UK household employer guide
Employing domestic staff in your home.
If you directly hire a nanny, housekeeper or other domestic professional who is not genuinely self-employed or supplied as an agency worker, you will usually become their employer. That brings responsibilities for checks, employment contracts, pay, payroll, pension duties, holiday entitlement and insurance.
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When does a household become the employer?
GOV.UK says you are usually considered the employer of a nanny, housekeeper, gardener or anyone else working in your home when you hire them and they are not self-employed or paid through an agency. In that situation, the household is responsible for meeting employee rights and handling the relevant tax obligations.
The contractual structure matters. Temporary worker assignments can operate differently from a permanent direct placement, so confirm which arrangement applies before assuming who carries each employer responsibility.
Read GOV.UK: employing someone to work in your homeThe household-employer checklist.
Use this as a planning sequence, then follow the detailed official guidance for each obligation.
Check the candidate's right to work before employing them.
The legal right-to-work check belongs to the employer. It is separate from identity checking, references, DBS eligibility and professional qualifications.
GOV.UK states that an employer must check that a job applicant is allowed to work in the UK before employing them. Depending on the applicant, this can involve an online share-code check, original documents, an approved identity service provider, or a Home Office Employer Checking Service route.
If a person's permission to work is time-limited, a follow-up check may be required when that permission is due to expire. Employers should keep the required evidence and record the date of the check.
Follow the domestic staff right-to-work checking guide Check the current right-to-work process on GOV.UK See how candidate information and household checks fit together
Put the employment particulars in writing.
Employees and workers must receive a written statement of the main employment conditions when they start work. GOV.UK distinguishes the written statement from the employment contract itself.
The principal statement must cover matters including the parties, job title or description, start date, pay, hours and days, holiday, workplace, fixed-term duration where relevant, probation, benefits and obligatory training. Information on sick pay, other paid leave and notice must also be provided on day one. Wider pension, training, disciplinary and grievance information is required within two months.
For domestic staff, the practical job description matters especially. Avoid vague phrases such as “general help” when the real role includes childcare, cooking, driving, pet care, travel or household management. Use the domestic staff job-description template to define duties before writing the contract.
Read the written-statement requirements on GOV.UKAgree gross pay and check the legal minimum.
Salary should reflect the role, hours and experience. Nationality is not a lawful or credible basis for setting a different pay rate.
Detailed minimum wage rules cover working time, accommodation and deductions. The statutory rates change each April, so check the current rate when making or reviewing an offer.
Register, run payroll and report pay correctly.
HMRC says employers normally need to register before the first payday to obtain an employer PAYE reference. If PAYE applies, payroll is used to calculate and report pay, tax and National Insurance, and payments and deductions are normally reported to HMRC on or before each payday.
Paying a domestic employee in cash does not remove payroll or tax responsibilities. GOV.UK also states that you cannot simply ask an employee to become self-employed.
Holiday, pension and statutory rights continue after the hire.
Household employment is still employment. Domestic staff do not lose statutory rights because the workplace is a private home.
Paid holiday
Almost all workers are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday each year. For someone working five days a week, that is normally at least 28 days. Part-time and irregular-hours calculations work differently.
Check holiday entitlement on GOV.UKWorkplace pension
The Pensions Regulator states that if you employ at least one person, you are an employer with automatic-enrolment duties. Whether a particular employee must be enrolled depends on age and earnings, so use the regulator's current assessment tools.
Check employer pension dutiesTreat the home as a workplace for insurance and safety.
GOV.UK says Employers' Liability insurance must normally be obtained as soon as you become an employer, with cover of at least £5 million from an authorised insurer. Narrow exemptions exist, so check the rules for your circumstances rather than assuming domestic employment is exempt.
Read Employers' Liability insurance requirementsLive-in domestic staff need clear working and private-time boundaries.
Living at the property does not by itself mean continuous availability. Record normal working hours, breaks, overnight expectations, private accommodation and regular time off in the employment terms.
GOV.UK lists a domestic servant in a private household among the exceptions to the general 48-hour average weekly working limit. That exception should not be treated as permission to design unlimited or undefined working time. Where hours, sleep-in arrangements or overnight duties are complex, check the current rules and obtain appropriate employment advice.
Check current working-time guidance working hours and overtime Plan the live-in staffing arrangementHow Filipino Domestic Services separates the roles
The agency introduces candidates; the household carries the direct-employment duties.
Filipino Domestic Services' current client terms state that, for a direct placement, the client is responsible for paying wages and expenses and for the relevant tax, National Insurance and pension obligations. The terms also place responsibility on the household to satisfy itself as to candidate suitability, take up references and make appropriate checks of qualifications.
This separation is why our staffing process starts with a detailed household brief. Duties, hours, pay, location and working arrangement need to be clear before candidate introductions can be assessed properly. It also prevents an introduction service from being confused with payroll, legal advice or the household's final employment decision.
See the Filipino Domestic Services introduction process Read the current client terms
Before the candidate starts, confirm the complete arrangement.
Use the household employer checklist before staff start to work through these items in sequence.
- final job description and priority of duties;
- gross salary or hourly rate and pay frequency;
- normal days, hours, breaks and overtime arrangements;
- holiday year and holiday-booking process;
- workplace and travel requirements;
- live-in accommodation where applicable;
- right-to-work evidence and any follow-up date;
- references, qualifications and role-appropriate checks;
- PAYE, pension and insurance arrangements;
- notice, probation and start date.
Official sources used for this guide.
Employment rules change. These links were checked in August 2026 and should be revisited when making a hiring decision.
For a worker-facing summary of the same employment framework, see your employee's rights.
Questions about employing domestic staff.
Am I the employer if I hire a nanny or housekeeper through an agency?
For a permanent direct placement, the household will usually become the employer of the chosen candidate. Temporary worker arrangements can operate differently, so confirm the contractual model and current client terms for the specific assignment.
Can I ask my nanny or housekeeper to register as self-employed?
No. Employment status depends on the real working arrangement, not a label chosen to avoid payroll. GOV.UK explicitly says a household employer cannot simply ask an employee to become self-employed.
Do domestic employees need a written contract?
Employees and workers must receive a written statement of the main employment particulars when they start. The statement is not the whole employment contract, but it must record key conditions including pay, hours, holiday and workplace information.
Do I need to run PAYE for household staff?
Often, yes. HMRC sets the circumstances in which PAYE registration is required. Where PAYE applies, the employer runs payroll, makes the relevant deductions and reports pay and deductions to HMRC.
Do I need Employers' Liability insurance for domestic staff?
Usually. GOV.UK says Employers' Liability insurance is normally required as soon as you become an employer, with at least £5 million of cover from an authorised insurer. Check the narrow statutory exemptions before relying on one.
Does Filipino Domestic Services handle my payroll and employment contract?
Filipino Domestic Services is an introduction agency. For a direct placement, the household is responsible for the employment arrangement, pay, payroll and applicable employer obligations. Use qualified payroll or legal support where you need individual advice.
Start with a role that can be written down clearly.
Send the duties, hours, postcode, working arrangement and preferred start date. Filipino Domestic Services can use that brief as the basis for candidate introductions.