Hiring Privately vs. Using an Agency
Hiring household staff and home health aides requires finding trustworthy, competent workers. Selecting the right people to perform the tasks and fit in well can be a challenging and stressful process.
Hiring Independently
Hiring independently allows a direct employer to shape a broader scope of employee responsibilities than when using an agency.
Direct employers often find their in-home workers via word-of-mouth, through friends and neighbors, or even from their other employees,
Alternatively, these employers may use a registry. Registry services vet prospective employees by running background checks and determining whether they have the required job experience. The registry highlights special skills to match suitable caregivers with employers.
Pros of Hiring Privately
- Greater control over job responsibilities and schedules
- More flexibility in salary negotiations
Cons of Hiring Privately
- Being responsible for payroll and tax management, as well as insurance.
- Finding someone to cover when an employee is sick, on vacation, or leaves employment
- Knowing, understanding, and complying with Federal and State laws regarding employment, including minimum-wage regulations, overtime rules, etc.
Hiring Through an Agency
Some employers hire an agency to supply workers, such as cleaners, drivers, nannies, and home health aides. In this case, the agency is the direct employer, which relieves its client of employment responsibilities.
It can also benefit employees by providing training and, often, health insurance and/or retirement plans that an individual employer would typically not offer.
Pros of Working with an Agency
- Providing substitute aides if an aide is out sick or on vacation
- Providing new workers when there is turnover
- Covering all the payroll-related expenses
- Carrying Workers’ Compensation and Disability/Family Leave insurance.
Cons of Working with an Agency
- Restricting what employees can do in the houses where they work. For instance, NYS law prohibits an aide from pouring and handing medications to the patient; the aide can only remind the patient to take their medicine.
- Appearing more expensive than hiring independently since the agency covers all the employer costs.
There is no right approach to hiring household staff, whether through word of mouth, a registry, or an agency. It depends on your needs and tolerance of paperwork.