Domestic Employment includes elderly companions, home health aides, housekeepers, and nannies. Depending on the number of hours they work for you, whether they live in your home, and whether they are employees or owners of a separate business, you might need to provide workers compensation (“WC”) and disability (“DB”) insurance. You might also be responsible for income tax withholdings, overtime pay, and payroll taxes. You might have the same requirements of any other employer:
- Issue Department of Labor (“DOL”) notices
- Display DOL and Workers’ Compensation Board (“WCB”) posters
- Review documents proving authorization to work in the United States
- Maintain employee files, including fully-executed I-9 forms
In collaboration with employment lawyers, a tax attorney, insurance carriers, and the WCB’s Advocate for Business, we often resolve the below Domestic Employment conflicts:
- Discrimination claims
- Homeowners’ and renters’ insurance coverage disputes
- Overtime claims
- Penalties for failure to provide WC or DB insurance
- Tax controversies
- Unemployment insurance claims
- Uninsured workers’ compensation claims
We encourage you to schedule a Consultation to discuss your risks, before you hire any domestic workers, regardless of the number of hours you expect them to work or whether you plan to use a “service” (which might not serve the same employer role as an “agency”).
For more guidance on this topic, see the below blog posts:
- Six Things You Must Know Before You Hire Your First Workers
- Four Things You Need to Know About Worker Classification
- Nine Reasons Not to Hire Undocumented Workers
Need more information? Pay for a consult
NOTE: This page and website contain attorney advertising and a general overview of domestic employment. It is not legal advice. If you require information or advice applied to your unique situation, please make an appointment to discuss it with an attorney experienced with the subject matter. Don’t rely solely on what you read on the Internet. Ever.
Nance L. Schick, Esq. is an attorney and mediator who also serves as the Main Representative to the United Nations for the International Center for Ethno-Religious Mediation (ICERM). Her holistic, integrative approach to conflict resolution draws from her experience as a crime victim, human resources supervisor, and minor league sports agent, as well as her legal, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and ICERM training. She is creator of the Third Ear Conflict Resolution process, author of DIY Conflict Resolution: Seven Choices and Five Actions of a Master, and an award-winning entrepreneur, who has been acknowledged by Super Lawyers (ADR, 2018), the New York Economic Development Corporation/B-Labs (Finalist, Best for NYC 2015 & 2016), U.S. Chamber of Commerce (2015 Blue Ribbon Small Business), Enterprising Women Magazine (Honorable Mention, 2014 Woman of the Year awards), and Urban Rebound NY/Count Me In (Finalist, 2013 Pitch Competition).