News & Events

As a member of domestic or household staff you may well have read news items recently about the Living Wage and wondered what exactly it is. Perhaps you wonder if you should be paid it? Are your friends being paid it? The Living Wage is NOT the compulsory National Minimum Wage set by the UK […]

You may have read a recent news item which highlighted the fact that close to six million workers in the UK are paid less than the Living Wage. Before you panic and worry that you will be at risk as an employer of domestic staff who is paying less than the Living Wage, you need […]

It wasn’t many years ago that the term “social media” was a new one to many people, especially of a certain age!  These days, many aspects of life are shared across numerous social media websites, A challenge for today is to ensure that your family details remain in the family.  To this end, a clause […]

Those of us who employ staff, domestic or household, have just become used to the concept of parental leave, when either parent may take leave, and the potential consequences for employers, when … grandparents enter the equation. In an announcement by the Chancellor George Osborne at the Conservative Party conference, new parents will be given […]

What happens when one of your domestic staff fails to turn up for work?  Do you have a policy in place to cope with the situation in an organised and legal way? Unauthorised absences from work can be highly disruptive, particularly if you do not have another staff member to step in to fill the […]

Domestic staff carers can provide the answer to care in your later life. It all depends on which side one listens to, the government or those tasked with trying to ensure adult social care services receive the funding they need. On the one hand, the Chancellor says measures in his Spending Review will lead to […]

Job offers for domestic staff in the Middle East may well appear romantic, and possibly well paid, but there are significant aspects which applicants need to take into consideration. An Indian woman who worked for a homeowner in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was recently hospitalised after her employer allegedly cut off her arm when she complained. […]

Many families retain a member of domestic staff on a part-time basis, some for the reason that there is insufficient work for a full-timer, some to save money and some who feel they are not as legally committed to someone employed on this basis. Whatever the reasons, there are several important points everyone should be […]

According to a recent report, over 40% of organisations have seen an increase in reported mental health problems over the last year.  The main causes, according to the CIPD Absence and Management survey produced in partnership with Simplyhealth, are anxiety and depression. “In 2009, only 24% of organisations reported seeing an increase in mental health problems […]

You may well run out of patience occasionally with a member of your domestic staff, but a recent legal case shows that it’s wise to think about what you are going to say, before you say it, and not after. Two sisters who worked for the same employer claimed claimed age- and sex-related discrimination after […]