Letting Go of Household Staff: How to Do It Right

Nobody hires a nanny or housekeeper expecting to let them go. But roles end — children grow, households change, fits fail. How you handle the ending defines your reputation in a market where everyone talks.

Before the conversation

• Review the contract: notice period, severance, any probation terms
• Document performance conversations — endings should never surprise
• Check your state's rules on final pay, PTO payout and timing
• Prepare the practical package: final pay, severance, reference approach

The conversation itself

Private, brief, kind and final. No negotiation theater, no list of grievances at the door. A fair severance — two weeks minimum, a month for long tenures — is not generosity; it is the price of a graceful exit in a reputation-driven market.

After

Agree on the reference you will give and honor it. Return belongings promptly, pay everything owed without being chased, and resist any post-departure commentary. The household staffing world is small; grace is remembered as long as its opposite.

And when you are ready to hire again: Elite Swiss will help you define what should be different this time — and find the person who makes the ending feel like a turning point.