When it comes to hiring help for your home, whether it’s a full-time nanny, house manager, or family assistant, there’s one step many families skip: putting the agreement in writing. Yet, a clear, comprehensive house manager or nanny contract isn’t just helpful; it’s essential.
A written document outlining job duties, expectations, hours, and compensation sets the foundation for a strong working relationship. It protects both parties and helps avoid confusion, disappointment, or miscommunication later on. In an industry where emotional labor, trust, and daily routines intertwine, a detailed work agreement is more than just a formality, it’s peace of mind.
What Is a House Manager or Nanny Contract?
A house manager or nanny contract is a formal work agreement between a family and their in-home support person, outlining the terms of employment. This may include job responsibilities, schedule, pay rate, benefits, time off, and more. It can also apply to dual roles, such as when you hire someone to act as both a house manager and nanny.
Whether you’re hiring for home child care, errand-running, scheduling, or after-school activities, documenting expectations helps eliminate gray areas. And for full-time nanny arrangements, it’s particularly crucial.
What Should Be Included?
Here are the core elements every nanny job contract should include:
- Job Duties: Clearly outline what the role entails. Are they doing dishes? Driving the kids? Running errands? Managing grocery lists?
- Schedule: Be specific about working hours, days, and any evening or weekend needs.
- Compensation: Detail hourly wage or salary, payment schedule, overtime pay, and reimbursements.
- Paid Time Off: Define holidays, vacation time, and sick days… paid and unpaid.
- Performance Reviews: Outline when and how you’ll check in about job performance, and what benchmarks you’ll use.
- Termination Clause: Include what notice is required from either party, and under what conditions termination may occur.
Adding in boundaries around social media (such as photo-sharing of your children), household policies, and even confidentiality clauses are all wise considerations in today’s nanny industry.
Local Laws & Legal Considerations
Every region has different employment laws regarding domestic workers. From tax obligations to mandated breaks and benefits, it’s important to be familiar with local laws and ensure your contract aligns.
For many families, it’s worth having a lawyer review the contract to ensure compliance and clarity. This is especially true for long-term or live-in hires.
Why You Shouldn’t Use a Free Template
A quick internet search will turn up plenty of free house manager and nanny contract templates, but most of them are generic and leave out key considerations that make or break a hire. Templates rarely account for hybrid roles like nanny-house manager or family assistant, and they often miss crucial legal and emotional nuances.
A customized attorney drafted contract, built around your family’s rhythms and expectations, ensures you start the relationship on solid ground.
Protect Both Parties, Strengthen the Relationship
While some families shy away from formalizing things, worrying it will make the relationship feel transactional, the opposite is usually true. Clarity fosters trust.
A contract shows your hire that you take them, and their role, seriously. It also gives them the confidence to speak up if something isn’t working, which can lead to better communication and long-term job satisfaction.
After all, the goal is a sustainable, trusting partnership. Having a contract is one way to honor that.
Need Help Finding the Right Fit?
Writing a thoughtful nanny contract is only one piece of the hiring puzzle. The bigger challenge? Finding someone who fits your family like a glove, someone proactive, reliable, and skilled in both logistics and care.
That’s where Sage Haus comes in. Sage Haus offers custom Hiring Services that help busy families hire top-tier help. From crafting job descriptions and vetting candidates to guiding you through interviews and onboarding, Sage Haus walks with you every step of the way.
You don’t need to “do it all.” What you need is real support, and the right person to share the mental load.
Learn more about Sage Haus Hiring Services Here.
A Better Way to Hire
When you partner with us, you gain more than a resume or referral. You gain a tailored experience designed around your family’s specific needs and values. We help you:
- 45-minute kickoff consultation to define your family’s needs
- Custom job description tailored to your role
- Candidate vetting, screening, and delivery of your top 2 candidates within 4–6 weeks
- Concierge interview scheduling and post-interview debriefs
- Templates for interviews, employment agreements, and onboarding
- Reference calls and background checks included
- 30-minute onboarding + home systems strategy call
- 30 or 60-day replacement guarantee if your hire doesn’t work out
The result? Confidence in your hire… and freedom in your schedule.
Ready to Reclaim Your Time?
Whether you’re hiring a full time house manager, nanny, family assistant, or hybrid role, the right support at home changes everything. It allows you to be more present with your children, less stressed in your relationship, and more focused on what matters most.
Don’t let top-tier talent slip away because you’re short on time or unsure where to start.
Book a free info call with Sage Haus to explore whether we’re the right fit. Together, we can turn daily chaos into calm, and get your home running the way you’ve always hoped it could.
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