What do you pay your nanny?

[Mamadis]

I have 3 children and live in Texas. We have always had an au pair until this year. In the past we have participated in a program where there was a set salary per week. All three of our children are in school until 3:30. Our nanny does a few extra things like helping with the laundry and the grocery shopping for me.We have recently hired a live out nanny. She asked for a rate of $ 15/ hr. We agreed on this and agreed to pay her when we went on vacation. ( We are generally out of town 3 weeks out of the year.) If she chose to take time off on certain days or for vacation outside of the 3 weeks we are gone, we told her she would not be paid for those days. We also offered to pay her for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's day. Other holidays such as President's day , MLK, etc could be taken off, but would not be paid days as I work these days and would have to make other arrangements for child care. I have asked her to keep track of her hours on a daily basis so that we can pay her the appropiate amount each week. ( We have asked her to work from 12-6 daily, but sometimes she leaves at 5:30 if I get home early) She keeps on listing her hours as 12-6. She called me today about working on Monday and seemed put off when I told her that she would not be paid for it if she decided she wanted to take it off. She has also been upset when I have asked her to keep track of her exact hours ie if she leaves at 5:30 she puts down she worked until 5:30 rather that 6. I think I have been fair about things. What do you all do with your child care provider? What benefits do you give them and what kind of vacation? I want to be fair with her, but she does not seem to be happy with these terms. If these are not reasonable or standard I will change them.Also what do you give them for their birthdays and Christmas? I gave her $ 100 gift certificate for Christmas which I thought was nice since she had only worked for me for 6 weeks at that time, but she did not thank me for it so I got the impression she felt it should have been more.Thanks in advance.

 

[mjkacmom]

I don't know the going rate of a nanny, but teen sitters here get $10 an hour, and their only responsibility is to take care of the kids (no laundry or grocery shopping). You can get an illegal immigrant for $12 - $15 an hour, and they will usually clean and do laundry as well. I think you should pay until 6 - it's not like she is able to make plans for 5:30, since she doesn't know when you are coming home. I've always heard you give one weeks pay for your housekeeper or nanny (my housekeeper was only $60).

 

[Mamadis]

Usually when I get home early, she asks to leave early but there are cerainly things she can do until 6. Also sometimes she gets there at 12:15-12:30 and still puts 12. When the hours are different it is because she has chosen to leave early or come late, not that I have asked her to leave early. Do you still think I should pay for it in that case? I am trying to look at things from her perspective and want to be fair, but I don't want to be taken advantage of either.She also asked to do the additional things other than childcare in order to get enough hours per week. Thanks.

 

[drcmk]

She has also been upset when I have asked her to keep track of her exact hours ie if she leaves at 5:30 she puts down she worked until 5:30 rather that 6.

This is the person that you trust to care for your children when you cannot. She has access to your most valuable and personal possessions in your home in addition to the tremendous responsibility of making sure your children are safe and healthy. Why are you quibbling over $7.50 here and there? Isn't her morale and her positive feelings towards you and your family worth that very small price? From her perspective it probably feels like you are trying to gouge her out of the money that she expects by making the commitment to be available until 6:00 every day. It isn't as if she can make other plans for that time when you happen to get home early. The $7.50 is probably a lot more money to her than it is to you.

 

[paysensmom]

If you want her there until 6. Tell her no when she asks to leave early. Like you said, there are things you could have her do.

 

[ticktock]

This is the person that you trust to care for your children when you cannot. She has access to your most valuable and personal possessions in your home in addition to the tremendous responsibility of making sure your children are safe and healthy. Why are you quibbling over $7.50 here and there? Isn't her morale and her positive feelings towards you and your family worth that very small price? From her perspective it probably feels like you are trying to gouge her out of the money that she expects by making the commitment to be available until 6:00 every day. It isn't as if she can make other plans for that time when you happen to get home early. The $7.50 is probably a lot more money to her than it is to you.

