In this episode, Ben W sits down with Laurine Mallet, co-founder of Morgan & Mallet, to explore the unique dynamics of Switzerland's domestic service market.

Laurine reveals how Switzerland's currency, geography, and cultural preferences create distinct hiring challenges and opportunities that set it apart from neighboring European countries.

Laurine explains how Switzerland's high cost of living is offset by significantly higher salaries and lower tax burdens for household staff, making it an attractive destination for candidates from neighboring countries.

She discusses the preference for live-in positions among Swiss families and why discretion ranks as the most requested character trait.

The conversation covers legal frameworks, language requirements spanning French, German, and Italian, and the complexity of different cantonal regulations.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Switzerland offers the highest household staff salaries in Europe with significantly lower tax burdens compared to neighboring countries, making it highly attractive to candidates.

• Swiss families predominantly request live-in positions and prioritize discretion above all other character traits, reflecting cultural preferences.

• Geneva serves as the main hub for Swiss household staffing due to its international business community, banks, and airport connections.

• Work permits are essential before applying for Swiss positions, unlike some EU countries where documentation can be processed after hiring. • Different cantons have varying tax rules and applications, requiring specialized legal advice for proper salary calculations and compliance.

For guidance on working with wealthy families in high-end environments, our comprehensive guide covers expectations and protocols. If you're considering taking household staff abroad, our resource explains essential legal requirements. For insights into live-in domestic couple arrangements, explore salary ranges and placement processes.

Episode link: https://www.householdstaff.agency/podcast/switzerland-domestic-service-market

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morgan-mallet-international

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorganAndMallet/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgan_mallet/

Check out the full post here: https://www.householdstaff.agency/podcast/st-tropez-hiring-season-mastering

Morgan & Mallet co-founder Laurine Mallet joins Ben W to break down the St Tropez summer staffing season.

She covers when to hire, which roles are in demand, and what top seasonal staff really earn.

Whether you are hiring a villa team or working the season yourself, this is the inside track.

• Know when the St Tropez season runs and when to start hiring.
• Understand which roles are in demand and what they pay in peak months.
• Learn the traits and conditions that make a seasonal placement succeed.

Laurine explains why the season runs from late April to the end of September, and why cook chefs top the request list.

She shares a client who hosted up to 70 guests a night, the full team it took, and the salaries that come with that pressure.

She also covers how far ahead to book, the value of experience, and why rest is what keeps seasonal service sharp.

• The St Tropez household season runs from the end of April to the end of September, with yacht crew requests on top.
• Cook chefs are the most requested role, and a chef feeding big numbers needs a full team, from a commis to butlers and waiters.
• Book early. The end of March to early April is ideal, because there is a real recruitment process behind every placement.
• A private chef in high season can earn roughly 6,000 to 8,000 euros a month, depending on guest numbers and days worked.
• Seasonal staff need speed, stamina, and flexibility, and they need real rest, because a rested candidate delivers better service.

If you are hiring for a home in the South of France, start with our France staffing page. The most requested summer role is covered on our private chef page. And for households splitting time with the capital, see our Paris page.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morgan-mallet-international

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorganAndMallet/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgan_mallet/

Get the full episode here: https://www.householdstaff.agency/podcast/staff-accommodation

Morgan Richez, co-founder of Morgan & Mallet, joins Ben W to talk about staff accommodation and how to get it right. After 12 years of reviewing private household contracts, Morgan knows where families and live-in staff trip up, from the contract to the question of guests.

What you will gain from this episode: a clear view of what the law really allows when you house live-in staff. You will know what to write in the accommodation article of the contract, and what to leave as a good-faith understanding. You will also pick up practical ways to avoid conflict and keep good staff for longer.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The accommodation is an article inside the employment contract, not a separate rental agreement, so the live-in staff member never pays rent.
• French law treats the accommodation as private space, so a clause banning guests will not hold up in court. Treat it as a strong wish backed by good faith.
• A proper check-in and check-out of the accommodation protects both the family and the staff.
• For a domestic couple, link the two contracts so that if one role ends, the family can review both together.
• Organization prevents most problems. Prepare in advance, buy products in twos, and run tests before the busy season.

