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Paying Under The Table
By
Nate Murray |
Marshfield - Home
care is increasingly necessary as our elder population ages
and they require personal and other care at home in order to
remain independent. Some families, pressed with this need
and some level of limitations on financial resources, look
to non-agency or under-the-table people to care for their
elderly loved ones.
Typically these private people are a bit cheaper than their
agency employed counterparts. That is seen as a real
advantage. However, the dangers associated with this form of
hiring are inherently greater than hiring a caregiver
through a licensed, insured and bonded agency. Consider the
examples below:
News item: Hull, MA – A private (non-agency) home care
worker, working under the table, was convicted of stealing
money and drugs from one of her clients during the summer of
2009. (The Hull Times, 10/27/10).
News item: Medford, OR – A private (non-agency) Medford
caregiver was charged with felony theft and mistreatment of
an elderly couple. The caregiver bilked the couple out of
thousands of dollars over the course of several years. (Mail
Tribune, 7/24/10).
News item: Boston,
MA – Confirmed cases of financial, physical, emotional, or
sexual mistreatment of elders more than doubled in each of
the first four months of this fiscal year, compared with
monthly averages the previous year, according to a Globe
analysis of state figures. (The Boston Globe, 2/9/10).
Many of these people advertise their services in local
newspapers or on Craigslist, post flyers in shopping
centers, get on lists at local Council on Aging Centers or
join one of the new on-line sites designed to cash in on the
eldercare market. One thing all of these vehicles for
finding private caregivers share is a complete lack of
comprehensive background checks. The prospective employees
noted above all “seemed like nice people” when they were
hired.
Under-the-table people typically do not report their
earnings to the IRS. They do not contribute, as legitimate
workers do, to our society by paying their fair share.
Ultimately, the person that hires them can be heavily fined
and made to pay employer type taxes to the Federal and State
governments. They probably do not have Workers Compensation
Insurance.
This means if they are hurt in an elder’s home while
working, even if that work is illicitly unreported, the
elder can be held responsible for all missed wages and
medical bills. Since under-the-table caregivers do not carry
Liability Insurance they are not ‘Bonded.’ Should one of
these illegal workers steal money or other valuables there
is no way to recoup the loss.
On the other hand, you can be sure of whom you are bringing
into your home through an agencybacked background check.
Agencies licensed in Massachusetts are required to conduct
background checks and to cover all their employees with
Workers Compensation Insurance. Agencies are able to Bond
all employees and carry Business Liability Insurance as
well. An agency can respond to client needs better, provide
coverage if an employee is out sick and provide information
and referrals regarding benefits for which an elder may be
eligible, such as Veteran’s or ASAP benefits.
In this age of economic uncertainty we all want to save
money. However hiring a person under the table in the world
we live in is truly being “Penny wise but pound foolish.” |
About The Author
Nate
Murray, LICSW, is the President of MBC Senior Services,
Inc., parent company of Visiting Angels of the South Shore.
Visiting Angels provides home care to elders wherever they
live and is Licensed, Insured and Bonded. Nate may be
reached directly at (781) 834-6355 or through VisitingAngels.
com/Marshfield.
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