Personal Insurance

Hiring Domestic Help

Wells Insurance
domestic help gardening

If you are looking to hire some additional help around the house to watch your children, clean, perform gardening tasks or cook, you have a lot of things to consider.

In fact, if you wish to hire domestic help, you need to determine where to find assistance, what your insurance needs are and how to fulfill your legal obligations. Here’s what you need to know.

Hiring a Service Agency

  • Check references to verify the company’s reliability before hiring them.
  • Consult your local Better Business Bureau (BBB) for complaints filed against the company.
  • Ask the company how they conduct background checks on the help they provide.
  • Ask to see proof of insurance in case your property is damaged by their hired help.
Hiring Help Through an Agency
  • Check the agency’s background and the BBB for complaints.
  • Inquire about the fees charged to you for using the agency’s services.
  • Determine how the agency will work with you to find the necessary help that you need. Also determine how the agency will work with you if the candidate they select is not a good fit for your family.
  • Determine how the agency screens its potential candidates.
  • Insist that candidates are individually interviewed, have their references checked and that their criminal and driving records are investigated.
  • Determine whether the candidate you choose is legally able to work in the United States.
Hiring Help on Your Own
  • Place an ad in your local newspaper or ask family and friends for a recommendation.
  • Screen and interview all potential candidates and check references, criminal backgrounds, driving records and green card status (if necessary) for all potential finalists.
  • Contact your local police department for more information on how to obtain a criminal background check and driving record.

Once you’ve hired someone on your own, you have several legal obligations. You must first confirm that the person is legally able to work in the U.S. Then, once hired, you will need to pay taxes on their wages. Fulfilling your legal tax requirements is easy if you know where to look for information! Contact the Internal Revenue Service at www.irs.gov. The IRS produces a Household Employer’s Tax Guide to provide you with all the necessary information.

You should also reach out to us to determine whether your homeowners insurance policy covers workers’ compensation in case your hired help gets injured on the job.

Contact us today to learn more.