You’ve hired a household employee and now it is time to hammer out the details about the work arrangement. You can talk about the details first, but it is important to let that just be the beginning of it. Everything that you have discussed should be solidified in a written work agreement. This makes things simpler in the event that any question or confusion arises later down the road during your employee’s time working for you. Here are some tips on why the details in a written work agreement are important to have.

At HomeWork Solutions we regularly consult with CPAs and other financial professionals about household employment. The most common questions we get go something like: “I have a client that hired a nanny and I don’t know what to do,” or, “If I remember my payroll class right from college I can just use a 1099 for this, right?” We’ve put together 7 things to know when a client brings this issue to you.

When does a nanny need to drive the children? Many families who hire a nanny need the nanny to provide some basic transportation for the children. This can be the regular drop off and pick up from morning preschool, transportation to and from sports practice, religious education classes, or other scheduled activities. It can also be the occasional trip to the doctors or orthodontics appointments, or occasional transportation to a classmates birthday party. Whether the nanny needs to drive the children routinely or simply upon occasion, there are important  considerations for all parties.

We don’t see discrimination claims too often in the household employment world but staffing agencies and CPA firms are more vulnerable. In 2018 there were 76,418 claims made to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with a price tag of $505m to employers. Here are some tips to help keep your name off that list.

If you employ someone to work in your home such as a nanny or a housekeeper, they are your employee and you are required to treat them as such. As an employer, you are legally required to ensure that their workplace is safe. Unfortunately, accidents happen sometimes, and you will need to be prepared. Having a worker’s compensation policy in place will ensure that your employee will be compensated for any medical care that is needed, including rehabilitation and/or lost wages due to an injury or medical procedure that happened while they were on the job. In addition, your worker’s compensation insurance will help protect you from lawsuits that could happen as a result of an accident at the workplace. Here are some additional reasons that show the importance of worker’s compensation insurance.

Surprisingly (or maybe not…) the Internal Revenue Code does not state specific expenses that can be deducted from your business. It does say “all the ordinary and necessary expenses paid or incurred during the taxable year in carrying on any trade or business” which leaves some room for interpretation. Continue reading to find out more about writing off business expenses.

Do you have to pay your nanny or senior caregiver overtime? Overtime is a topic that many people are confused about, and we get a lot of questions surrounding it, too. Most  household employees work more than 40-hours a week, a necessity if their employers are going to be free to work their own full time job. Household employees are hourly workers under Federal law, and most caregivers who come and go are entitled to an overtime differential of 1.5 times their regular hourly rate of pay . Even if your employee has agreed to not be paid overtime, you will still need to factor overtime into their weekly rate of pay. Why? It’s the law and you will be held to that standard if there is ever a wage dispute. Here’s an example to help you figure out what is required on your end.

Organizations of all sizes change and adapt for many reasons. Sometimes change is due to growth and opportunity, sometimes it’s not. Either way, change brings stress to employees and how that is managed can make all the difference.

Whether you are a new parent heading back to work and are searching for a new nanny, or you’re already an experienced employer looking to hire a nanny to replace one that has left, working with a qualified nanny agency can save you a lot of time and hassle. Finding the right nanny can be like finding a needle in a haystack, but with the right agency, you can find someone that fits all your family’s specific needs. Here are some helpful tips on how to choose a reputable nanny agency.

Here at HWS HQ we keep track of interesting questions from clients and partners to help keep our finger on the pulse of the industry. This helps us create the content and resources we are so happy to share!