Personal Assistant Services in Winnipeg: Hiring Guide

Define the tasks and approval limits

Describe the result you need: appointments booked, shopping collected, returns completed or household service visits coordinated. Separate work someone can complete remotely from assignments requiring home access. Give each errand a pickup point, destination and deadline, along with instructions for substitutions.

For household coordination, distinguish booking a contractor from meeting them or approving additional work. Retain approval of extra charges unless you grant a written allowance. Ask for receipts and a completion note identifying unfinished tasks and appointments that need your attention.

Begin with a paid trial with a defined endpoint. An appointment booking and shopping pickup can let you assess communication, receipt handling and recorded time. Agree beforehand on what the assistant should do if stock runs out or you cannot answer an approval request.

Compare the full cost of assistance

Request separate amounts for working time, travel, mileage, parking and purchases. Ask about minimum bookings, cancellation charges and applicable taxes. For a recurring arrangement, specify included hours, time records, unused-hour treatment and approval of additional work.

Job Bank reports Winnipeg Region administrative-assistant wages of CAD 18.00 per hour at the low end, CAD 25.00 at the median and CAD 36.92 at the high end. These figures cover 2023–2024; Job Bank updated the wages on November 19, 2025. They describe a related employee occupation, rather than prices for household concierge or freelance personal-assistant services. [4]

Ask candidates to estimate working time and travel against your task list. Keep reimbursements separate from the assistance fee. For a recurring booking, request an example invoice so you can see how the provider would charge for an unfinished errand or additional stop.

Confirm vehicle use before assigning errands

MPI excludes business purposes from its pleasure passenger vehicle category. Its all-purpose passenger category permits business use but excludes common carrier passenger vehicle (local). Have the assistant describe the proposed work to an Autopac agent before the first paid trip. [1]

MPI defines common carrier passenger vehicle (local) as use by a courier or common carrier within a city or municipality, or other delivery purposes connected with a business, trade or occupation, exceeding four days in one month or 1,609 kilometres during an annual registration period. Ask an Autopac agent to classify the actual routes, frequency and tasks; do not assume this category fits every delivery arrangement. [1]

Treat transporting a household member as a separate request from collecting goods. Ask the provider to confirm coverage and service scope for the proposed ride. Put mileage records, parking reimbursement and trip cancellation instructions in the agreement.

Arrange screening and control household access

Discuss references and a police check suited to the role. Winnipeg Police states that its check reflects information available in the searched systems at the time and does not guarantee completeness. Assess references and a trial assignment alongside the check. [2]

Winnipeg Police emails results to the applicant and discloses specific check information to the applicant only. Agree on how the candidate will share their result. If you consider a vulnerable-sector search relevant, confirm the appropriate process with police before making it a hiring condition. [2]

The Winnipeg Police fee schedule lists CAD 65.00 for an online criminal record search in its GST-inclusive column. Agree on who pays before the application. Ask police about required fingerprint follow-up and its cost rather than treating the initial fee as a complete screening budget. [3]

Write down permitted rooms, key collection and return, and whether the assistant may admit another person. Grant account permissions for the assigned task, retain spending approvals and agree on returning or deleting household information when the arrangement ends.

Clarify obligations before ongoing household employment

Manitoba defines domestic workers through household duties in an employer's private residence, including cleaning, laundering, cooking and gardening. Its guidance also includes live-in household care. Ask Employment Standards about the actual role rather than relying on the title personal assistant. [5]

The province's factsheet states that domestic workers working more than 12 hours per week receive coverage under all aspects of the Employment Standards Code, with a longer weekly rest period. It describes narrower coverage below 12 hours and separate treatment for non-live-in household caregivers. Discuss duties, weekly hours and living arrangements with Employment Standards at 204-945-3352, including an arrangement of exactly 12 hours. [5]

After clarifying applicability, document the schedule, pay terms, absence arrangements and process for ending the engagement. Keep your original task list so you can revisit the arrangement if you add household duties or increase hours.

Administrative-assistant employee wage benchmarks

Choose an arrangement around the work

Your hiring checklist

1. List tasks, deadlines, pickup points and required completion notes.
2. Separate remote work, home access, goods delivery and passenger transport.
3. Request an itemized quote and cancellation terms.
4. Ask the assistant to confirm coverage for proposed driving assignments.
5. Agree on screening, sharing results and payment of check expenses.
6. Document keys, account permissions and spending approvals.
7. Review communication, receipts and recorded time after a paid trial.
8. Clarify employment obligations before agreeing to ongoing household work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should I budget for a personal assistant?

Obtain a quote separating work, travel and purchases. Job Bank's Winnipeg Region administrative-assistant median is CAD 25.00 per hour for 2023–2024. Use it as related employment context; it does not establish a personal-assistant service price. [4]

Can I get an applicant's police check from Winnipeg Police?

Winnipeg Police discloses specific check information to the applicant only. Arrange for the candidate to share their result by agreement, and review its type and date alongside references. [2]

Does a police record check expire?

Winnipeg Police says police record and vulnerable-sector checks do not expire, although agencies set their own policies. The check reflects information at the time of the search. Agree on the recency you require before requesting an application. [2]

Do domestic-worker rules apply to my assistant?

Ask Manitoba Employment Standards using the actual duties, weekly hours and living arrangement. Provincial guidance defines specified household work and distinguishes coverage by hours and caregiving arrangements. The job title alone does not resolve applicability. [5]