How should an agency respond when a client requests a caregiver based on race, ethnicity, or another protected characteristic?
Pause that screening instruction. Ask what work-related need the client is trying to describe, such as language proficiency, schedule, experience, or a specific household task, and write a neutral requirement that can be assessed consistently. Explain that the agency cannot filter or refer candidates by protected characteristics to satisfy a client preference. The EEOC says covered employment agencies may not honor discriminatory job orders or make referrals using protected-trait categories. Escalate a client who insists on such a filter for legal review before continuing the search; do not turn the preference into a private note used to screen candidates.
Should an agency ask whether caregivers are comfortable working with LGBTQ+ families?
Do not make a separate comfort test about a family's sexual orientation or gender identity. Describe the actual duties, schedule, household communication, and professionalism expected for the role, then ask every candidate the same job-related questions. This keeps selection tied to the work rather than screening around a protected characteristic. The EEOC lists sex, including sexual orientation and transgender status, among protected traits for employment-agency referrals. If a candidate raises a specific concern, document the job-related facts and seek qualified advice before making a referral decision.
How should an agency work with candidates who use they/them, Mx., or other names and pronouns?
Ask the candidate what name, title, and pronouns they want the agency to use in conversation and in materials shared with clients, then use those choices consistently. Keep legal-name and identity-verification fields where the process requires them, with access limited to staff who need them. Train interviewers to focus on qualifications and role fit, and correct mistakes briefly without turning a candidate's identity into an interview topic. Confirm what personal information the candidate consents to share before sending a profile.
Can an agency insist on video when a candidate says a religious belief prevents appearing on camera?
Treat the statement as a request to review an interview accommodation, not an automatic rejection. Ask what part of the video requirement conflicts with the candidate's practice and whether a phone interview, audio-only call, or another process would let the agency assess the same job-related criteria. Apply the same assessment standard and coordinate with the hiring client if it controls a later interview. The EEOC says applicants may need reasonable religious accommodation unless it creates a substantial burden in the overall context of the employer's business; the answer depends on the facts. Have qualified employment counsel review a decision to deny an alternative or reject the candidate, including applicable state and local law.
What if a family raises concern about a candidate’s mental-health disclosure found on social media?
Pause the decision and keep the disclosure private. Do not circulate a diagnosis or treat a social post as proof that the candidate cannot perform the role. Ask the family to identify specific, job-related concerns and compare them with the same screening and role criteria used for other candidates. The actual employer and agency should get employment-law advice before medical inquiries, rescinding an offer, or sharing health information. If an accommodation conversation is appropriate, handle it through a confidential, lawful process with the candidate rather than through speculation.
How should an agency handle a client’s personal complaint about a placed caregiver?
Ask for the specific work impact and the outcome the family wants, without circulating intimate or medical details. Compare the concern with the agreed duties and house rules, and give the caregiver a respectful chance to respond through the appropriate employer channel. If a practical change would solve the issue, document it prospectively. Do not turn embarrassment or speculation into a diagnosis or an automatic replacement decision. Seek employment-law advice before acting on a health-related concern or disclosing it more widely.
How should an agency present unusual household phone and product rules to nanny candidates?
Ask the family to turn each preference into an observable job requirement: when a phone may be used, how emergencies are handled, which products are restricted, and what equipment the family will provide. Put the requirements in the role brief before sending candidates, and ask whether a qualified caregiver can work under them. Do not make unverified health claims to justify a rule or soften a material restriction to secure an interview. If candidates repeatedly decline, give the family that feedback and discuss which rules are essential.
How should an agency respond when a family asks for a younger occasional caregiver?
Ask what the family is trying to achieve in the care itself: activity level, experience with the child’s age, availability, and communication style. Explain that the agency presents candidates against those job-related criteria and will not screen by age. Offer profiles that meet the actual care requirements and invite feedback on skills and fit. Record the role criteria consistently; if the family insists on an age restriction, pause the search and seek employment-law advice. EEOC: employment-agency referral practices.