Yes and I wouldn't want to leave my children and possessions in the hands of someone who thinks skimming off the top is OK as long as it benefits her. I'm sure she would be PO'd if the OP decided to skim her paycheck for the time she was there. What makes people think that this is OK? I think it is dishonorable. You are payed for the time you are there. Period. If you leave early your pay is cut. What's so hard to understand? The fact that she is also coming in late on occasion just shows that she is the type of person that thinks a little stealing here and there is OK. Time, money, same thing.

I would tell her I will only pay for the time she is physically there. If she doesn't like that I would find another nanny.

 

[jcemom]

I have never had an au pair or a nanny, so my opinion may not be worth anything at all.

However, I would not expect to be paid for my time if I chose to leave work early. If my husband chooses to clock out half an hour early he certainly doesn't get paid for that time. It sounds to me like your agreement was to pay her at an hourly rate. She is not salaried, as I understand it. Therefore, I think she should only be paid for the time she puts in. If she is supposed to start at 12:00 then she should be there at 12:00, not 12:15 or 12:20 or 12:30. That's obviously JMO, but, at any of the jobs I have held, if I consistently showed up late I'd have been fired.

I also would never dream of not saying thank you for a Christmas gift, regardless of how I felt about it. That is just downright rude.

She is getting three weeks paid vacation per year, a few paid holidays, the option to work the other holidays for a little extra money (or not work them and make less that week, but she gets a choice), plus birthday and Christmas bonuses. That sounds pretty good to me.

I don't know the going hourly rate for that type of position, so I can't comment on whether or not $15/hour is appropriate.

How much do you like her? How is her attitude otherwise? How do the kids feel about her? If you are happy with her otherwise, and the kids love or like her, and you feel you can trust her with them, then I'd probably be willing to put up with paying her a little more than she was earning, as far as hours on the job. However, if you don't have a good relationship with her, or her attitute/care is lacking, then maybe you should look for a replacement?

 

[JerseyGirl84]

I agree with both sides of this argument. I think the best solution is this:

Your nanny needs a set salary that she can depend on. So you should pay her from noon to 6pm. That being said, she should be there from 12 - 6pm. You need to think of things for her to do from 5:30 - 6pm. If she does need to leave early, and you say yes, think of it as a "tip" you are giving her and don't let it fester!

 

[Mamadis]

The kids seem to like her and I like her, but her attitude has not been great since I asked her to log actual hours worked and not what she is supposed to work. She asked for the hourly rate. If it was only once in awhile, I would not worry about it, but it happens about 3-4 times per week either on the front or back end.

 

[DisneyLover83]

I was a nanny for 4 years and was paid hourly. There was a calendar where I signed in and out based on 15 minute increments, but I was also guaranteed a minimum amout of hours per week. I also had bills to pay and obligations to meet regardless of how many hours the mother or father worked that week. That might be something you want to discuss with your nanny, especially if you want to keep her around. On days when you come home early make it clear if you want her to stay or go and if it will be paid. On the subject of Christmas and birthdays I was always given about 2 weeks worth of pay in the form of gift cards for stores I liked or a check. Overall I would say you just need to sit down with her and discuss this. If this is not working for her or she needs to earn more money maybe it would be better for both sides if she found another job.

 

[MPLsDad]

Really? This is a topic on the budget board???

 

[clj1410]

I am a full time nanny and i have to say you are being more than fair. I do not get paid any vacation time whether i take time off or they are on vacation. I never expect to get paid for any of the days that i take off, or for the days they do not need me to work. I get paid $10 an hour which is probably pretty cheap!

I keep track of my own hours too, which honestly is not a big deal. I normally work for 9am-2.50pm, then once or twice a week i work from 9am-5pm. Here is what i do with that, the days i work 9am-2.50pm i do round it up to 6 hours. If i leave early or come in late i keep track from the time i come in or the time i leave. If at the end of the week i worked say 25 1/2 hours i would round it up to 26.

