From accommodation and schedules to privacy, working hours, and the practicalities of caring for children while away, a little preparation can make a significant difference. We have gathered our best practices for travelling with household staff to help ensure that everyone returns home rested, relaxed, and ready to settle back into their usual routines.
Confirm Compensation Before Taking Off
If travel is a regular part of an employee’s job description, travel pay and expectations should be clearly outlined in the contract. In reality, this often isn’t the case. Often, travel pops up unexpectedly and families make loose verbal agreements regarding the trip. This can lead to misunderstandings and frustration. When asking an employee to attend a family holiday, it is critical to discuss pay, hours, and expenses before leaving. While travelling, staff should always be paid at least their regular rate, plus any overtime worked. It is quite common to also offer a daily travel fee. This is a fee to cover the inconvenience of being away from home, and to cover expenses staff may incur by being away, including pet-sitters or their own childcare.
Once travelling, the employer should cover all travel costs, accommodation, and meals. In many instances, families will give employees an agreed daily stipend to cover meals and other miscellaneous expenses. This stipend should take into account the cost of living in the destination and accessibility of local amenities. For example, if an employee will need to use a car service to get into town to have dinner, all those costs should be accounted for. If staying at a hotel, set expectations around in-room dining and other on-site paid offerings. In some destinations, it is still wise to provide staff with petty cash and ask them to save receipts or keep a log of expenses. This is especially important for nannies who will be travelling with children; many small, cash-only expenses can pop up, like a gelato or local toy, and these should be covered by the family.
Be sure to discuss expected hours and schedules ahead of time. Best practice dictates that travel time, including flights, should be paid as regular working hours.
Discuss Accommodation & Sleeping Arrangements
It’s critical to be upfront with staff about accommodations before leaving on the trip so everyone is on the same page and feels appropriately compensated. In particular, childcare workers should be made aware if they will be sharing a room or bathroom with children. While this isn’t an uncommon setup, nannies will need to be compensated appropriately if they are sharing a room with a child and providing overnight care. If staff will be staying at a different location from the family, it is important to sort out transportation logistics ahead of time. Staff should not be paying for Ubers, taxis, or public transportation with their own money.
Clarify Expectations
To make the trip as stress-free as possible, have a clear and detailed conversation about expectations ahead of time. What will the hours be? Will employees be “on call” after hours, or can they spend that time exploring the city? What is appropriate pool or beach attire? Can employees have a glass of wine with their in-room dining? Will nannies be responsible for planning the child’s itinerary? Will the employee handle any pet care or childcare they wouldn’t normally handle at home? Try to be as open and clear as possible, especially if this is your first time travelling with this employee.
Share the Itinerary
If you expect your nanny or personal assistant to schedule activities and make reservations during the trip, be sure to communicate this ahead of time. Most experienced travel nannies are happy to plan educational adventures for children in unfamiliar cities and can often do so even better with a little notice. When planning your itinerary, be sure to allow for downtime for staff. Just as they do at home, they need time away from work while travelling. If the trip is particularly long or demanding, consider offering the staff member a half or full day off to spend as they wish. This gives them an opportunity to recharge, explore the city on their own, or simply enjoy some time away from their responsibilities. Of course, this will not always be possible depending on the level of coverage required, but when it is, it can be a thoughtful way to help an employee return to work refreshed.
Remember Staff are Working
Although you may be on a gorgeous beach or roaming the streets of Provence, it is crucial to remember that the trip is not a holiday for staff. They are working, and the same professional expectations that apply at home should apply while travelling. Staff should also receive their regular days off and annual holiday allowance upon returning home. While some employees may genuinely enjoy travelling for work, accompanying an employer should not be considered a perk or substitute for the employee’s own holiday time. If possible, it is preferable to give staff a “weekend” (2 days off) upon return before they are expected back at work.
Communication is Critical
When travelling with employees, clear communication is essential. Discussing arrangements openly from the outset can help avoid many common misunderstandings, particularly around travel pay, working hours, responsibilities, and time off. When expectations are clearly established before departure, everyone can feel more comfortable and confident throughout the trip, allowing the family and staff to focus on enjoying the experience.
