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At last! A real Brexit bonus...

(57 Posts)
vampirequeen Thu 01-Jul-21 10:37:59

...well if you have my sense of humour.

The very wealthy are struggling to find servants as a lot of them were Portuguese and they have gone home. Now they're discovering a world where servants have the power to renegotiate their contracts because they are so in demand. Housekeepers are demanding one weekend off in three and nannies are refusing to live in house so are only available during their contracted hours. They also want some weekends off. Many employers have tried to employ a second nanny or housekeeper to work the times when their main housekeeper/nanny is not there but there is a shortage so most have been unsuccessful. To their horror they're having to learn to look after themselves and their children at the weekends grin

It reminds me of the 1920s when a shortage of servants meant that the rich had to learn how to poke/put pieces of coal on the fire and how to use a light switch grin

The servant in the shortest supply are full time gardeners and people are 'stealing' them from their friends and neighbours with offers of more pay and perks. One gardener earns £25k per year plus (amongst other perks) has been given a new Mercedes with all expenses paid on it including petrol.

All I can say is....Up the workers!!!! grin

Gabrielle56 Sat 03-Jul-21 12:09:34

Well! I wondered why I have failed to get a gardener/landscaper to do some work in my tiny garden over the last 2years! I just wanted an old buried stump dug/grinded out, some membrane then gravel laying (approx 5sq.yards area) and about 4flags set in gravel. .....quotes? £4550-no thanks shut gate on yer way out/£800and didn't turn up then Said had bad back/£2k and said would dispose of spoil In. Back of his van(!)hmm. All in all-NOBODY wants to do these "no job too small" small jobs! In my youth I would have eaten the jobs myself but arthritis and other issues prevent me! What is WRONG with everyone nowadays? All want to be millionaires without doing a lick of decent hard work!

rafichagran Sat 03-Jul-21 11:41:30

Really humorous thread.

polnan Sat 03-Jul-21 11:39:37

you can`t edit posts here... cos I also want to add..

now if we can get ourselves from under the yoke of the Chinese, yes, I agree before someone comes at me,, self imposed,, we thought we were so clever sending all our dirty manufacturing overseas.. now.....

and then read about plastic,, we send our plastic refuse to Italy , etc. and now they are refusing to take it!

good grief... the so called rich are not the only ones spoilt...

we English/British.. are...

sorry to burst the happy bubble gals..

polnan Sat 03-Jul-21 11:37:30

you pipped me to the post Katie9

shortage of drivers, so costs up, and no deliveries, therefore shortages. take heed, not just the so called rich.

but there, I still believe in Brexit, free from the yoke of foreigners.. see I`m not scared to use that word!

WendyBT Sat 03-Jul-21 11:35:57

Nannies wanting some weekends off! Never heard the like.

Purpledreamer Sat 03-Jul-21 11:23:25

And this is why Gransnet is so worth being a member of! Thank you for the laughs!

spabbygirl Sat 03-Jul-21 11:05:27

Yay!!! Good on the workers!!! smile

Spec1alk Sat 03-Jul-21 10:56:45

Brilliant thread today, I chuckled the whole way through. Thank you gransnet people!?

Callistemon Thu 01-Jul-21 23:14:57

Can I advertise on here for a second footman please.
One that does a good pedicure and foot massage?

Katie59 Thu 01-Jul-21 21:55:11

Don’t joke about labour shortages, it’s us that are going to pay the higher costs in what we buy, many of us are on fixed incomes. Don’t expect standards or services to improve because there is only a very limited number of workers willing to replace the migrant workforce.

AGAA4 Thu 01-Jul-21 16:31:02

As second scullery maid I will demand to have two hour lunch breaks, 25% rise in pay and 6 weeks holiday each year. I will also expect a Christmas bonus.

sodapop Thu 01-Jul-21 16:22:19

Can I advertise on here for a second footman please.

I agree vq up the workers !!!

Callistemon Thu 01-Jul-21 14:56:34

grumppa

“My old banger” is no way to refer to your DH, callistemon, but perhaps your housekeeper would be interested!

Very norty, grumppa
Not like you, you're always such a gentleman - at least, that's what your staff told me!

nanna8 Thu 01-Jul-21 14:25:50

Oh you just can’t get good staff these days. Some of them are absolutely frightful and they expect to be paid.

SueDonim Thu 01-Jul-21 14:01:26

I think I’ll write an updated version of ‘The Diary of a Provincial Lady’. Chapter One - The Servants are Revolting.

grumppa Thu 01-Jul-21 13:54:41

“My old banger” is no way to refer to your DH, callistemon, but perhaps your housekeeper would be interested!

GrannyGravy13 Thu 01-Jul-21 13:31:15

Oops left off *happy at the end.

GrannyGravy13 Thu 01-Jul-21 13:30:03

Over the last 37 years we have had nannies, one au-pair (extremely unsuccessful), cleaners (good and bad, current one has been with us for 5 years) and a gardener (current).

We have come to the conclusion that like everything in life if you treat people fairly and respectfully along with paying them a decent wage they and us are/were

Dryginger Thu 01-Jul-21 12:57:50

Just on my way to my new home. My new DH Maxim says our housekeeper Mrs Danvers is very good. I cant wait to meet her she sounds like an angel.

Namsnanny Thu 01-Jul-21 12:27:18

Helpful

Namsnanny Thu 01-Jul-21 12:26:29

Seeing as the 'very' wealthy consist of lots non British (confused about using the word foreign) born (so no voting rights). I shouldnt think they know or even care about Brexit.

But 'up the workers' who ever they are, good luck to them.
BTW we have a gardener handyman at £20ph who is really thoughtful.

Callistemon Thu 01-Jul-21 12:13:36

Damn! My housekeeper just read this during her coffee break (I had to start letting her have a coffee break as it's against her human rights not to let her have a break - who knew?).

Now she's saying she wants a pay rise, Sundays off and three weeks leave a year.
This is devastating news. How will I manage?

Dryginger Thu 01-Jul-21 12:05:44

Oopsadasiy1 GIVE HIM BACK!!!!!!

Oopsadaisy1 Thu 01-Jul-21 12:02:43

Dryginger I’ve got him, he’s in our Summer Cottage, taking a well earned break.

Dryginger Thu 01-Jul-21 11:59:32

Its my gamekeeper Mellors I cant get hold of.