A London house runs on people: a housekeeper, a nanny, a driver, a gardener, sometimes a house manager or a chef. Hiring household staff looks like a private arrangement. In law it is employment, with the same duties as any employer has. Most problems start because a family did not know that, or hired in a hurry.
You are an employer
GOV.UK is direct about nannies, and the same logic applies to other staff who work for you in your home. Anyone you employ must have an employment contract and be paid at least the National Minimum Wage. You cannot ask your employee to become self-employed. As the employer you must:
- register as an employer and run payroll
- deduct and pay Income Tax and National Insurance
- give payslips
- give paid holiday, Statutory Sick Pay and a workplace pension where the person qualifies
- check that the person can work in the UK
- hold employers’ liability insurance
Three checks before anyone gets a key
1. Right to work
You must check that the person has the right to work in the UK and that their documents are valid. The civil penalty is up to £60,000 for each illegal worker. If you carried out the check correctly, you do not pay it.
2. References
A written reference says little. Speak to the previous employer. Ask what the person did on a normal day, why they left, and whether the family would take them back.
3. Criminal record check
This part is easy to miss. GOV.UK states that if you hire a personal employee to work for you or your family, you cannot request a DBS check for them. They have to request one for themselves. Ask every candidate for a current certificate, and read the date on it.
Insurance
You must have employers’ liability insurance from the day you become an employer. The cover must be at least £5 million. The fine for not being insured is £2,500 for every day. Ask your home insurer whether your policy covers domestic staff.
The trial and the brief
- A paid trial. A day for a housekeeper, longer for a nanny. You learn more in one day in the house than in three interviews.
- Duties in writing. Rooms, hours, what is theirs and what is not. Most disputes are about what was never written down.
- One person gives instructions. Two people directing the same housekeeper produce two sets of priorities.
- Cover. Decide in advance who steps in during holidays and sickness.
Who manages the staff when you are away
Hiring is the small part. Someone has to run the rota, check the work, arrange cover and deal with the day a person does not turn up. In a home that stands empty for months this matters more, not less. See your London home while you live abroad.
For a family arriving in London, staff come in the second and third week, after the school and the house are settled. See moving to London with a family.
How ELVIT handles household staff
Household staff are part of our property management: we source, vet and supervise housekeepers, gardeners and drivers. Tutors are checked through references, DBS certificates and trial sessions before they meet your child. One named person is responsible, and you see the status of every task in a private tracker.
We do not give legal or tax advice. The employment contract and payroll are matters for your solicitor, your accountant or a payroll provider.
Call +44 20 3355 7833 or write to info@elvit.co.uk.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Employing a nanny
- GOV.UK, Penalties for employing illegal workers
- GOV.UK, DBS checks for employers
- GOV.UK, Employers’ liability insurance
This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules change: check GOV.UK for your own case.