I just got off the phone with the agency that I got our first nanny with a couple years ago to see how the new "nanny laws" will affect us getting our next nanny for the fall of 2010, and her response was far worse than expected.
According to her, Canadian agencies can no longer charge a perspective nanny to find her employment in Canada. Sounds good on the surface, right? Problem is, these laws don't apply in the countries they are coming from, so the agencies in Hong Kong, Phillipines etc will still charge the same price to the nannies, they will just keep all the money for themselves, leaving the Canadian parents to pay the Canadian agency.
Also, the Canadian family is responsible for paying the nanny's flight ahead of time, with no way of suing for reimbursement if the nanny skips out on the family that has paid for both the the Canadian agency and the flight.
In the end, what used to cost people like me, a widowed dad of three kids, nothing will now cost at minimum $3,000 up front, with no guarantee that the person will even show up.
Also, nanny poaching will be happening big time. That being, if you have a good nanny, someone else may come along and offer more $$ to them, because that family wants to save on the agency and airline fees. Deals can be set up beforehand like "I'll come work for you, but I'll get the fees and airlines paid by these other suckers".
Anyone else concerned?
According to her, Canadian agencies can no longer charge a perspective nanny to find her employment in Canada. Sounds good on the surface, right? Problem is, these laws don't apply in the countries they are coming from, so the agencies in Hong Kong, Phillipines etc will still charge the same price to the nannies, they will just keep all the money for themselves, leaving the Canadian parents to pay the Canadian agency.
Also, the Canadian family is responsible for paying the nanny's flight ahead of time, with no way of suing for reimbursement if the nanny skips out on the family that has paid for both the the Canadian agency and the flight.
In the end, what used to cost people like me, a widowed dad of three kids, nothing will now cost at minimum $3,000 up front, with no guarantee that the person will even show up.
Also, nanny poaching will be happening big time. That being, if you have a good nanny, someone else may come along and offer more $$ to them, because that family wants to save on the agency and airline fees. Deals can be set up beforehand like "I'll come work for you, but I'll get the fees and airlines paid by these other suckers".
Anyone else concerned?