Employing Someone to Work in your Home

Employing Someone to Work in your Home

You are usually considered the employer of a nanny, housekeeper, gardener or anyone else who works in your home if both:
  • you hire them
  • they’re not self-employed or paid through an agency
This means you have certain responsibilities, like meeting the employee’s rights and deducting the right tax.
There are special rules for au pairs, who are not usually considered workers or employees.

Carers and Personal Assistants

You are classed as an employer if you pay a carer or personal assistant directly, even if you get money from your local council (‘direct payments’) or the NHS to pay for them.
Ask your local council about organisations that can help with your employer responsibilities, such as recruiting and paying your carer.

Employees’ Rights

Anyone you employ must:
If they meet the eligibility requirements, they’re also entitled to things like:

Tax and Employing People at Home

You must:
You cannot ask your employee to become self-employed.

Your Employee’s Car

There are also rules around:

See Also:

For further information: