Why every Puffin caregiver is an employee
SURREY, B.C. — Every caregiver Puffin Services sends to a family for hourly care is a Puffin employee. That applies to childcare, postpartum support, senior and companion care, and event nannies.
Each caregiver has a vulnerable sector criminal record check before their first shift and is covered by WorkSafeBC through Puffin. Here is what that arrangement means for a family, and how it differs from hiring a caregiver privately.
Puffin is the employer, not the family
When a family books hourly care through Puffin, Puffin is the caregiver's employer. Puffin handles payroll, tax deductions, BC Employment Standards compliance and WorkSafeBC coverage.
The family chooses the service, the date and the hours, and books online. It does not take on the paperwork, or the legal responsibilities, of becoming an employer.
The vetting is done before anyone arrives
A family hiring someone privately usually arranges the checks themselves. That can mean asking the candidate to get a vulnerable sector criminal record check, waiting for it to come back before care can safely start, and calling references.
With Puffin, that work is done before a caregiver is sent to any family. Each caregiver has a clear vulnerable sector criminal record check before their first shift, along with reference verification and ongoing certification checks. A family is never billed for the check.
Once caregivers are confirmed for a booking, the family's profile shows each one's first name and the credentials Puffin has on record for them, such as their vulnerable sector check and First Aid and CPR dates. How Puffin vets every caregiver sets out the full process.
The caregiver is insured
Puffin holds WorkSafeBC coverage for its caregivers, as well as commercial general liability insurance. If a Puffin caregiver is injured while working in a family's home, Puffin handles it as their employer through WorkSafeBC. The family does not need to make that claim.
When a family employs someone directly, those obligations sit with the family instead, and whether coverage is required depends on the arrangement. WorkSafeBC is the authority on that question. Puffin's guide Is your nanny insured? explains the difference between home insurance, liability insurance and workers' compensation.
If a caregiver has to cancel
Caregivers get sick, and plans change. If a Puffin caregiver cannot attend a confirmed booking, Puffin works to send a replacement as quickly as possible. If a replacement cannot be found, the family owes nothing for that booking and any card hold is released in full, as the Terms of Service set out.
When a caregiver hired privately cancels, finding cover is usually the family's job, often at short notice.
What it means in practice
For a family, the difference comes down to three things. The checks are done before the caregiver arrives. The caregiver is insured through their employer. And if the caregiver cannot come, Puffin looks for someone who can.
Prices are published on the rates page, with one price list for every family. Cancelling 24 hours or more before a booking is free.