Samriddhi Srivastava
A Shanghai woman's recent recruitment request for a "personal nanny" who is willing to provide a "kneeling service" similar to that of "servant girls in ancient times" has caused shock and garnered attention on mainland social media.
The employer, who is offering an astonishing 140,000 yuan (US$20,000) per month, has specified that the hired maid should possess the ability to "discern the appropriate moment to assist with putting on the lady's shoes when she extends her feet, and to undress her when she signals by shaking her shoulders."
The viral post additionally mandates that applicants must be "observant" and should not possess "strong self-esteem."
Furthermore, applicants should meet specific physical criteria, such as being "taller than 165cm and weigh less than 55kg." They are also expected to hold a secondary school degree or above, have a clean-looking face, and possess talents in singing and dancing, revealed a report by South China Morning Post.
According to a report by Chinese media outlet Hongxing News on May 13, the advertisement was released by an agent representing a housekeeping service company based in Shanghai. The company primarily caters to "middle-class" clientele.
Upon contacting the agent named Lisa, a Hongxing News reporter assumed the role of a potential applicant. During the conversation, Lisa revealed that the employer had already hired two non-live-in nannies to work in 12-hour shifts, covering both day and night. Each nanny was receiving a monthly salary of 140,000 yuan.
In addition to her regular housekeeping tasks, Lisa mentioned that the day nanny, who works from 7am to 7pm, had to assist the lady by putting on her socks and shoes and waiting by the door 10 minutes before she returned home, after which the nanny would remove her shoes.
According to Lisa, the job was challenging, but the nannies exerted great effort to retain their positions. In 2021, the average monthly salary in Shanghai was reported to be 11,396 yuan (equivalent to US$1,600) as per the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau of the municipality.
