Personal Assistant Services in Edmonton

Define the work and the assistant’s authority

Prepare a brief with the outcome you want: a booked appointment, completed shopping list, returned parcel or coordinated contractor visit. Include deadlines, pickup details and your preferred way to receive updates. Ask the candidate to identify any duties they cannot undertake before quoting.

Specify which decisions require your approval. You might authorize an assistant to collect contractor availability while keeping contractor selection and price approval for yourself. For shopping, record acceptable substitutions, a purchase budget and the circumstances in which the assistant must contact you.

For home access, agree on arrival windows, key handling, alarm instructions and whether anyone else may attend. Share the information needed for the assignment. For driving, passenger accompaniment, childcare or hands-on personal care, ask the provider to confirm the exact duty, relevant experience and insurance coverage before including it.

Request comparable written quotes

Give each candidate the same task list to set your budget. Ask about minimum bookings, billing increments, travel time, mileage, appointment waiting, cancellations and unused prepaid hours. For recurring support, ask whether you receive a named assistant and how the provider handles absence or replacement.

Keep the assistant’s fee separate from purchases and reimbursable expenses. Require receipts and a completion report. Ask the assistant to contact you before adding a stop, making an unapproved purchase or spending more time than you authorized.

For downtown errands, check the parking location and event conditions before approving expenses. The City publishes non-holiday weekday on-street rates of $1 to $3.50 per hour, with $4.50 per hour at specified streets. Rogers Place events can trigger separate rates in the designated parking area. The City lists statutory-holiday on-street parking as free. [2]

Screen for the responsibilities you will entrust

Interview candidates about an assignment you expect them to handle. Ask how they would respond to an unavailable shopping item, a delayed appointment or an unexpected person requesting home access. Check relevant references, then consider a small paid assignment before expanding access or spending authority.

Edmonton Police Service distinguishes a Police Information Check from a private third-party Criminal Record Check. EPS says the latter does not include upcoming court appearances or relevant provincial statute convictions. Ask which screening the candidate completed and review its scope. [1]

EPS recommends requesting police checks at the final selection stage, preferably after an offer. It also recommends considering the relevance, age and seriousness of disclosed information when assessing suitability. To authenticate an electronic EPS certificate, ask the applicant to provide the verification website, document number and PIN. [1]

Clarify a recurring household hire

Ask who will employ, supervise and pay the assistant. Alberta defines a domestic employee as someone employed to work in the employer’s residence for household members’ care, comfort and convenience. If you propose that arrangement, review the provincial guidance and confirm how it applies to the duties. [4]

Alberta lists a $15 hourly minimum wage for domestic employees who do not live in the employer’s home. The province exempts domestic employees from overtime compensation and maximum daily and weekly hours restrictions, while retaining rest-period and day-of-rest requirements. These amounts and rules concern employment standards; they do not establish a provider’s service fee. [4]

Record the schedule, duties, payment terms, absence arrangements and process for ending or changing the work. For a provider service, ask who handles complaints and replacement staff. For a direct hire, resolve the applicable employment obligations before agreeing to a recurring schedule.

Published Edmonton on-street parking tariffs for errands

Choose an arrangement around the work

Your hiring checklist

1. List tasks, deadlines, addresses and the outcome you expect.
2. Identify duties involving driving, passengers, care or unsupervised home access.
3. Ask each candidate to quote the same assignment and itemize additional charges.
4. Set purchase limits, substitution rules and receipt requirements.
5. Check references and agree on screening suited to the responsibilities.
6. Confirm parking arrangements and who reimburses expenses.
7. Record key handling, updates, cancellations and replacement arrangements.
8. Review applicable employment obligations before making a direct household hire.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I compare offers with different hourly rates?

Ask candidates to price the same task list and state minimum bookings, travel, waiting and cancellation charges. Compare the proposed total and scope, then set a spending ceiling. Agree on how the assistant will request approval if the assignment takes longer than expected.

Does a police check replace reference checks?

Use both when selecting someone for trusted duties. EPS says suitability should not depend entirely on a Police Information Check. Ask references about responsibilities that match your assignment, and discuss the candidate’s judgment and communication during the interview. [1]

Can an assistant use free EPark parking for a quick pickup?

The City offers the first 15 minutes free in on-street EPark zones after the driver registers a parking session. The limit is one zone per day during operating hours. City-owned parkades and surface lots do not qualify. Agree on reimbursement if the pickup needs paid parking. [3]

Is Alberta’s $15 domestic employee minimum wage a service price?

It is an employment minimum for domestic employees who do not live in the employer’s home. It does not establish what an assistant business charges. Clarify your hiring arrangement, then request a written service quote or review the applicable employment terms. [4]