union, while another pointed out that caste dynamics also come into play in such situations.