USEFUL RESOURCES If you are thinking about hiring a live-in couple, start with our domestic couple hiring guide. For a plain-English look at the rules, contracts, and taxes behind live-in roles, read our guide to live-in household staff. For the bigger pay picture, see how domestic couple salaries have doubled since 2015.

Episode link: https://www.householdstaff.agency/podcast/staff-accommodation

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morgan-mallet-international
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorganAndMallet/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgan_mallet/

Check out the full post here: https://www.householdstaff.agency/podcast/miami-luxury-real-estate-oliver-ruiz

Miami realtor Oliver Ruiz joins Ben W for his take on the city's luxury real estate market, ahead of his 30th year selling.

He covers how the high-end buyer has changed, the rise of branded towers, and who is buying at the top.

He also shares how the ultra-wealthy run and staff their Miami homes.

• Understand how Miami's luxury market has changed, and who is buying at the top.
• See how ultra-wealthy owners actually run and staff their Miami homes.
• Learn where the market is heading and where a buyer might put their money.

USEFUL RESOURCES If you are setting up a home in Miami, see our Miami staffing page. To keep a property running while you travel, learn about the estate manager. And on the discretion these homes require, read our guide to confidentiality, discretion, and security in private staffing.

Episode link: https://www.householdstaff.agency/podcast/miami-luxury-real-estate-oliver-ruiz

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morgan-mallet-international

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorganAndMallet/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgan_mallet/

Episode link: https://www.householdstaff.agency/podcast/french-household-contracts

Morgan & Mallet co-founder Morgan Richez sits down with Ben W to unpack French labor law for private households. They cover the clauses, the trial periods, the payroll service, and the mistakes that cost families later. If you are hiring staff for a home in France, this is the plain-English rundown you need.

• Vague hours are the biggest cause of disputes, so spell out duties, hours, notice, and the trial period in writing.
• Keep a daily record of hours on both sides, family and staff, using an app or a simple log.
• Use a permanent CDI contract with the right trial period from day one. A CDD is only legal for genuinely temporary or seasonal work.
• A payroll service can act as the legal employer, which cuts the family's tax and admin load in France and keeps the owner discreet.
• Small clauses matter. Add an NDA to every contract, set clear live-in accommodation rules, and for a domestic couple agree what happens to one partner if the other leaves

If you are hiring live-in staff, our plain-English guide to live-in rules, contracts, and taxes is the place to start. To structure hours and standby time without arguments later, read our guide to on-call and standby pay. And if you are hiring two people together, see our domestic couple page.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morgan-mallet-international 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorganAndMallet/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgan_mallet/

Podcast episode link: https://www.householdstaff.agency/podcast/household-staffing-monaco

Co-founder Laurine Mallet brings 12 years of agency experience to this deep dive into Monaco's household staffing market.

Having worked as a nanny in London before co-founding Morgan & Mallet International, Laurine understands both the candidate and client perspective in this exclusive market where geography, wealth concentration, and strict regulations create unique recruitment challenges.
• Discover why Monaco's concentration of ultra-wealthy residents creates exceptional demand for elite household staff.
• Learn about Monaco's strict employment and residency regulations, including the complex licensing requirements for agencies.
• Understand the timeline for key placements like house managers and personal assistants (3-4 weeks typical).

When considering international staff movements, review our guide on taking household staff abroad and legal requirements. For understanding agency specialization benefits, explore why family offices choose specialized household staffing agencies. To learn about professional development for staff, check our butler training and qualifications guide.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morgan-mallet-international

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorganAndMallet/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgan_mallet/

Eric leads people and operations at Morgan & Mallet International's New York office. Before joining M&M, he recruited software engineering interns at Google. In this episode, he talks candidates through what actually happens to a resume the moment it lands with a recruiter, and how AI is changing the application process in ways most candidates do not realize.

