RSRobince Studio

Hiring Domestic Help

Tired of managing cooking and cleaning alone after work, Rahul contacts a local agency to hire a part-time cook and discusses timing, wages, and trust before finalizing.

Rahul, Agency coordinator

Key words and phrases

domestic helpa general term for household workers like cooks, cleaners, or maidsHe decided it was time to hire some domestic help.
part-time cooksomeone hired to cook for a few hours a day rather than full-timeA part-time cook would come in for two hours each evening.
wagesthe payment given to a worker, usually monthly for domestic helpThey discussed the monthly wages before hiring her.
background verificationchecking a person's identity and history before trusting them with access to a homeThe agency ran a background verification before sending anyone.
trial perioda short initial period to see if someone is a good fit before committing long-termThey agreed on a one-week trial period first.
day offa regular day when a worker does not come to workShe usually takes Sundays as her day off.
house keysthe physical keys used to enter a homeHe hesitated before handing over a spare set of house keys.
reference checkcontacting a previous employer to confirm someone's reliabilityHe did a quick reference check with her last employer.
agreed schedulethe timing both sides settle on for when work will happenShe agreed to the schedule of coming in every morning at eight.
menu preferencesthe specific food choices and dietary needs communicated to a cookHe shared his menu preferences, including no onion or garlic on certain days.
advance paymentmoney paid before work begins, sometimes as a depositThe agency asked for a small advance payment to confirm the booking.
leave noticeadvance information given before a worker takes time offShe always gives leave notice a day in advance.
build trustto gradually develop confidence in someone's reliabilityIt took a few weeks to build trust with the new cook.
clear instructionsdetailed, unambiguous directions given about a taskHe gave clear instructions about which utensils to use.
household routinethe regular daily pattern of chores and tasks in a homeThe new cook fit smoothly into their household routine.

Useful sentences

Dialogue

RahulI'm managing cooking alone after work every day, and it's exhausting. Do you have anyone for part-time cooking?

Agency coordinatorYes, we have a few options. All of them go through background verification first.

RahulThat's reassuring. What would the wages look like for two hours a day?

Agency coordinatorAround this range monthly, depending on experience.

RahulCould we start with a trial period before deciding long-term?

Agency coordinatorDefinitely, a week's trial is standard practice.

RahulWhat about her day off and the schedule?

Agency coordinatorShe takes Sundays off, and the agreed schedule is eight to ten every morning.

RahulThat works well. I'll also share my menu preferences once she starts.

Agency coordinatorPerfect. Just remember a small advance payment confirms the booking.

Common mistakes

Quick quiz

1. What does "background verification" mean?

2. What is a "trial period"?

3. What does "reference check" mean?

4. What are "menu preferences"?

5. What is an "advance payment"?

6. What does "build trust" mean in this context?

Practise speaking and listening

The free Day to Day English app turns every lesson into practice with audio, a story you follow and more than 1680 words to learn.

Free for AndroidPractise in the app