The festive season can be an incredibly stressful time, but with the support of private household staff at Christmas, it really can be the most magical time to spend with family and loved ones.

Can I recruit private staff during lockdown?

Although we are in lockdown, the government has advised that the restrictions will expire on the 2nd December 2020. However, many of our clients are asking us to source additional domestic staff to help support their teams to prepare for Christmas. At SILKS, we are following all safety procedures in order to safeguard the health of our clients and staff. We ensure that staff members are proven to test negative for Covid, and they have isolated before being placed in a new role.

Scheduling time off

Many Housekeepers and private staff will look to take a break over the Christmas holidays. If a principle calls upon their staff to work on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, many will offer a bonus for doing so. Alternatively, some principles may offer time off when the festivities are over.

We recommend talking to all household staff well in advance to manage expectations. Planning the staff rota system will ensure that you have enough staff to enable the household to run smoothly.