So, you’ve decided that you could use a little extra help around the house and are interested in hiring a professional to take care of certain household duties. This is the first step in the process of hiring household staff, but there are several things that need to be done now to ensure a good working relationship from day one.
Here is an overview of how to arrange for household staffing so that you get the help you need without any hassles or issues.
Types of Household Staff Members
There are so many things that need to be taken care of in a modern household, which is why there are specialists trained to handle the various needs in a home. Common staff positions include estate managers, chefs, private security, and nannies. Depending on what your needs are, you might also look to hire a laundress, property caretaker, butler, or chauffeur. At Household Staffing International, we can help you find the perfect baby nurse, personal assistant, housekeeper, aircraft personnel, or yacht steward/stewardess too.
Create an Employee Contract
Regardless of who you hire to work in your home, it’s important to establish a detailed employee contract to eliminate miscommunications and misunderstandings. The employee contract should outline the staff member’s responsibilities, schedule, rate of pay, and other arrangements.
Get Familiar with Tax and Labor Laws
There are certain laws in place to protect employees and employers who enter into household staffing agreements. You may want to speak to an attorney to address these topics if you have never hired household staff before. For example, you should be familiar with the Federal Unemployment Tax Act and FUTA tax for household employees. If you pay a household employee more than a certain amount per calendar quarter, it is legally required for you to pay 756 employment taxes for household employees.
Establish a Payroll Process
Deciding how and when your household staff member will get paid is a crucial part of the employment process and should be agreed upon as soon as possible. To eliminate the logistical burdens of employing household staff, we offer a one-source payroll processing solution. We recommend using the Pavillion Group for payroll processing, tax compliance and reporting, and benefits consultation and administration to address the unique needs of this industry.
Enlist the Help of an Estate Manager
If you are feeling overwhelmed by the process of bringing new household staff members into your home, you’re not alone. This is why many people contact us in search of an estate manager who specializes in all of these hiring and onboarding details and can who take the burden off of you to figure them all out. An estate manager serves as a “chief of staff” in a household and can take care of everything from interviewing prospective candidates to training and overseeing their work. We have connections to the most talented and trustworthy estate managers in the industry and can help you find the perfect one, in addition to the other staff members who will be working in your home.
For more details about the household help hiring process, please contact us online or by phone at 212-683-7722. We’ve been in this business since 1974 and know what it takes to make a household run smoothly and efficiently!