The following are the questions we hear most often from our clients. Click on the question to jump to the response.
Note that the following employment regulations are based on the employment act in British Columbia. If you live in another province, you must check the regulations in your province. To access employment regulations in other provinces, please click here and scroll down.
How much is a live-in caregiver or nanny paid?
Wages are regulated provincially so can vary from province to province. However, the following example, based on a wage of $8 per hour, is typical:
Basic gross income per month: (Based 22 days at 8 hours/day X $8/hour)
$1,408
Maximum for board and lodging:
$325
Subtotal:
$1,083
Tax, CPP, EI deductions (estimated) (This is deducted and paid by employer to Revenue Canada )
$180
Net income of caregiver/month
$903
I want to treat the caregiver or nanny fairly. Do you have any guidelines?
The following guidelines address some of the most common complaints we’ve heard from caregivers and nannies.
Do not treat your nanny or caregiver as a servant. She is a professional worker.
Respect her judgment.
Stick to the terms of your contract. Do not expect free babysitting or overtime.
Come home on time or show up when you are expected. If you are away on business, keep in touch.
Pay your nanny or caregiver on time.
When your nanny or caregiver is ill, arrange for substitute care.
Respect her free time and privacy.
If you need her to provide additional care after hours, give her advance notice
Provide regular raises.
If she is taking children or clients on outings, make sure she has enough money for transportation, gas, meals, admission fees or any related costs.
Respect the opinion of your nanny or caregiver. Listen to her concerns and invite her opinion.
Invite her feedback about her job.
Never, ever criticize the nanny in front of your children. This undermines her ability to supervise them. Always be supportive of your nanny in front of the children.
Make sure you and your partner issue the same instructions.
Do not involve your nanny or caregiver in family arguments.
Accommodate reasonable requests for time off for doctor’s appointments, visits to immigration or other essential personal tasks.
Help your nanny or caregiver with paperwork, including renewing work permits or signing up for courses.
Is the person I hire to care for my children a domestic worker? Only if she or he is living in your home.
Are domestic workers and live-in caregivers the same?
Both are employees covered by the Employment Standards Act. “Domestic worker” is the term used by the provincial government; “live-in caregiver” is the term used by the federal government. A domestic worker may or may not be a live-in caregiver.
Can I pay wages in cash?
Yes, but you must show that wages have been paid by getting a signed receipt.
Can an employer ask the domestic worker to replace or pay for an item, such as a crystal vase that she broke?
Under the Act, an employer cannot deduct money from wages to recover a cost of doing business. This includes accidental damage to the employer‘s property.
How can an employer keep track of the hours a domestic worker works when the employer is usually away from the home?
The Act requires that the employer have a written contract of employment that specifies the hours of work required. The employer can also have the domestic worker record hours worked on a timesheet.
If I want to bring my employee to B.C. from another country, would the same contract remain in effect in Canada?
Yes but only if the contract complies with employment regulations in the province where you live. Employment regulations are regulated provincially, so you must check the regulations for your province of residence.
If a domestic worker goes with us on vacation and we pay her travel, hotel and living expenses, do we still have to pay her wages?
Yes, if she is required to work during this vacation.
Where can I find out more about employment regulations?
Questions about the Employment Standards Act can be answered by the Branch Information Line: 1 800 663-3316 or 250 612-4100 in Prince George, or in person at any Branch office. If you are making an inquiry, no personal information is required.
Branch publications, including a Guide to the Employment Standards Act, fact sheets mentioned and forms are available through the information line; online at www.labour.gov.bc.ca/esb or in any branch office. For information on employment standards in other provinces, please click here and scroll down.
How do I reach other regulatory bodies?
Workers‘ Compensation - 604 273-2266 or 1 800 661-2112
Workers‘ Compensation is a compulsory workplace insurance plan paid for by employers. Any work-related illness or injury must be reported to the Workers‘ Compensation Board of British Columbia.
Medical Services Plan - 604 683-7151 or 1 800 663-7100
This agency provides medical insurance for persons residing in B.C.
BC Human Rights Tribunal - 604 775-2000 or 1 888 440-8844
Employers are required to provide a workplace free from sexual harassment and from discrimination because of race, religion, gender, colour, ancestry, place of origin, marital and family status, physical and mental disabilities, political belief, or a criminal conviction unrelated to work responsibilities.
Federal resources
Canada Revenue Agency - 604 959-8281
Employers are required to make the appropriate deductions from wages for income tax, Employment Insurance and Canada Pension Plan, and to send that money to Canada Revenue Agency.
Domestic workers are entitled to a “T4” form by the end of February setting out their earnings in the previous year.
Employment Insurance - 604 682-5400 or 1 800 206-7218
Domestic workers are entitled to a Record of Employment when the employment relationship ends.
Access to immigrant-serving organizations
Organizations serving immigrants are listed in the white pages of the telephone book, often by the name of the community they serve, or in some cases the cultural group they represent.
Another source of information is the Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies (AMSSA) of British Columbia, a coalition of more than 75 organizations providing multicultural and immigrant settlement services in British Columbia. AMSSA has a list of agencies, and can be accessed by phone at 604 718-2780 or at www.amssa.org online.
Another useful source of information is the British Columbia Newcomer‘s Guide to Resources and Services. It is available through local libraries, or from the Aboriginal, Multiculturalism and Immigration Programs Division in Vancouver, at 604 660-2203.
