News & Events

When someone comes to live in your home, as a housekeeper, nanny or carer, one takes all the usual precautions of having the agency vet the applicant.  But would it occur to you that your lifestyle and standard of living may be far removed from that which is familiar to your new domestic staff member?  […]

If you are a busy working mother at some point you may ask yourself: “Why am I doing this? So much of my earnings are going on childcare.” It’s a fair question and, looking at some of the statistics, it’s not hard to see why it comes to mind. The Family and Childcare Trust recently […]

As illegal immigration into the UK continues, a new risk is evolving for employers of domestic and household staff. A BBC documentary recently showed footage of suspected illegal immigrants entering the country, filmed by a member of the public, and of other illegal immigrants being offered part-time work for cash. We cannot stress strongly enough […]

There are many households which employ domestic staff on a part-time basis, and some may well be using a form of contract known as a “zero hours contract.” In recent times this form of contract has come under strong scrutiny and criticism as being unfair on the employee, as such a contract could include an […]

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 […]