Hiring a house keeper may seem straightforward, but it’s not. You don’t just simply pay someone to be your house keeper. There are more things that you need to do and think about. For example, security should be your number one priority. You’re letting a total stranger in your house and you’re trusting that stranger with you and your family’s safety and well-being.
So, what other things do you need to know about before hiring a house keeper?
1. Sole Proprietors and Companies
There are two types of house keepers, those who manage their own business and those who work for a larger house keeping company. Both have their own pros and cons and you must determine which one suits you the best.
First, we have sole proprietors who handle their own business while also representing their business as its cleaner. These individuals find their own clients through word of mouth, online advertising, print media and the like. On the other hand, professional cleaners who work for larger companies are assigned their clients by their managers.
It has been a common practice and probably the best to only hire sole proprietors based on recommendations and testimonials from their previous clients. It is not advisable to hire individuals who do not have viable experiences prior to working for you unless that individual is someone you trust because he/she is family-related or a personal friend who you deeply know.
Professional cleaners hired by larger cleaning companies go through screening tests for security and skill assessment. These individuals were handpicked through
2. Make sure your house keeper is insured
Your home insurance may cover accidents in your home involving you, your family and your guests, but it may not cover accidents involving your house keeper. This is because technically they are not your guests. You paid them to work for you, thus making them your employees and you, the employer.
Typically house keepers working for larger companies are covered by insurance that protects them from any accidents in the workplace, or your home. However, if you hire a house keeper that is not insured or protected by employee comp, he/she may sue you for the “unsafe workplace” she took any injuries from.
Getting tangled into lawsuits is not going to be a pleasant experience nor a cheap one. Losing or winning the case will still accompany great expenses.
Before hiring a house keeper, ask for proof of insurance.
3. Flat rate or hourly fee
Both payment options are feasible, but each has its pros and cons depending on your needs as a homeowners.
If you know what your house needs regularly such as which area to clean and how heavy would the cleaning be, then you’d better go for a flat rate. However, if your maintenance needs vary frequently, hourly fee would be a more reasonable option.
Determining the right payment option can also guarantee your house keeper a fair compensation. Payment option is a common issue for house keepers. Sometimes they are offered a flat rate for labor-intensive maintenance that carry a lot of unexpected heavier loads of work.
4. Responsibilities of a Housekeeper
Having a housekeeper is like having a clone of yourself to manage your home. Yes, a housekeeper can be compared to a manager who basically runs your home when you can’t. They do the cleaning, maintenance, cooking, laundry and keeping the house in constant quality living conditions.
A house keeper’s job does not only revolve around cleaning, but to your overall happiness and satisfaction as well. They can be handy when your short in helping hands whenever emergency situations arise, such as illness or a family member getting sick. It’s also a house keeper’s job to keep you company. The number one customers of house keepers are single mothers. Being alone as a parent is a hard task to do and it’s a house keeper’s job to fill in. Click here for our exhaustive deep cleaning checklist for homes and apartments.
5. Should you hire a house keeper?
If you think you need a house keeper, then most probably, you do actually need one. Life can get in the way sometimes, and for some it’s always going to be in the way of keeping their house well-managed. A house keeper can keep this responsibility off your hands so you can focus on your work, family and other things that you want to do. If this sounds like something that would improve your overall quality of life, then hiring a house keeper is for you. Click here to contact house cleaning services in Weehawken.
Originally posted 2021-01-26 10:58:10.
Salman is a prolific environmental writer, and has authored more than 500 articles in reputed journals, magazines and websites. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management, sustainability and conservation all over the world.
Salman can be reached on salman@cleantechloops.com
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