Household Staff Employment Contracts: What to Include (UK, US and Yachts)
What to put in a contract for a nanny, butler, house manager or other household employee, and for yacht crew.
What should a household staff contract include?
A household staff contract should set out the job title and duties, hours, pay and how it is paid, holiday, notice, confidentiality, accommodation if live-in, and probation. In the UK, the main terms must be given in writing on or before the first day of work. Yacht crew need a signed seafarer employment agreement under MLC 2006.
Key Facts
- In the UK, the main terms must be given in writing on or before the first day of work.
- In the UK, most employees are entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year (28 days for a 5-day week).
- Yacht crew need a seafarer employment agreement signed by the crew member and the shipowner or their representative (MLC 2006).
- Include a confidentiality clause and say what happens to accommodation when employment ends.
- Agree salary as gross, not net, and say so in the contract.
Household Staff Employment Contracts: What to Include
A clear contract protects both the family and the employee. It sets expectations before the first day and avoids most of the disputes that end household placements early. This is a practical guide, not legal advice: have your contract checked by an employment lawyer in your country.
What every household contract should cover
- Job title and duties, including what is not part of the role.
- Place of work, and whether the role involves travel or several homes.
- Hours, rest days and how extra hours are handled.
- Pay, stated as gross, with pay dates and how it is paid.
- Holiday, including public holidays and when holiday can be taken.
- Probation and notice periods.
- Confidentiality, social media and photographs of the family and the home.
- Accommodation for live-in roles, and when it must be vacated.
- Benefits: car, phone, health insurance, bonus and travel.
- Sickness, and how to report absence.
UK rules
- Written statement: every employee must be given a written statement of the main terms (the principal statement) on or before their first day. Some other details, such as pension and training, can follow within two months.
- Holiday: most employees are entitled to 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday a year, which is 28 days for someone working 5 days a week. Bank holidays can be counted within it.
- Pension: private households must auto-enrol eligible staff, even if they employ just one person such as a nanny. The minimum is 8% of qualifying earnings (£6,240 to £50,270 in 2026/27), of which at least 3% comes from the employer. Staff earning over £10,000 a year must be enrolled.
- Gross pay: agree salary as a gross figure. Families who agree a net salary carry the risk of tax changes.
US rules
- At-will employment is the default in most states, but a written agreement still sets duties, hours and pay.
- Overtime and rest: In New York, domestic workers are paid overtime at time and a half after 40 hours a week, or 44 hours for live-in workers, and are entitled to one 24-hour day of rest each week and three paid days of rest a year after a year with the same employer. In California, personal attendants are paid overtime after 9 hours a day or 45 hours a week; other live-in household employees after 9 hours a day and on the sixth and seventh days; and live-out household employees after 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week.
- Taxes: if you pay one household employee $3,000 or more in cash wages in 2026, you withhold and pay Social Security and Medicare taxes. The employer’s share is 7.65% (6.2% Social Security and 1.45% Medicare), and Social Security applies to wages up to $184,500 in 2026.
- Employment eligibility: household employers generally must complete Form I-9 to confirm a new employee’s identity and right to work. Casual domestic work that is sporadic, irregular or intermittent is the exception.
Yacht crew contracts
- Seafarer employment agreement: under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006), every crew member must have a seafarer employment agreement signed by them and by the shipowner or their representative, and must be able to review it and take advice before signing.
- Leave: Under MLC 2006, crew are entitled to at least 2.5 calendar days of paid leave for each month of employment.
- Repatriation: Crew must be repatriated at no cost to themselves, and the yacht must carry financial security to cover repatriation.
- Rotation, tips and charter terms should be written into the agreement or the yacht’s crew policy.
Hiring household staff or yacht crew?
Tell us the role and we send a shortlist of vetted, reference-checked candidates within 24 hours. There are no upfront fees, and every placement comes with a free replacement guarantee. See our household staffing agency and yacht crew recruitment pages.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a written contract for a nanny in the UK? Yes. You must give a nanny, like any employee, a written statement of the main terms on or before their first day. A full contract is the simplest way to do it.
Should I agree a gross or net salary? Gross. A net agreement leaves the family paying any increase in the employee’s tax.
What contract do yacht crew need? A seafarer employment agreement under MLC 2006, signed by the crew member and the shipowner or their representative.