What is a household employee?
A household employee is someone who is hired by the homeowner or employer to perform a specific job in the home. This type of employee performs certain tasks around the house but is often subject to the homeowner’s way of doing things. In this relationship, homeowners have the final say over how work is done, when work is done, and what kind of work is done.
Depending on how often a household employee works for a homeowner or employer and how much that employee makes, a household employee tax might be relevant. This threshold differs by state.
Staffing agencies can assist with finding household employees and vetting them prior to recommendation.
Types of household employees
There’s a common misconception that workers like plumbers, electricians, or exterminators are household employees. If they run their own business or are otherwise self-employed, they aren’t considered household employees by the government.
Types of household employees include:
- Babysitters
- Maids
- Housekeepers
- Gardeners and landscapers
- In-home chefs
- Private nurses
- Caregivers
- Cleaning professionals
- Butlers
- Personal drivers or chauffeurs
- Nannies
- Au pairs
Benefits of household employees
When employers lack time, skill, or interest to attend to their chores, hiring household employees comes with many benefits.
- More free time. Household work often takes up a lot of time, especially in larger homes. Time saved from hiring a household employee can be spent working on other important tasks or socializing with family and friends.
- Specialized results. Household employees are hired because they have much more expertise and experience than the homeowner does.
- Overall convenience. Some household employees, like after-school nannies and caregivers, serve a specific role in helping out a family and making things convenient for parents of young children or adult children of elderly parents.
- Improved health and wellness. Household employees like chefs can cook healthier meals for the homeowner, helping them stay fit and remain healthy.
- Caregiver support. Being a caregiver for a family member of any age or condition can be difficult and taxing. Household employees like elderly caregivers and private nurses can alleviate much of that responsibility.
Ways to find household employees
There are multiple ways to find support if a home needs household employees and specialized help.
- Word of mouth. Often, household employees rely on positive reviews and testimonials from previous clients.
- Friends and family. Recommendations from trusted people are a great way to find household employees. Household employees sometimes help multiple members in a single family or friend group at once.
- Staffing agencies and employment agencies. These companies take the heavy lifting away from a homeowner’s search. A staffing agency can vet and maintain a list of high-quality employees of all kinds and recommend pairings between homeowners and household employees to find the right match.
Household employee vs. independent contractor vs. domestic worker
A household employee is someone who performs a specific type of work in a home but doesn’t have a say over when or how it’s done. A domestic worker is a type of household employee. These terms are often interchangeable.
An independent contractor is someone who works for themselves or is otherwise self-employed. They help homeowners and customers with household tasks, but they are in charge of the price and how the work is done.
Whitney Rudeseal Peet
Whitney Rudeseal Peet is a former freelance writer for G2 and a story- and customer-centered writer, marketer, and strategist. She fully leans into the gig-based world, also working as a voice over artist and book editor. Before going freelance full-time, Whitney worked in content and email marketing for Calendly, Salesforce, and Litmus, among others. When she's not at her desk, you can find her reading a good book, listening to Elton John and Linkin Park, enjoying some craft beer, or planning her next trip to London.
