Is an agency-funded sign-on bonus to a placed nanny an ethical problem?
A disclosed bonus can be a legitimate recruiting expense, even when the agency receives a placement fee. Put the amount, payer, payment date, and conditions in writing before the nanny accepts. Tell the client if the incentive could affect how candidates are presented, and keep recommendations tied to fit rather than bonus eligibility. Review payroll, tax, and any repayment terms with appropriate advisers; do not describe the bonus as a substitute for wages the actual employer owes.
What should an agency do when a family and caregiver arrange side work after an agency introduction?
First establish the facts: which booking or placement introduced them, what work occurred, and what the signed agreements actually cover. Ask both sides for a neutral account and preserve booking records. Explain the agency's fee and future-booking process without accusing anyone or making an unenforceable threat. Offer a practical path to bring future work back through the agency if the service model supports it. Have counsel review any disputed non-circumvention or fee claim before enforcement.
How can an agency reduce clients disappearing during a nanny search?
Agree on the decision maker, hiring timeline, interview windows, and response deadline at intake. After each candidate presentation, ask one specific question and give a clear next step rather than sending an open-ended check-in. If the family misses the agreed window, state when the candidate will be released and whether the search will pause. Record the reason when a family disengages so the agency can distinguish a poor match from timing, price, or an unclear brief.
What should happen after a candidate completes interviews and a six-hour trial?
Collect structured feedback from the family and candidate promptly: actual duties, hours, interactions, fit concerns, and whether either side wants to continue. Confirm the trial's pay and who is responsible for paying it under the applicable arrangement. Give the family a decision deadline and tell the candidate when to expect an answer. If the brief changed during the trial, update the offer terms before asking for acceptance; do not leave either side waiting without a next step.
How should an agency work with a family that also uses another matching intermediary?
Before sharing a candidate, ask the family to identify every intermediary involved and agree in writing who may contact the candidate, which introduction controls, how duplicate submissions are handled, and who owes a fee or guarantee if the family hires. Keep candidate consent and communication channels clear. Do not assume another company's practices from anecdotal reports. Where agreements conflict, resolve the issue with the family and the other party before the candidate is put between competing claims.
How should an agency answer requests for free advice outside its service scope?
Acknowledge the question, state the boundary in one sentence, and offer the next useful route: a paid consultation if the agency provides one, a qualified specialist when the question is legal or financial, or a link to a relevant public resource. Avoid giving case-specific instructions based on an incomplete email. Track repeated topics; if the same question arrives often, publish a general answer that explains the decision points and when to seek help. This keeps the reply useful without promising work the agency has not agreed to provide.
What should an agency do if a client hires a nanny while an agency search is underway?
Establish the timeline: who introduced the nanny, which agency services were performed, and when the client made the hire. Ask the client to confirm the search outcome in writing and close or pause interviews promptly. Review the signed search, introduction, and fee terms before making any charge; do not assume that every outside hire triggers a placement fee. Explain the applicable clause and facts plainly, then offer a clean closeout or a counsel-reviewed dispute path if the parties disagree.
What if a client refers an agency-introduced caregiver directly to another family?
Thank the client for recommending someone they trust, then explain the agency's process for new families without assuming the caregiver or client has broken an agreement. Check the signed referral and introduction terms before claiming a fee. Ask the new family to contact the agency if it wants screening, booking support, or a placement search. Give the caregiver a clear way to disclose outside work and protect their choice about which assignments to accept. Record the introduction and update the policy if clients could reasonably misunderstand it.
What if a family finds an agency-affiliated nanny on social media?
Clarify whether the nanny is a current agency employee, an active candidate, or someone previously placed; those are different relationships. Ask the nanny and family to use the agency's intake and introduction process if they want the agency's screening, coordination, or guarantee. State which services have and have not occurred, and avoid implying that a social-media connection automatically creates a fee. Correct any inaccurate public claim about agency affiliation privately and keep the agency's branding and candidate-consent rules clear.
Can an agency help both a family seeking a replacement and its current nanny seeking another role?
Speak with each party about the service they are requesting and explain the agency's conflict and confidentiality boundaries before taking both searches. Do not reveal one party's private plans to the other without permission. Ask whether the existing agreement has notice, replacement, or candidate-representation terms that affect the work. Give each side a realistic process and timeline, avoid steering a match to accelerate either search, and document who in the agency may handle each conversation.
How should an agency close a nanny trial when the interviews were strong but the daily fit was wrong?
Compare the trial against the original role brief and the family's observed care needs, not only references or interview performance. Ask both sides for concrete feedback, document what was seen, and decide whether the concerns can be resolved with a changed role or whether the search should continue. Tell the candidate promptly that the family is not moving forward without sharing private household details or debating their qualifications. Keep the communication factual, confirm any trial pay through the agreed process, and avoid implying a placement was final before the offer and agreement were complete.
What if a previously placed caregiver markets directly to families while still working with an agency?
First separate a past placement from a current search: a caregiver can generally market their own services, while a live agency introduction may have agreed confidentiality or fee terms. Check the signed caregiver and family agreements, the date and source of each introduction, and whether the agency has an active duty to either party. Speak privately with the caregiver about clear attribution and avoiding confusing claims of agency representation. Explain the agency’s value to families without publicly naming or criticizing the caregiver. Ask counsel to review any restriction before threatening enforcement.