If you’re a household employer with multiple homes or a jet-set lifestyle (or both), chances are you’ve asked this question at some point:
“Do I still have to pay my staff their full salary when I’m not home?”
Spoiler alert: Yes, you do — and here’s why.
Most of our clients travel extensively, especially during the summer, and while some staff members like nannies may accompany the family, many others, such as housekeepers, estate managers, or personal assistants, remain behind to hold down the fort. And by “fort,” we mean your multimillion-dollar property, valuable belongings, beloved pets, and overall peace of mind.
We often get questions about how this works when it comes to a salaried position, especially when the employee may not be working a traditional full-time schedule year-round. But the answer is always the same: A competitive annual salary should still be offered and maintained.
Here’s the logic:
Whether your staff is working 50 hours one week or 10 hours the next (while you’re enjoying your third month abroad), the value of their role doesn’t change. In fact, that flexibility and trustworthiness is part of what you’re paying for. You’re investing in someone who is loyal, available, and ready when you need them — even if you’re not always around to see the work being done.
Those of us who’ve been in this industry for a while know this is standard practice. But for newer household employers, there’s often a misconception that salary should correlate directly with visible hours worked. While that might sound “fair” in theory, in practice it leads to frustrated employees, high turnover, and a lack of long-term commitment.
The truth? It’s not the employee’s fault that you’re away. And in most cases, they’re still working — caring for your home, organizing projects, managing vendors, or staying available remotely. Paying them a reduced rate simply because you’re sipping espresso in Tuscany doesn’t make the position more attractive — it makes it less stable and far less appealing to the top-tier professionals you want to retain.
I always like to challenge our clients to put themselves in their employee’s shoes. How would you feel if your boss said, “We won’t need you for a bit, and we’re cutting your pay until we do”? Not great, right?
And while we’re being honest, we usually work through the Principal’s assistants, not the Principal directly. (It’s okay, we know you’re busy.) But those clients who do take the time to ask for our advice and listen to best practices? They end up with the most loyal, professional, and long-term staff.
And that kind of loyalty?
That’s worth its weight in gold, or at the very least, an uninterrupted summer abroad.