News and Articles

Domestic Staffing News is a source of news and articles on the issues that concern employers and employees in the domestic recruitment industry.

Unfair dismissal qualifying period extended to two years

Under a recent change in employment legislation, the minimum period of service required before an employee may claim unfair dismissal has been extended from one to two years. This means, in effect, that employers of all domestic staff including housekeepers, nannies, live-in carers, etc  will have more time to assess whether or not an employee is suitable for their job.

Informed opinion is that now, as before, the most effective means of protection against a claim for unfair dismissal for the employer is to have a clear disciplinary procedure in place and to stick to it.
 

Paying domestic staff in cash?

If you are paying your domestic staff in cash, beware, a new HM Customs and Revenue (HMRC) drive is looking for YOU.

Make no mistake, the authorities are embarking on a determined drive to catch those who often pay cash to staff at a level that entitles that person to state benefits, thereby raising their overall income, but avoiding the necessity of complying with tax regulations, paying PAYE and National Insurance.

Other methods of avoiding payments include:  providing free accommodation, or staff sharing with another family.

New minimum wage from 1 October 2012

Those who employ domestic staff need to be aware of a change to the adult national minimum wage and accommodation offset allowances which come into force on 1 October 2012.

The government has accepted the recommendation of the Low Pay Commission and, from that date, the new adult minimum wage will rise from £6.08 per hour to £6.19 per hour.  Not a lot perhaps, but enough to generate a problem if one continues with the old rate unknowingly.

At the same time the accommodation offset will be increased by 9 pence to £4.18 per day.
 

A cautionary tale

What you see is not always what you get!

The importance of verifying employment candidate references  for any employment vacancies, let alone for the privileged position of domestic staff working in your homes, nannies, housekeepers, carers etc., was demonstrated recently when our checks revealed some blatant forgeries!

We recently interviewed two candidates for a housekeeper couple on behalf of a client.

Employment tribunal changes in the pipeline

It appears it may be less attractive in the future for employees to seek redress in employment tribunal and subsequent appeals if legislation being proposed by the Government goes ahead.

At the moment, costs for going to tribunal and appeal are borne by the taxpayer and this cost hit the £84.2 million mark in the financial year 2010-11.

Editorial comment

Ask 100 elderly persons if they would rather move into a retirement home, or stay in their own home and be cared for, and you don’t have to be a pollster to get the answer.  Of course, they would rather stay in their own home.

That is why this government must take the issue of future funding for the elderly to the heart of their policies.

Simply pouring cash into a system which provides options which many reject does nothing to ease the burden on the state, neither is it a so-called “solution”  when for so many elderly, it is often the unnecessary ending of independence - and the beginning of a downward emotional spiral.

Changes to statutory pay

There are new changes to statutory pay of which employers and potential employers need to be aware.

These changes have been announced by the Minister of State for the Department for Work and Pensions, Steve Webb, and are anticipated to come into effect from 9 April 2012.

Tax breaks for working parents

Tax breaks for many well-off working mothers who employ a range of domestic help could be in the offing under ideas being considered by Prime Minister David Cameron.

The controversial concept came from a recent summit meeting in Stockholm and has already been introduced in Sweden.

New rights for agency workers

New and far reaching rights for agency workers are now in force in the UK.

The new Agency Workers Regulations 2010 which came into operation on 1 October 2011 are the first trans-national legal measure to ensure agency workers are treated equally across countries and in relation to full-time employees.  It has wide implications for all involved.

So you think you need a housekeeper?

So you think you need a housekeeper?

You lead a busy life style, your priorities don’t include looking after the home and cooking, you have other things going on in your life.  Perhaps you leave early, get home late and or too tired to worry about domestic issues?

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