Performance reviews for domestic staff
A useful nanny or housekeeper review compares the work being done with the duties, hours and priorities actually agreed. Use short early check-ins, record what is working, identify support or changes, and keep formal performance concerns separate from a role that has simply drifted.
What should a domestic staff performance review cover?
A domestic staff performance review should cover agreed duties, quality and consistency of work, communication, workload, support or training needs, any changes to the household, and clear objectives for the next period. It should also give the employee time to raise concerns about the role, schedule and expectations.
Acas describes performance reviews as a chance to discuss what is going well, areas for improvement, support or training and development objectives. It also recommends regular informal feedback alongside formal reviews.
A practical review cadence for a new household employee
There is no single statutory timetable for ordinary performance reviews. The schedule below is a practical household-employer framework, while any contractual probation process should follow the terms actually agreed.
Prepare from the role brief, not from memory
The review is more useful when both sides can see what was agreed.
- Bring the current job description, normal days and hours and any written house rules.
- List the recurring duties that were actually agreed, including what takes priority when tasks compete.
- Note specific examples of work that is going well and any concerns that need discussion.
- Separate performance problems from a workload or role-design problem.
- Identify any change in children, property, routines, travel, cooking, pets or household expectations.
- Decide what support, training or clarification could realistically improve the issue.
Use a review structure that makes the conversation specific
Vague praise and vague criticism are equally difficult to act on.
What is working well?
Name the routines, standards or communication habits that should continue.
Is the agreed role still the real role?
Identify duties or expectations added since the last review before treating the consequences as performance failures.
What needs to improve?
Use observable examples, explain the expected standard and ask for the employee's view of what is causing the gap.
What would help?
Consider clearer instructions, training, equipment, a different sequence of work or a realistic reset of priorities.
What happens next?
Record the objective, the support being provided and a sensible date to review progress.
Performance problem or changing job?
Do not use a performance review to disguise a material change to duties or hours.
From our work: review the placement against the brief that created it
Filipino Domestic Services asks households to define the role before candidate introductions: the primary responsibility, recurring duties, normal working days and hours, location, live-in or live-out arrangement, intended start date and practical requirements such as cooking, driving or travel.
That same information is useful after the employee starts. If a household says that a nanny, housekeeper or nanny-housekeeper is not meeting expectations, the first useful comparison is not with a general idea of what “good staff” should do. It is with the actual position that was described and accepted.
We therefore separate three questions. Is an agreed duty being performed to the expected standard? Has the household changed the workload or priority since the search? Or is the employee being asked to resolve two competing duties without a clear priority rule? Those are different management problems and need different responses.
Keeping the original brief current also makes later conversations more precise. The household can identify what changed, what support is needed and what should be recorded, rather than allowing the job to drift and then trying to reconstruct expectations from memory.
Because the household brief is already structured around recurring responsibilities and working patterns, it gives each review a stable reference point instead of a moving target.
Keep a short written record after each formal review
Acas says it is important to keep a written record of performance reviews and share it with the employee afterwards.
What was discussed
Note the relevant duties, examples, the employee's response and any household change that affects the role.
What will change
State any objective, training, clarification or workload adjustment and who is responsible for it.
When you will check progress
Use a reasonable review point that reflects the issue. Do not leave an improvement objective open-ended.
Domestic staff performance review questions
How often should I review my nanny or housekeeper?
Use regular informal check-ins and a formal review at least annually. For a new employee, earlier checkpoints during the first weeks and any probation period can resolve unclear expectations sooner. The exact timetable should fit the role and any contractual probation terms.
What should I discuss in a nanny performance review?
Discuss the agreed childcare duties, routines, communication, reliability, workload, what is going well, any specific area for improvement, support or training needed and any changes to the household. Give the nanny time to raise concerns too.
What should I discuss in a housekeeper performance review?
Review the agreed household duties, frequency and standard, organisation, laundry or cooking responsibilities where applicable, communication, workload and any changes in the property or household routine. Keep the discussion tied to the actual job description.
Should I put review outcomes in writing?
Yes. Acas recommends keeping a written record of what was discussed and sharing it with the employee. Record agreed objectives, support, changes and the next review date so both sides work from the same expectations.
What if the problem is caused by extra duties?
Treat that first as a role and workload issue. If recurring duties or working hours have changed materially, discuss the change directly rather than expecting the employee to absorb it as a performance target. Formal contract changes may require agreement and written confirmation.
What if performance does not improve?
Acas advises employers to understand the cause, provide appropriate support and keep records. If informal steps do not work, a more formal performance process may be needed. Dismissal should be a last resort and a fair procedure matters. This is general information, not personalised legal advice.
Sources and scope
FDS operational content is grounded in the current household-brief and post-placement process. Employment-process points use current Acas and GOV.UK guidance. This is general information, not personalised legal advice.
Keep reviews connected to the role and the relationship
Clear expectations and useful check-ins work together: one defines the job, the other keeps it realistic over time.