How to manage the relationship with domestic help in private households
Cleaning services are activities that remain authorised.
Household staff who do not have a medical certificate cannot simply refuse to come to work. They will have to take leave if they do not want to go to work.
If a family member of the household staff is infected with the coronavirus, it is possible to invoke the employer's legal obligation to protect the health and safety of their employee. In this case, the employee may be exempted from work and will continue to receive their salary.
If an employer wishes to exempt their cleaning staff from work, the employer will have to continue to pay them their salary. An employer cannot force their employee to take time off work.
It is also not possible for the employer to assert any right to short-time work. This provision is reserved for businesses only.
Frequently asked questions
I do not want my domestic staff to come to work, do I still have to pay him/her?
Yes. Cleaning services are among the activities that remain authorised to continue operating.
If you exempt your domestic staff from work as a precautionary measure, you must continue to pay them their salaries. It is not possible to force them to take time off.
What if the employer is a vulnerable person?
Employers must assess their own risk and decide accordingly.
What if my domestic staff is a vulnerable person?
Vulnerable persons are in principle allowed to work, however, if the attending physician considers that they should no longer work, the physician will issue a medical certificate.
Of course, employers can also decide to exempt their employee(s) from work, if said employee(s) is considered a vulnerable person, as part of the employers' obligation to protect the health and safety of employees. Employers will then have to continue to pay them their salary.
What happens if my domestic staff refuses to come to work?
In this case, the domestic staff will have to take leave.
What happens if my domestic help refuses to come to work because a member of my household is infected by the coronavirus?
In this case, it is possible to invoke the employer's legal obligation to protect the health and safety of their employee and the employee may be exempted from work and continue to receive their salary.
Can short-time work be claimed for domestic help employed by a private household?
No, it is not possible to apply for short-time work for privately employed domestic staff. This measure is only available to businesses.
