Executive Household Staff: The Art of Letting Go

Published: 04/09/2015

 

One of the biggest challenges facing employers with executive household staff is how to terminate a domestic duties worker that is working in their home. This can be particularly agonizing if it is an employee or housekeeper who has been with the family for a number of years and can no longer perform the way he or she once did. The question that then presents itself is what is the best, most professional and fair way to let go of executive household staff? The easiest case scenario is if the domestic duties worker whether housekeeper, nanny, cook etc. has been working for only  a short period of time. In that case, the best approach might be to be direct and tell the person that things are not working out.  Site examples of sub-par performance and include several reasons as to why you need to find a more experienced or meticulous person for the position. If this is done calmly and with a certain degree of professionalism, it can become a learning experience for the employee. This unfortunate circumstance may, in turn, help the employee excel and succeed at their next executive household staff position. If on the other hand, the domestic duties worker has been employed for a longer period of time, the approach might be somewhat different, particularly if the employer really likes the employee whose work has either declined dramatically over the years or the needs of the employer have changed. The best approach here might is to tell the employee the truth. Let’s say that you need someone who has specific skills which they do not possess such as chauffeuring services or nutritional meal planning/executive chef services; share it with them. Fair severance packages help to take out the sting out of being let go and having to terminate someone.   

Letting go of executive household staff is never easy, no matter what the culprit is. The best method of terminating a household employee depends entirely on the individual situation. Whereas being tactful might be advisable in one situation, being direct might be the right approach in another. Being entirely transparent with the employee is a decision only the employer can make. The most important lesson here is to proceed with caution and consider all factors before deciding the approach.

Household Employee Agency Services: Helping Your Family Meet Their Match

Partnering with a household employee agency with industry experience is the first step in finding your family’s ideal match.  Household Staffing International has been staffing the most discerning family homes for decades. Finding the ideal executive household staff for your family has been our family’s business since 1974. Call us at (212) 683-7722 or contact us online today. We fully vet all candidates for references and background checks.