Journal · October 13, 2026
Planning for the holidays
Temporary staff for December, travelling with staff over the winter, and the office’s closure between Christmas Eve and the new year.
It is October, which means that the first households have already called about December, and that by the middle of November the staff we would most like to send you will be spoken for. A few dates and suggestions.
Temporary staff for December
Please send us your December briefs by Friday, November 20: waiting staff for parties, extra hands in the kitchen, cover for staff who are going home for the holidays. We will confirm every booking in writing by the end of that month. Briefs received later will be filled where we can.
Travelling with staff
A number of households spend some or all of the winter abroad, and some take staff with them. If you mean to take staff to Switzerland this winter, please speak to Beatrice Ferrand by the end of November. Staff who are not Swiss or European citizens need permission to work there, and permission takes time, even for a household that has spent every winter there for thirty years. Beatrice has done this many times, and will tell you honestly what can be arranged.
The office over the holidays
The office closes on Thursday, December 24, and reopens on Monday, . The duty line is answered throughout, as it is every night of the year.