55. Can a woman be home alone with a male worker?
A woman who is alone at home with a contractor or worker could run into a problem of Yichud, of being alone with a man. The Halacha of Yichud does not apply if Baala Be'Ir, her husband is in town, whether because the husband might arrive at any given moment, or whether because the presence of her husband in town instills enough fear that there shouldn’t be an issue of Yichud. There are practical differences for these two explanations in cases where the husband cannot come, such as in very large cities when he’s at the other end of the city, and one should consult a Rov for a possible solution to this problem. There are other solutions including: a) giving the keys of the house to someone who can pop in at any moment, and asking him to indeed do so; b) being in a room with a door or window open to the public which helps during the day, c) or bringing in Shomrim