Dedicated Domestics Weblog

There are many misconceptions about the differences between live-in and live-out Nannies and other household staff.  First, it is important to remember that anyone working in a home is covered by the same laws as any other employee in any other business.  While in-home workers are usually more flexible and the guidelines are not as strictly adhered to, the reality is that any Nanny, Babysitter or Chauffeur that is working in a home is an employee.  There are strict guidelines for employers to follow, especially in California, that require a set amount of breaks and rest time for every employee.  Keeping that in mind, a family can now determine what their real needs are and which type of employee will serve them best.

There are many benefits to hiring a live-in but there are also drawbacks that many people do not always consider.  A live-in is typically going to be more flexible than live-out since they are always in the home.  But, they need to have time off and an eight hour sleep period during every 24 hour schedule.  So while a live-in Nanny can help take care of the night feeding for a newborn, they must be then given time off during the next day to rest.  So while the flexibility sounds great, if you do not need someone to be available for odd or changing shifts, you may find a live-out Nanny serves your purpose just as well.

An important drawback for hiring a live-in for some families is the fact that they are now going to have another person living in their home even on days off.  While most get used to the arrangement, some find the loss of privacy too high.

Another misconception with live-in help is the salary.  Many years ago a live-in would be happy to accept a lesser salary in return for room and board.  An arrangement that helped both the family find affordable help and the Nanny or Housekeeper would have a roof over their head while they saved their salary.   Today there are much fewer Nannies, Housekeepers and other staff that are willing to be live-ins so they tend to charge the same or more than there live-out counterparts.  The live-ins also learned quickly that they could command a premium just for being so flexible.  The higher wages for live-ins is not all bad news for families since they are getting that extra flexibility that an 8 to 5 Nanny may not be able to give.  The unique schedules that can only be achieved by a live-in are very important to many professionals with varied schedules like Doctors or anyone that has to travel often. 

The most important thing to remember when selecting a schedule for your domestic staff is to really understand what your needs are first, so you can find the right fit for your unique situation.