When hiring an employee to work in your home, conducting background checks and calling references are key parts of the hiring process. Understanding the information that you will get from each can be the difference between a good hire and a bad one.

Topics: household employee background check, senior care, nanny, nanny tax, caregiver background screening, nanny background screening, senior

Finding a nanny to watch your children is one of the most important decisions that you’ll make as a parent and there are truly some wonderful nannies out there searching for a job. Once you have put out a job notice and have started narrowing down your candidates, you’ve crossed the first hurdle. Next, you’ll need to spend some time getting to know the candidate and doing some in-depth research on each person.

Topics: hiring a nanny, nanny background screening

HomeWork Solutions has facilitated caregiver and nanny background check services for families through its website and sister site NannyVerify.com for nearly two decades. HWS was exceptionally choosy when selecting a background screening partner - we know that the caregivers and nannies will be caring for your children and loved ones and recognize the importance of having a thorough, ethical partner.

Topics: household employee background check, caregiver background screening, nanny background screening

The references that a nanny candidate provides are a great resource for insight into how that nanny might fit your family’s unique personality and needs. While contacting references can be time-consuming, it’s a completely necessary step in the process of hiring a new nanny.

Topics: nanny background screening, nanny screening, nanny reference check

"Excellence is not a skill, it is an attitude." ~ Ralph Marston 

Topics: nanny bonus, nanny background screening

Department of Labor Discusses Joint Employment, Changes in the Senior Caregiver Companionship Exemption and Announces Increased Enforcement

The Private Care Association, the voice of private duty home care, met in earlier this month in Orlando, FL and invited the US Department of Labor to discuss Joint Employment and Changes in the Companionship Exemption with its members. A guest appearance was made by Michael Hancock, Assistant Administrator for Policy, Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor and Melissa Murphy, Senior Attorney, Office of the Solicitor U.S. Department of Labor.  Mr. Hancock and Ms. Murphy addressed an anxious crowd of almost 200 independent homecare staffing agencies to discus joint employment, the expiration of the Companionship Exemption for home health agencies and stepped up enforcement by the DOL in 2015 related to the enforcement of the Fair Labor and Standards Act (FLSA).

Topics: elder care, aging in place, senior care, nanny background screening

The Bracamonte family and their former "nanny" Diane Stretton put the term "Nightmare Nanny" into our vocabulary this summer. The Bracamonte family "hired" Ms. Stretton to care for their children in exchange for room and board, and when the relationship fell apart Stretton refused to move out. That is when the Bracamonte's nightmare nanny story began.

Topics: household employee background check, caregiver background screening, nanny background screening

We took a difficult call recently from an adult daughter of an elderly couple who employed two senior caregivers. The Smiths live in New York

Topics: eldercare, aging parents, senior care, payroll tax enforcement, nanny background screening

The May/June time frame is a busy one for nanny hiring. Whether you are hiring a summer-only nanny or a year-round nanny, nanny screening is absolutely critical. This nanny can be the most important hire of your life, and your child depends on you exercising due diligence. 

Topics: nanny background screening

Families know that a comprehensive, legitimate pre-employment background check, thorough reference checking and organized behavioral interviewing questions are the gold standard in nanny recruiting. The careful background screening is a must, but you should not be lulled into thinking that just because a nanny that passed these 3 steps with flying colors you don't need to pay attention and observe the nanny on the job.

Topics: nanny, nannies, nanny tax, nanny tax compliance, nanny background screening