Glossary of terms for domestic staffing and the private service industry
Here is a list of terms often used in the domestic staffing and private service world. Some employers may not use them at all, and others may define them differently. These are not in order of importance.
Service heart
Sometimes called a "servant heart," it simply means that the domestic worker enjoys serving others. Just like teachers enjoy the art of teaching children, personal assistants love solving problems for their high-net-worth employers. Having this personal quality in hospitality is critical.
Assistance
There are many kinds of assistants: personal, administrative, executive, travel, and household assistant. You can read here for a list of domestic staffing titles and their definitions.
Confidante vs. Confidant
If you trust and confide in someone, they are your confidant. The slight difference in spelling is about gender. The extra /e/ is for a female. The same is true for the word blonde/blond, for example.
Estate Planner vs. Estate Manager
An Estate Planner works with families who need help planning for the inevitable: death. What will happen to the money and the assets when the principal dies? An estate planner can also be an attorney.
An Estate Manager, on the other hand, runs the day-to-day activities in the household or estate. There is a bit of a debate in the domestic staffing world about when a house, dwelling, or mansion should be called an "estate." Some say that when the square footage reaches 20,000, then it should be called an estate. The term Household Manager is used interchangeably with Estate Manager.
An Estate Manager, on the other hand, runs the day-to-day activities in the household or estate. There is a bit of a debate in the domestic staffing world about when a house, dwelling, or mansion should be called an "estate." Some say that when the square footage reaches 20,000, then it should be called an estate. The term Household Manager is used interchangeably with Estate Manager.
Family Office vs. Household Office
A Family Office is a group of financial professionals and lawyers that manage the assets of ultra-high-net-worth families and billionaires. Rather than hiring third-party experts, the wealthy individual has experts "in-house." A Household Office is simply an office that is located inside the home.
Household worker vs. Independent Contractor
A Household Worker or a Domestic Staffing Worker is employed inside of your home. They are under the direction of the homeowner or Estate Manager. Legally speaking, they should be on a payroll, and both the employer and Domestic Worker should be paying taxes to be fully compliant with the law.
An Independent Contractor, conversely, works for themselves. For example, if the Estate Manager calls a plumber to come to fix a broken sink, that person is an independent contractor.
There is a rampant problem with some households in our industry. The employers classify Domestic Workers as Independent Contractors. Simply put, it's illegal, and there are stiff consequences for getting caught.
An Independent Contractor, conversely, works for themselves. For example, if the Estate Manager calls a plumber to come to fix a broken sink, that person is an independent contractor.
There is a rampant problem with some households in our industry. The employers classify Domestic Workers as Independent Contractors. Simply put, it's illegal, and there are stiff consequences for getting caught.
Private Service
Private Service Professionals, or PSPs, are hospitality experts and they serve you, privately, in your home. This term is often confused with the "private sector," which is categorically wrong. The Public Sector and Private Sector, essentially, are classifications for jobs. The Public Sector is "public office," like a politician in government. All other businesses are in the Private Sector because they are privately owned.
Sycophants & enablers
Unfortunately, in the world of celebrities and billionaires, there are a lot of "yes men" (sycophants). They tell the boss whatever they want to hear, and they are afraid to deliver any bad news -- even if it's the truth and the boss should hear it. Further, many of these sycophants are enablers as well.
Sycophants whisper into the ear of the boss and assist the VIPs in their bad habits. As our consulting firm, we encourage UHNW individuals to employ trusted advisors, and those are the type of candidates that we present to clients.
Sycophants whisper into the ear of the boss and assist the VIPs in their bad habits. As our consulting firm, we encourage UHNW individuals to employ trusted advisors, and those are the type of candidates that we present to clients.
Hybrid roles
Hybrid roles should not be confused with hybrid jobs. In the world of private service, some households will blend several roles together. For example, a personal assistant and nanny could be one job inside of a household, but some estates might have the positions split.
Hybrid roles in our post COVID world are a necessity. For this reason, it would also be common to see a close protection officer also be a driver.
Hybrid roles in our post COVID world are a necessity. For this reason, it would also be common to see a close protection officer also be a driver.
Principal
Just like an educational institution has a "principal," so does a household. The principal is the VIP or high-net-worth individual that everyone serves.
Combat pay
"Combat pay" originates from the military. The idea that candidates are facing "hazardous conditions" means they should get more money. In domestic staffing, candidates are always facing break-neck deadlines and working under tremendous pressure, so they should be highly compensated.
