Is live-in right for your home?
Live-in staff make sense when help is needed early in the morning, late at night, or at unpredictable times: a newborn, an elderly parent, a large house, or a home far from where staff can easily commute, such as Bani Gala, Bahria Enclave or a farmhouse on Park Road.
It makes less sense in an apartment or a portion without a separate room. A worker sleeping in a store room or on a kitchen floor is not a live-in arrangement; it is an unfair one, and it rarely lasts.
The room
The room is the single biggest factor in whether good live-in staff stay. It does not need to be large, but it must be private and decent.
- A door that locks from the inside
- A ceiling fan, and heating in winter
- Good light, and a window if at all possible
- A proper bed, mattress, pillow, sheets and a blanket
- Somewhere to keep clothes and belongings
- Access to a bathroom with hot water
- A plug to charge a phone
Do not enter the room without knocking, and do not use it for storage. It is their home for as long as they work for you.
Meals
Live-in staff should eat three proper meals a day, from the same food the household eats or of similar quality. Agree whether they cook their own meals from the household kitchen or eat what is cooked for the family. Tea at the usual times is expected in most homes.
Never treat food as a reward or a punishment. It causes resentment quickly and is one of the commonest complaints from live-in workers.
Working hours and rest
This is where live-in arrangements go wrong. Because the worker is always in the house, the working day stretches until it has no end. Set fixed hours and protect them.
| A fair arrangement | A common mistake | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily hours | A set start and finish, such as 7am to 8pm with breaks | On call from waking to midnight |
| Breaks | An afternoon rest of an hour or two | No break because "there is nothing to do" |
| Night | Uninterrupted sleep, unless night care is the job and paid | Woken for small tasks |
| Weekly off | One full day, agreed in advance | Off "when things are quiet" |
If you genuinely need night duty, for a baby or an elderly parent, that is a separate role. Pay for it, or share it with another person, so the worker still gets proper sleep.
Days off and leave
Agree the weekly day off at the start: which day, from what time to what time, and whether they leave the house or stay. Many live-in staff go home once a month for two or three days; plan for it rather than treating each trip as a favour.
Eid is the big one. Most live-in staff want to go home for Eid, and families who refuse or cut it short tend to lose staff after the holiday. Agree the number of Eid days in writing, and plan cover early.
Salary for live-in staff
Live-in staff are not cheaper because they receive a room and meals. Their salary is usually similar to, or higher than, live-out staff, because they give up their evenings and are more available. Our salary guides show typical live-in ranges for maids, cooks, nannies, caregivers and drivers in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Pay on the same date every month. Many live-in workers send money home to their families, who rely on it arriving on time. Avoid large advances; if you give one, write down the amount and how it will be repaid.
Visitors, phones and boundaries
Live-in staff have a right to a private life, and you have a right to know who is in your home. Agree the rules up front.
- Visitors: allowed or not, where, and whether you need to be told in advance
- Phone: their own phone is their own; agree limits during duty, not a ban
- Going out: on the day off, freely; on working days, with notice
- Family areas: which rooms they use, and which are private to the family
- Their belongings: never searched without their presence and consent
Never take or keep a worker's CNIC, phone or salary as security. It is unfair, it can be unlawful, and it destroys trust.
Registration and safety
Register live-in staff with the local police and, in gated societies, with society security. Keep the documents listed in our checklist of documents to collect. Give the worker your number, another family member's number and the emergency numbers: 15 for police and 1122 for rescue.
Make sure they know the address of the house and how to leave it safely in an emergency, such as a fire.
When the arrangement ends
Give the notice you agreed, pay everything owed up to the last day, and give them time to pack and arrange travel home. A fair ending matters; staff talk to each other, and families who treat departing workers well find it easier to hire again.
The first week
The first week sets the tone. On the first day, show the room and the bathroom, explain meal times, introduce the family, and walk through the daily routine. Give the worker a list of the household's phone numbers, the Wi-Fi password if you share it, and the address written down.
Check in briefly at the end of the first few days. Ask whether the room is comfortable, whether they have what they need, and whether anything is unclear. Small fixes early stop a new worker from quietly deciding to leave at the first visit home.
Health and illness
Live-in staff will fall ill sometimes. Agree in advance that a sick worker rests, and that you will help them see a doctor. Many families pay for basic medicine and a clinic visit. Do not ask a sick worker to keep cooking or caring for children, both for their sake and for your family's.
When several staff live in
Larger homes sometimes have a live-in maid, cook and driver. Give each person their own room where possible, or at least separate rooms for men and women. Set out who does what, so one person is not left with the jobs nobody else wants, and pay attention to how they treat each other as well as how they treat the family.
Questions
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