In order for us to be prepared to entrust our household to a stranger, we must be able to rely on them completely. And even in the event that something goes wrong, liability and responsibility must be clarified in advance. Below, we present measures that provide the best possible protection for both sides.
Safety and successful cooperation come first
According to a recently published Forsa survey, around 8 out of 10 respondents consider the trustworthiness of a domestic helper to be even more important than thorough or professional cleaning. That is why 7 out of 10 still prefer to entrust their household to someone recommended by acquaintances. Only around one in ten people opt for professional cleaning companies or hire someone after seeing an advert. Instead of just job adverts and verbal references, our portal offers you additional mechanisms to help you form as accurate a picture as possible of the trustworthiness of your potential domestic help and to align the expectations of both sides as closely as possible.
Clarify your expectations
Different expectations are a common cause of dissatisfaction and misunderstandings. If you run the household yourself, your tasks include activities that do not fall within the explicit remit of a domestic helper. You cannot expect your domestic help to take on all household tasks, such as cleaning high windows, doing the laundry, cooking, running personal errands for you or trimming the hedge. In order to avoid any misunderstandings, we ask you to tick the tasks on our portal for which you require assistance. Please also indicate how regularly you would like to use the cleaning service. You can also see on our portal whether a domestic helper wants to be registered by you on a mini-job basis or works with a trade licence. This prevents misunderstandings and ensures that the exact scope of duties and framework of the collaboration is clear to everyone before the first interview.
Get a first impression based on the profiles
Furthermore, sympathy and personal suitability also play an important role in the selection of personnel. We all have different qualities. Especially when it comes to household chores, frequent personal contact is to be expected. So it makes sense to clarify in advance whether there is a good basis for communication. Use the profiles on our portal to get a first impression of the person and their expectations. Inconsistent profiles are blocked by us. Please also take a look at the references and documents uploaded by users, if available. Pay particular attention to why the person wants to do the job and whether they would be willing to do it on a long-term basis.
When writing the advertisement, it also makes sense to state as clearly as possible which qualities you value. It is quite conceivable that you would prefer a person who enjoys this work, is animal-friendly and would do some gardening and odd jobs for you, but is a little slower at cleaning, to a professional cleaner. Articulate such preferences. Also pay attention to the reviews of other users, do your own research about the person on the internet and ask questions via our messaging service. Hobbies or shared interests can tell you a lot about the potential quality of the interpersonal relationship.
Arrange an interview and a first trial cleaning session
During the actual interview, you can check the authenticity of mere promises and words. Have their identity confirmed with an identity document (passport, ID card) and also ask to see certificates, references and a valid work permit. If necessary, call previous employers and ask about their impressions and experiences. Ask questions that will help you get an accurate picture of the person's motivation. For example, ask what cleanliness means to your potential domestic help personally. During a trial cleaning session, observe what the person pays attention to. Take note of details such as whether they lift small objects or simply move them across the floor. Do they follow hygiene regulations? Are they familiar with the colour system, for example? Do they use different sponges and cleaning products for different surfaces?
Sign an employment contract and register the domestic help
Clarify all expectations and details – such as whether you have a non-smoking household – and also draw up an employment contract in which the areas of responsibility and the time frame (whether occasional or regular and whether for a limited period) are agreed, as well as a probationary period. Make a copy of their identity card and work permit. Register your new domestic help with the Minijob-Zentrale (mini-job centre) and statutory accident insurance. Based on the contract, you can create checklists to be worked through. Your domestic help is then entitled to the usual special payments, such as sick pay or holiday pay. You are also obliged to comply with the notice period.
If your domestic help is employed by you, they are not liable, or only to a limited extent, for damage. You should therefore give the cleaner very precise instructions to prevent damage from occurring in the first place (e.g. which cleaning products to use, always carry house keys on a key ring, do not move heavy objects). If they work on an invoice basis as a self-employed person, they usually have professional liability insurance. So make sure that such insurance has been taken out.
In order to benefit from the tax breaks for household-related services, you should ask for receipts for your payments. And issue a key handover report if you are to hand over a key to the domestic help.
Explain potential hazards as clearly as possible
Point out any special features when operating household appliances and any potential hazards in the home. For example, you could explain details such as that a window must not be tilted open because of the risk of the neighbour's cat injuring itself. You should also explain where the fire extinguisher and smoke detector are located, where the fuse box and main water supply are, and how to use them. And if, despite all your explanations, something does not meet your expectations, don't forget that you have the right to request improvements. Give your domestic help a second chance to correct their mistakes or inaccuracies and insist that they fulfil the duties agreed in the employment contract.