Eric covers why location and longevity are the two things that get a resume filtered out fastest, how M&M is building an AI-assisted resume tool directly into its website with two routes both designed to make sure what reaches the recruiter is professional and complete, and why being honest on your resume is more important than ever when AI is involved. He also explains how M&M protects candidate data, what questions candidates should ask an agency before sharing their profile, and how to demonstrate the ability to think ahead, the quality that separates good household staff from exceptional household staff, in a first interview.

Discover how our custom ATS is revolutionizing luxury staffing in the ATS blog post. For salary benchmarks across every role, download the Household Staff Annual Salary Report 2026. To understand why specialized expertise matters in luxury recruitment, see why family offices choose specialized household staffing agencies.

Episode link: https://www.householdstaff.agency/podcast/new-rules-applying-jobs-ai-private-staff

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morgan-mallet-international

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorganAndMallet/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgan_mallet/

Get the full episode here: https://www.householdstaff.agency/podcast/domestic-staff-pay-guide-2026

Ever wondered what domestic staff earn around the world? Morgan Richez, co-founder of Morgan & Mallet, breaks down global salary trends in luxury household staffing.

From his start as a butler in London to building an international agency, Morgan reveals why salaries are climbing and which countries pay the most. Learn about the candidate shortage affecting wealthy families and how to attract experienced staff in today's market.

Discover practical insights about pay expectations across different roles and locations, plus why flexibility and career development keep household staff loyal long-term.

Household Staff Services:

Find Butler, Nanny, Housekeeper Butler Placement Services International Nanny Jobs Estate Manager Recruitment

Follow Morgan & Mallet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morgan-mallet-international

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorganAndMallet/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgan_mallet/

Ellie Littlechild started out babysitting, built a career as a nanny in UHNW households across the UK and Dubai, and now recruits nannies for Morgan & Mallet International.

In this episode, she shares everything candidates need to know about breaking into this world and staying in it.

We cover:

• What a strong CV actually looks like for private household roles -- and the common mistakes that get candidates dismissed before the interview.
• How to show professionalism during trials and interviews with UHNW families, from how you dress to how you handle a question you are not expecting.
• Why emotional intelligence matters more than almost any other skill in a private household, and how to develop it.

Ellie also covers the soft skills that make the biggest difference day to day, how to protect your own wellbeing in demanding roles, and why networking is one of the most underrated tools for building a career in this industry.

Practical, honest, and told from real experience.

Full episode available here: https://www.householdstaff.agency/podcast/how-to-become-a-nanny-for-uhnw-families

Useful resources:

• Browse open roles: https://www.householdstaff.agency/jobs/
• Register as a candidate: https://www.householdstaff.agency/register-as-a-candidate/
• Nanny jobs: https://www.householdstaff.agency/nanny-jobs/

Follow us: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morgan-mallet-international
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorganAndMallet/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgan_mallet/

In this episode, Ben W speaks with Morgan Richez, co-founder of Morgan & Mallet Household, about how the recent Iran war has disrupted luxury household staffing across the Middle East.

Morgan shares insights from his three and a half years living in Dubai and running M&M's regional office during this challenging period.

Morgan explains how M&M adapted when expat clients fled Dubai while local families continued hiring.

He discusses the travel restrictions that made it nearly impossible to move European and American candidates to the region, forcing the agency to temporarily close their Dubai office and allow remote work.

Key take aways:

• Household staffing demand from wealthy local families remains stable even during regional conflicts, while expat clients typically pause hiring and relocate temporarily.

• European and American household staff now command higher salaries in Middle Eastern markets due to perceived risk and reduced candidate supply.

• International staffing agencies benefit from geographic diversification, allowing them to shift focus between markets when regional disruptions occur.

• Dubai serves as the central hub for Middle Eastern household staffing because most regional business owners maintain offices there regardless of their home country.

• Chef positions experienced unexpected growth in demand during the Iran conflict, while butler and housekeeper requests remained steady.

If you're considering international household staff placement, our guide on taking household staff abroad covers essential legal requirements.

For insights on working with wealthy families in challenging environments, our comprehensive resource explains what to expect.

Episode link: https://www.householdstaff.agency/podcast/iran-war-impact-luxury-staffing

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morgan-mallet-international

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorganAndMallet/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgan_mallet/