How to Run a Fair Trial Period for Domestic Staff

A trial period only works if both sides know it's a trial and agree on the terms before it starts. Sprung on someone after the fact, it just feels like being underpaid; agreed upfront, it protects both the employer and the worker.

How long is reasonable

For most domestic roles, one to two weeks is enough to tell whether the fit works, skills, reliability, how someone handles the actual household. For a role like cooking, a single paid trial day or two can substitute for a longer period, since the core question, whether the food is good, doesn't need weeks to answer.

Agree these before day one

• The exact length of the trial, in writing
• The pay for the trial period, and whether it's the same rate as the ongoing role or a separate trial rate
• What happens at the end, does it convert automatically unless either side says otherwise, or does it need an explicit yes
• Notice, if either side wants to end it early

What to actually evaluate

• Punctuality and reliability across the full trial, not just the first day
• Whether the person does what was actually agreed, not a different version of the role
• How they communicate when something goes wrong, a genuine mistake handled honestly is a good sign, not a bad one
• Basic fit with the household's routine and expectations

Ending a trial fairly

If it isn't working, say so directly and pay for the time actually worked. Ghosting, on either side, is the single biggest source of bad experiences in this line of work, and it costs the other person real time either way. A short, honest conversation costs nothing and is what separates a legitimate employer or worker from the pattern described in our guide on no-shows.