One dollar now buys more than TL 3. The rise of the dollar against the Turkish Lira (TL) has pushed families to dismiss babysitters and housekeepers paid with dollars and to replace them with help paid in TL. Housekeepers and babysitters, who are mainly employed by white-collar workingwomen and high-income families, have been hurt by the dollar's rise against the Turkish lira. Foreign caretakers in particular have been either sacked or forced to accept payment in the form of the Turkish lira. Moreover, Turkish national babysitters, earning between TL 1,500 and TL 2,000, demanded a 10 percent increase in their wages, while well-trained and experienced ones, as well as those who speak more than one language, either had to agree to a reduced salary or were let go.
Gardenya consultancy firm director Hacer Yüksel said the troubles arising from the rapid change in exchange rates have been overcome with currency hedging; however, those who rejected this sacked the dollar-paid staff and demanded to employ babysitters and housekeepers who are paid in Turkish lira. Numerous caretakers, particularly those who are paid between TL 1,000 and TL 1,200, have become unemployed over the past month, she added. According to Yüksel's statements, the labor market's demand has shifted away from qualified staff toward unqualified ones who are paid fewer wages. Despite this, she said, families have difficulty meeting monthly salaries demanded by Turkish caregivers. Okyanus consultancy firm's Yasemin Çizmeci said families do not tend to provide insurance for caretakers as they already face difficulty putting money together to pay base salaries due to the rise of exchange rates. This is why they opt for foreign staff that do not need insurance, she stated, adding that families with a shoestring budget are forced to employ foreign caretakers who cannot speak Turkish and have different lifestyles. Responding to fluctuating exchange rates, families have to constantly change staff.
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