For housekeeper, cash beats cashmere

I’m a faithful reader of your column.

I am a housekeeper for the best family in the world. I know they love me, and we share mutual respect.

I am paid $400/week. I’m not starving, for sure. But the problem is that on holidays and my birthday, the gifts are mostly clothes from stores I will never go to.

I cannot afford to maintain these clothes — the dry cleaning is not cheap.

I do not need nor want a designer cashmere sweater, because it’s as if I had a Mercedes Benz but couldn’t afford the oil change!

Please tell your readers that I (and other domestic workers) would rather have cash.

Cash will help me with savings and give me room to breathe.

I feel a week’s salary in cash would be the best bonus or gift I could ever receive.

Domestic Worker

Dear Worker: Thank you so much for the honest recommendation. The holiday season will soon be upon us, and I hope that employers will pay close attention to your letter.

An extra week’s worth of pay would be a great gift, is about the same price of a fancy cashmere sweater and doesn’t require special handling. Send questions to Amy Dickinson by email to askamy@amydickinson .com .