If she is not willing to keep the track of her actual hours maybe you should offer to do it for her!!

 

[pyrxtc]

Really? This is a topic on the budget board???

Budgeting for the nanny is still a budget. Thi is not the I am poor and cannot afford anything board. A lot of us seem to be able to afford multiple trips to Disney a year or DVC so a lot of us might be able to afford a nanny too, she could juts call it a babysitter but she chose the word nanny instead.

 

[karliebug]

I find this ironic that someone frequenting the budget board has enough money to hire a nanny/au pair.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

please take this in the tongue n cheek humor as it is meant to be...


I pay my nanny, well "Nothing", I am the nanny....

 

[happygirl]

When I used to be a nanny/babysitter ((nanny)) sounds so snotty to me LOL

I got 225.00 a week I had regular hours. I didn't live with the couple. I didn't do any laundry or housecleaning unless it was something the kids did, then of course I would clean it up. This was about 14 years ago lol. So I'm sure people make a lot more now

 

[torinsmom]

I nanny part time after school. The hours I work are from 4:15-6:15pm. I get paid $15/hour to transport the child from school to home, give him a snack and play with him. I started on my own emptying and filling the dishwasher, folding clothes if there were clean clothes in a laundry basket and cleaning the toy area when I have time(when he is playing by himself nicely) That being said, my employers have told me they will pay me from 4:15-6:15, EVEN if they come home early. They tell me I can leave, but they know I PLAN to be there until 6:15. Once in a while, they get off early unexpectedly and call to let me know and they still pay me for that day, since it was late notice(their idea). If they tell me a day or so ahead, they don't pay me.

I keep track of my hours, but mostly in my head,and they pay me every two weeks.They also paid me a $15 bonus at Christmas and even gave my son a $50 gift card! I LOVE my bosses and they seem to love me too.

I guess if you don't really like the nanny, get rid of her and get one you like. I do think its silly to nit pick about 15 minutes here or there, when you get home early. Just tell her you would like her to stay until 6 even if you get home early. Start dinner or something while she plays with the kids. As far as her arriving late, you need to let her know that she needs to be prompt if she wants to continue working for you.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

Sounds like it's becoming an adversarial relationship. I don't think I'd want to have an adversary in such a position of trust.

That being said, hours should be agreed upon BEFORE hire, terms agreed upon BEFORE hire. This would alleviate the misunderstandings that lead to the relationship turning sour. I'm sure that whatever you both agree to will be acceptable. Different situations have different terms, and just because Sally's nanny down the street gets $X per hour and does/does not do laundry, doesn't necessarily mean that's what you should agree to. But it needs to be clear from the start what the terms and conditions of the agreement of employment are.

 

[Christine & Andy]

I work as a nanny in the UK, things are very different for employment here I suspect. I get paid for 4 weeks AL plus all the UK bank holidays.

I am employed for 25hrs per week & quite often I dont work them all but I still get paid as its the employers decission to let me go early. If I ASKed to leave I would expect not to be paid. I always ensure Im available to work during my contracted hours.

I dont expect bonus' - some families give them too me, some havent! Its completely up to the individual family.

Above all, you are trusting this person with the most precious people in your world, I think having a 'good' relationship is the best thing ever.... sometimes letting your nanny go home 'early' reaps more benefits to you in the long run that deducting the money.... Im not 'expected' to do any chores, but I do - *** my family are good to me and I want to help and go above and beyond to do what I can to support them and give them more 'free time' away from chores to spend with their child.

Wishing you all the best xxxx

 

[eeyore81]

This is not the I am poor and cannot afford anything board.

I agree with the previous posters. If it bothers you that she is saying she works from 12-6 and does not actually work those hours, I would talk to her about it. I think you have to have an open relationship with the person that is taking care of your children. I would have a meeting with her so she can tell you what she expects and you can tell her what you expect.