Timeless holiday songs are once again playing on the radio, that festive spirit can be felt in the air and year end celebratory planning can be found everywhere … This is one of my favorite seasons of all.  It is that special time of year when we take the time to appreciate the wonderful people in our lives, and take a moment to show our appreciation to those special people that make our everyday lives better.  We all start to feel that holiday spirit this time of year!

Many families incorporate this spirit into their household employment relationships as well.  If you have a nanny, senior caregiver or other household employee, now is the time to consider how you might demonstrate your appreciation to your employee ...

Did you know that when you employ a nanny, housekeeper or other household employee who does not reside in your household, you must comply with FLSA overtime regulations?

HomeWork Solutions is proud to announce the publication of the ABC Nanny Guide. Our own Kathleen Webb shares tips, tricks and lessons learned from 25 years of working in the nanny industry, both personally and professionally.

This year, we celebrated our 20^th Anniversary.  We are grateful to all of you – the clients who have placed their trust in HomeWork Solutions over the last two decades, our referral agency partners and colleagues who confidently refer our services to their clients, and we are of course grateful to our wonderful staff, the team that provides service with a smile! This milestone anniversary achievement belongs to all of us, as it is only in working together and constantly striving to not just meet but to exceed the expectations of our clients and partners that we are all successful.

This article uses a factual scenario common to many nanny hires in order to help provide some guidance and clarification to families and nannies when negotiating nanny compensation.

After I had my first child and as my maternity leave days were coming to an end, I realized that I would need to hire a nanny to help me take care of my newborn.  I interviewed a few candidates and fell in love with Sarah; she seemed to really, genuinely care about my baby.  I felt confident with her; she was truly the best fit for my family.  Sarah was offered $500 a week.  She accepted my offer and was hired right away!

November is "Open Season" for benefits scrutiny and updates for many families with employer sponsored benefits packages. While the media continues to focus on the changes to the health insurance landscape, many families overlook an important benefit in their menu of choices.

Congress tackled the "Nanny Taxes" in 1995 to streamline reporting on the family's personal income tax returns* and to establish a threshold level of wages that a family has to pay before triggering 'nanny tax' obligations.

Every Human Resources Department knows the importance of having an Annual Performance Review  for all employees.  A performance review can be done at any time of the year, and preferably is completed at least once every year.

For many, the time and money associated with caring for aging relatives are nothing short of overwhelming. Financing long term care is a particular source of anxiety and stress. If you have determined that at-home care is the avenue that best suits your family, then you have probably already worried about financing this long term care plan.

Perhaps caring for your aging relative has led you to wonder if an assisted living facility is a better solution. One of the toughest decisions that families have to consider is the care and safety of their elder. In addition to rapidly changing health issues, there are potentially isolated living conditions, increasingly difficult insurance matters and general home maintenance. Choosing the right assisted living facility for your loved one is crucial to their happiness- and yours.