Wealthy Employers Increasingly Require Household Staff To Sign Confidentiality Pacts

Private contracts that bar domestic workers from speaking about their jobs have become common, legal experts and former employees say.

Affluent families are more frequently asking nannies, house managers, personal chefs and drivers to sign confidentiality agreements as a condition of employment, according to interviews with legal advisers and current and former household staff. The accords typically restrict social media posts, public comments and sometimes conversations with friends or media, workers say, narrowing what can be discussed about life inside private homes.

A longtime employment attorney who represents private clients and small firms said inquiries about household confidentiality agreements have multiplied dramatically in recent years. Joseph Maya, managing partner at Maya Murphy and a lawyer with roughly three decades of experience, told reporters his practice has seen a steep uptick—most of the growth concentrated in the last five-year period—when asked about the trend. Staff members who spoke on condition of anonymity described being asked to sign papers on their first day or face losing a job offer.

The use of secrecy contracts in private residences marks a shift from their traditional role in corporate transactions, experts say. Labor and privacy lawyers warn the clauses can amplify power imbalances and make it harder for workers to report mistreatment. Some states have already moved to limit nondisclosure terms in cases of harassment or assault, and employment scholars say similar scrutiny could reach household arrangements as public attention grows.

Prospective hires are being advised to read any contract carefully, seek independent legal advice and try to negotiate limits on how long a restriction lasts or what topics it covers. For many domestic workers, the choice comes down to accepting tighter privacy rules or passing up a well-paid position.