Many of our dedicated caregivers are Catholic which makes working during Christmas and Easter difficult for them. For placement agencies, finding coverage during these holidays can also be very challenging. A family who hires a companion or homemaker through our private duty placement service often forgets the fact that they are employers, and their offered rate of pay for coverage during holidays is something that cannot be taken for granted. Budgeting for overtime, increase in pay through over longer periods and holidays, are all components to consider, just as much as it is for regular employers of home health aides and any employees of any other profession. In addition, New York State has a domestic bill of rights as follows:
The right to overtime pay at time-and-a-half after 40 hours of work in a week, or 44 hours for workers who live in their employer’s home;
A day of rest (24 hours) every seven days, or overtime pay if they agree to work on that day;
Three paid days of rest each year after one year of work for the same employer; and
Protection under New York State Human Rights Law, and the creation of a special cause of action for domestic workers who suffer sexual or racial harassment.
Part of our service includes finding a replacement when it is requested, and we are able to fulfill about 99% of these requests, but not with the exact requirements of the client’s family. Our caregivers have different backgrounds, job description requirements, schedules and different rates of pay which often requires us to work on a replacement case over a period of 3-5 days. Therefore, requesting a replacement earlier than later is always a good idea, which means that it also makes sense to proactively keep tabs on the caregiver’s anticipated schedule, especially for those families who are more hands-off about the employee relationship. Whether it’s through ICONNEL or any other private duty placement agency, we hope this information helps you to manage your caregiver in an optimal way that allows the engagement to last long term, thus avoiding a revolving door of dissatisfied caregivers.
