From mandatory 13-hour workdays, to having ‘intelligence and common sense’ to making sure a certain brand of bagels are on the table for Sunday breakfast, these are only some of the outrageous demands the country’s wealthiest require of staff.
Some of New York’s most affluent families live in the Big Apple and nearby Hamptons with loads of staff to maintain their dynasties and perfect estates.
But with money comes… weird demands.
Many families, of course, expect discretion and years of experience, but some also have a few rather specific requirements they expect staff to follow, and it’s not just having clean shoes – although that’s on there!
A Southampton family is willing to pay $125,000 a year for a nanny with ‘intelligence and common sense’ – a feature that they claim is ‘more critical’ than ‘dozens of years of experience,’ a job posting on Hampton Domestics said.
They also prefer a college-educated employee who is willing to work seven days a week for at least two weeks a month.
A Sag Harbor family searching for a summer chef isn’t looking for the next and brightest in the culinary market, but rather one that can follow directions – specifically, their weekend breakfast lineup.
‘Breakfast on weekends should include a spread of bagels (from Goldbergs), lox, egg sandwiches, cream cheese, and fruit grilling/prepping prepared foods (ie. Steaks from Red Horse, salmon, salads, burgers etc.),’ the posting read.
A file photo of a luxury home in the Hamptons. Some of New York’s most affluent families live in the Hamptons
Despite the odd requests, specific demands, and the need to always be a ‘yes-man,’ most of the jobs come with high-paying salaries, medical benefits, and paid time off. ‘The $25-an-hour salary doesn’t exist anymore,’ Vincent Minuto (pictured), who owns Hampton Domestic, said
A Southampton family is willing to pay $125,000 a year for a nanny with ‘intelligence and common sense’ – a feature that they claim is ‘more critical’ than ‘dozens of years of experience’ (pictured: stock image)
Goldbergs is a Southampton staple that started in 1949 that have a large presence on Long Island. While Red Horse steaks come from Red Horse Market, which claims to have the ‘finest cuts [of meats] in the Hamptons’.
Another Big Apple family is looking to hire a butler and a driver for up to $100,000 a year, but a ‘proven sense of style’ and ‘aesthetic’ are requirements for the job as this person will also has to help serve at dinner parties and drive guests around.
A Hamptons family seeking a professional chef couple is also looking for a certain fashion look from its employees, with the woman being required to wear a dress with gloves, a job posting revealed.
And other families have niche requirements, such as mobility needs.
One California family is worried about ‘finger dexterity’ and the ability to stoop – whether morally or physically, one will never know! – to help with all the accounting and financial matters the family might need, an ad showed.
Although the position doesn’t say exactly what the ‘competitive’ salary is, a CPA license is required, as well as the ability to be ‘discreet and calm,’ alongside those flexible fingers.
And don’t forget kneeling, bending, sitting, visual acuity, and the ability to work up to 12-hour shifts. No biggie!
Despite the odd requests, specific demands, and the need to always be a ‘yes-man,’ most of the jobs come with high-paying salaries, medical benefits, and paid time off.
The Hamptons is seen above in a file photo aerial view
The move caused wages to go up from around $60,000 a year for a housekeeper to at least $85,000. The majority of listings on Hamptons Domestic were offering jobs over $100,000 per year (pictured: stock image)
Minuto worked for the largest private home in Manhattan for 18 years, and the Culinary Institute of America graduate also worked an internationally known restaurant
But those high-paying salaries weren’t always a thing and materialized as the COVID-19 pandemic took over the globe.
‘It is an unprecedented market,’ CEO of British American Household Staffing, Anita Rogers, told the Daily Beast in 2022. ‘With COVID, an enormous amount of our clients move out to the Hamptons, and many have stayed.’
The move caused wages to go up from around $60,000 a year for a housekeeper to at least $85,000.
The majority of listings on Hamptons Domestic were offering jobs over $100,000 per year.
‘The $25-an-hour salary doesn’t exist anymore,’ Vincent Minuto, who owns Hampton Domestic, told The Beast. ‘Nobody wants to work for just the summer. They want full-time, year-round jobs [for] between $40 and $50 an hour.’
Minuto, who wrote a domestic staff handbook, has helped wealthy families find staff for years, with even him having spent time managing a private home.
Minuto worked for the largest private home in Manhattan for 18 years, and the Culinary Institute of America graduate also worked an internationally known restaurant.
