November’s in full swing, as the coming holidays are brewing everyone up into a cheerful batch. The season’s arrived for family & those extended to come together in joyful company. Part of this ritual includes various amounts of housekeeping & preparation for major dates. Coming up soon, Thanksgiving.
 
Thanksgiving is that one day of the year where everyone pulls together as much help as possible. In domestic staffing, the week of prep leading up to this day can be as busy as it gets through the year. House managers must team up with housekeepers, chefs, and various staff to execute a successful thanksgiving. While these households all have their own method of prep, there are a couple of constants among them all.
 
Planning ahead happens to be the biggest constant. Most people begin thinking about thanksgiving prep right after eating all their Halloween candy. Household managers begin thinking earlier. A great staff is necessary for proper planning and scheduling. You want to be able to have enough time to look for the right staff members and personnel. Going through a staffing agency like greenhouse cuts that time in half. The household would then have more time to plan the next steps like food inventory, seating arrangements, & dinner preparation.
 
Those next steps go by easier when enlisting the right help. Depending on the size of this family reunion, you may need a certain number of housekeepers that are up to the task of getting the house spotless and keeping it maintained during the festivities. Those housekeepers must be able to assist your kitchen staff in setting up the dinner as well.
 
You’re going to want a chef & kitchen staff that can handle the volume of food you need as well as creating a holiday menu your family will love. Hiring a professional eliminates any potential risks of wrongly cooked food or kitchen accidents.
 
Once the housekeeping and cooking staff become settled in, it may be best to employ some childcare for your little ones in the days leading up to thanksgiving. It can be rather difficult watching after your children while going through all the arrangements. Greenhouse Agency has a tremendous nanny database that can ensure your children are matched with someone that will ensure their best care. Plus it will be beneficial to have your nanny care for the little ones while household reaps the rewards of a well organized successful thanksgiving dinner.
 
Just as it can be stressful for the family planning, remember your staff will go through the same stress if not more during the process. Your staff is expected to perform and deliver results. In the spirit of the holidays a surprise incentive would go a long way in making your staff feel appreciated for their hard work. Some incentives include additional tips on top of pay, set gifts for the entire staff, & even allowing your staff to participate in the festivities once their job has finished. Monetary tips are commonly received in certain positions. According to MoneyTalksNews, baby sitters, caregivers, handymen, housecleaners, , manicurists, personal trainers, pet groomers and walkers should all be considered for tips this holiday season. A good practice is to tip the cost of one shift for those you employ regularly on a per-shift basis.
 
Nannies, housekeepers, & most other domestic staff typically do not work Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or New Years Day. If your staff happens to work on one of these days, they should be compensated for it appropriately.
 
Going through the aforementioned steps will help ensure your holidays go smoothly executed as well as starting the end of the year in good spirits. Those of us here at greenhouse are looking forward to vast amounts of turkey with cranberry sauce as well as helping everyone with all their staffing needs this thanksgiving season.

Happy Start to the Holidays!