When Legal Claims Hit Close to Home — How to Avoid Serious Legal, Privacy and Other Risks in the Employment of Nannies, Personal Assistants, Gardeners, and other Domestic Workers

When we think of employers navigating complex legal issues, we often think of retailers, manufacturers, and service companies. But there is one type of employer where the legal issues hit much closer to home—in fact literally at home—namely the individual, family or family office that directly hires nannies, gardeners, au pairs, drivers, chefs, home school teachers, security personnel, personal assistants, and caregivers. It is critical that families and others who employ domestic workers of any kind (beyond a casual babysitter or occasional gardener) carefully structure the relationship to protect the safety, privacy and financial interests of the family and to avoid legal claims. This is particularly true where the employer is perceived as wealthy or well known, such as company executives, entrepreneurs, working professionals, celebrities, and so forth, but all domestic employers are risk.  Unfortunately, we are seeing a rapidly rising number of monetary demands and legal claims made by domestic workers against the families and individuals who have retained them as employees or contractors. These claims are stressful, time consuming, and often extremely expensive for the domestic employer to resolve, particularly where the employment relationship did not end on good terms.  Domestic employers in California are at especially high risk for such claims because of the unique laws and a legal process that incentivizes and rewards employee or contractor lawsuits.  

In this webinar, Christian Rowley and Jennifer Mora provide an overview of considerations for families before allowing workers access to their homes, children, and private lives, including properly classifying the workers, paying overtime and other wage and hour issues, conforming with immigration requirements, managing living arrangements, protecting confidentiality, handling injury claims, and navigating other employment issues unique to the home worker.

Speakers

Christian Rowley, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Jennifer Mora, Senior Counsel, Seyfarth Shaw LLP

If you have any questions, please contact Kelly Sokolowski at ksokolowski@seyfarth.com and reference this event.

Learn more about our Employment practice.

*This webinar is accredited for CLE in CA, IL, NJ, and NY. Credit will be applied for as requested for TX, GA, WA, NC, FL and VA.  The following jurisdictions accept reciprocal credit with these accredited states, and individuals can use the certificate they receive to gain CLE credit therein: AZ, CT, ME, NH.  The following jurisdictions do not require CLE, but attendees will receive general certificates of attendance: DC, MA, MD, MI, SD.  For all other jurisdictions, a general certificate of attendance and the necessary materials will be issued that can be used in other jurisdictions for self-application.