Whilst the prime minister has lifted the lockdown restrictions for the many, for those fortunate to be assisted by household staff, we must continue to operate cautiously and safely.
Many private households looking for domestic staff may still be figuring out what is permitted following the ever-changing Government guidelines, considering that it’s crucial to adhere to these when bringing new individuals into any close-quarters environment.
A natural solution would be working with a domestic staffing agency to ensure the hiring process is smooth, compliant and as hassle-free as possible.
But for more information, before you start this process, we discuss the government’s precautionary actions and suggestions that can facilitate a safe and happy home. Not just for you, but your family and extended household family.
Story Stages
Firstly, Start With You
Before you can find the fit for your home or welcome domestic staff into your home again, you must understand your and your household members status and potential risks.
Have you and your family tested negative, are you vaccinated, are you high risk? All of the questions should be assessed by yourself before you question another or potential staff member.
Knowing and keeping updated on your and all domestic staff statuses is one of the best ways to protect against the virus.
Your Employees
Whilst it is a home for your domestic staff, it is their place of work. In which case, just like any other office or workspace, you should ensure you should be vigilant about recognising Covid symptoms and promoting good hygiene and providing appropriate supplies such as tissues and hand sanitiser.
When hiring new staff, it is vital to gather a good understanding of their health and the personal risks involved in working within a household.
Assessing Your Needs
One of the other ways we can avoid Covid is to prevent open and crowded spaces; this same rule can apply to your household.
Are the domestic staff members in your household excessive and potentially overcrowded? In which case you should look to increase the responsibilities of one person and consolidate all your needs in 1 staff member.
By decreasing the number of people in your home, you minimise the spread of germs from person to person and save unnecessary costs of having multiple people members of staff.
So when hiring, ensure that the people you look to add to your team are more well rounded and more than just a one-trick pony to reduce staff and minimise risks.
Set The Boundaries
No matter what position you are hiring for and laying out the job responsibilities, you should set your boundaries and covid policy for each job role of the way you operate. Examples of the include:
- Sign in sheet to keep track of attendance of the household
- Mandatory Masks
- Isolation Zones
Ultimately it is important to remember to think about what’s best for your family’s level of health risk and set the appropriate boundaries for every person.
It’s crucial that any staff and all staff, whether just joining or returning, are aware of the rules and emphasise that this is ultimately a team effort for everyone’s safety.
