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Safety Center

CareProtect™ — Safety guides

Tips for professional caregivers

We’re proud of our investments in safety, but it’s important that you also take steps to protect yourself during your search for work and on the job.

Step 1

Get acquainted

  • Use Care.com’s messaging system to get to know potential employers, and don’t share your contact info before you’re ready. Communicating through Care.com protects your privacy and allows our internal safety systems to help identify improper content.

  • Be wary of requests for your private information such as your Social Security, bank account, or credit card number, before you’ve completed a thorough interview and hiring process. Be very careful about sharing such private information even after you’ve been hired. If you feel pressured, cross the family off your list.

  • When meeting a potential employer for the first time, select a public space like a coffee shop, and ask to see their identification to confirm you’re meeting with the right person. If the family chooses the location, look it up online beforehand to make sure you’re comfortable with it.

Step 2

Get comfortable

  • Be suspicious of anyone who offers a job without any interviews or screening, asks you to accept deliveries or make purchases, sends large checks, or makes advance payments, especially if they ask you to forward part of the payment to someone else. These are all signs of common internet scams.

  • Search online for the employer’s name. News articles, government websites, and social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn are great places to look.

  • If your employer’s home will be your workplace, get the names of all adults who can access the residence. Then check them out online to be sure you’ll be comfortable with them around. Ask to tour the home before starting a job to review any concerns you have.

  • Get on the same page about expectations. Define the tasks you’ll perform, the hours you’ll work, and your pay rate, then have all the details drawn up in a contract to prevent misunderstandings down the road.

Step 3

Stay alert

  • Share your job schedule and location with your friends and family, and let them know if those details change. Make sure you have a way to stay in touch in case of an emergency.

  • Trust your instincts. If something feels off, don’t ignore it. Report a safety concern or call 911 if it’s an emergency.

Safety tips & resources