«In three weeks, she earned four regular salaries». A Belarusian woman went to Russia to work as a nanny

15 to 17 hours of almost continuous employment

By education, Olga is a preschool teacher. When a former colleague called her with an offer for a short-term shift in the Moscow region (a sick nanny needed to be replaced), the protagonist agreed without long hesitation. Firstly, good money was promised for a day's work — 10,000 Russian rubles (360 Belarusian). Secondly, she had scheduled vacation at work, for which she had no plans.

She had to work in a family with two children, five and eight years old, in a gated elite settlement. The duties were standard for a nanny: feeding the children, bathing them, playing, and entertaining them.

«My colleague warned me that, most likely, I would be running around like a squirrel on a wheel, because the children's parents wouldn't let me sit idle for a minute. And so it turned out.

Nannies who work on a standard five-day-a-week schedule are busy with such work for about 12 hours a day. But for shift workers, it's different. Here, the norm is 15 to 17 hours of almost continuous employment.

This fact was confirmed to me by every employee I happened to cross paths with in the house between performing my duties».

«By 7:00 AM, the table needs to be set and a quick breakfast prepared»

For accommodation, Olga was provided with a small room on the premises, which had a bed, a wardrobe, a compact bathroom, and a washing machine.

«The space was more than modest, but sufficient for my tasks. I came "home" exclusively to sleep and wash my clothes. Every day I woke up at 6 AM to have the table set and a quick breakfast ready for the parents by 7:00 AM. I was required to prepare express dishes: make an omelet, scrambled eggs, or toast, wash and place berries in bowls, and aesthetically slice fruit.

At 8:45 AM, I would wake the children. By this time, I needed to tidy up after the pets (clean cat litter boxes), feed them, take down and iron clothes washed the day before. Once a week, this was supplemented with a complete change of bed linen throughout the house. The ironing volumes were colossal».

Olga's own breakfast consisted of a cup of coffee and a sandwich on the go. There was simply no time left for a full meal. The day with the children began, which included walks around the guarded territory, developmental activities, and games.

«Fortunately, the preparation of lunches and dinners fell to the housekeeper; I was only responsible for setting the table and the final cleanup. The staff ate the same dishes as the homeowners, without any restrictions. For lunch and dinner, I already had more time, and I could eat peacefully.

But 16 hours on my feet still took their toll, and by evening, my only wish was to get to my little house and fall asleep as quickly as possible».

Salary for three weeks amounted to 7.7 thousand rubles

A particularly critical moment for Olga was the day when she was in continuous work mode for 20 hours. After that, she managed to get a little sleep, but in the morning, she had to again demonstrate perfect cheerfulness and attend to the children.

«Emotionally, the atmosphere in the house was tolerable: the employers behaved correctly, not stooping to petty fault-finding or inappropriate criticism. My travel to Moscow and back was compensated, but I paid for the taxi from the station myself, spending a little over 3,000 Russian rubles (108 Belarusian) in both directions».

Olga returned home, having earned 210,000 Russian rubles in three weeks (this is approximately 7.7 thousand Belarusian rubles, or four of her monthly salaries).

«My husband, inspired by the final calculation, indulged in dreams and suggested I leave my current job and work in this mode for a year. On the one hand, this idea seemed tempting to me; we would solve all major financial tasks. But on the other hand, remembering the condition I was in during those three weeks, I immediately dismissed that thought.

And then I went ahead and calculated how much my work time ultimately cost, considering a 17-hour workday. Only 558 Russian rubles! That's 20 Belarusian rubles and change.

And this is without taking into account the wear and tear on health and the virtually round-the-clock responsibility for other people's children. So I'm wondering if it's worth it or not. The parents liked me, and my contacts remained for emergencies. But for now, I'm not making any plans. I told my husband: «If you want to clear your financial debts, go to such galleys yourself». Trying it once for an experiment is fine, but turning it into a way of life – definitely not for me».

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