Am I out of line? Question about Nanny benefits

[Anonymous]

So we have a part time caregiver for our one kid. Her job is relatively easy, after school until 7. Our kid has structured activities so the job doesn't require a lot of interaction with our kid.

She is guaranteed a minimum number of hours per week (20)
We pay her for the 2 weeks per year we are on vacation.

She is now asking for a raise and another paid week off for vacation. When I explained that she already gets 2 weeks off paid, she said it's our vacation - not hers and she needs another week that she gets to choose, paid by us.

I'm thinking that's a lot for a part time employee - 3 weeks paid time off per year. Am I being unreasonable?

[Anonymous]

Typical is 1 week you choose and 1 week she chooses. If she can’t ever decide when to take a vacation day then I can see why she is upset.

And if you travel 2 weeks per year and don’t need her then she gets that other week you’re gone as a bonus.

Also finding someone reliable with good driving record willing to work part time with late afternoon/evening availability is like finding a unicorn. If you don’t keep her happy she will get snapped up, especially with so many working parents now dealing with RTO.

[Anonymous]

You are giving her absolutely no ability to choose when she takes off. That's pretty unreasonable.

[Anonymous]

I would give it to her or let her pick the 10 days she’s off per year.

[Anonymous]

We had a nanny for years and yes, we gave 1 week off that was of her choosing and whenever we took vacation and didn't need her (whatever that added up to), we paid her. And yes, it's normal for a nanny to ask for a raise.

It's a competitive market to find a reliable person who you trust and is good with your kid. Which this person likely knows. Nannies also talk to each other a lot to benchmark things like this. You're implying and seeming to think you can find anyone to do this job. In my experience, that is not always the case and a part-time schedule is even harder to find. But that's what you're weighing here.

[Anonymous]

How long has she been your nanny? If she's been with you for a year, then yes, I think it's reasonable for her to ask for raise.

She's also correct that your vacation might be paid time off for her, but it's not her vacation. She should have a week of her own choosing. If you don't want to pay her for having 3 weeks off, then plan one of your vacations for the week she's taking off.

At the end of the day, it's difficult to find reliable, qualified part-time nannies. If she's a good nanny, it's worth it in the long run to be reasonable. If you'd rather have a constant loop of finding a new nanny, feel free to deny her requests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are giving her absolutely no ability to choose when she takes off. That's pretty unreasonable.

+1

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks all for the reality check.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Typical is 1 week you choose and 1 week she chooses. If she can’t ever decide when to take a vacation day then I can see why she is upset.

And if you travel 2 weeks per year and don’t need her then she gets that other week you’re gone as a bonus.

Also finding someone reliable with good driving record willing to work part time with late afternoon/evening availability is like finding a unicorn. If you don’t keep her happy she will get snapped up, especially with so many working parents now dealing with RTO.

This. It's also not fair for you to CHOOSE her vacation for her. What if her extended family is going on a vacation and it doesn't coincide with yours?

[Anonymous]

Just adding to the chorus that your nanny is correct.
It's hard to find a reliable after school part-time nanny. Most people need full time employment, so those doing the after-school hours have something else going on in the mornings--a different part time job? College courses? If that is true for your nanny, even when you are on vacation she might not be truly "off" because she still needs to go to her other job/school. By getting to choose at least one week of vacation, she can get real time off.

[Anonymous]

It's CRAZY hard to find a reliable person to work 20 hours a week, so I would bend over backwards to accommodate.

[Anonymous]

Three weeks no. How much are you paying her?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Three weeks no. How much are you paying her?

It wouldn’t have to be three weeks of OP let her choose one of the two, which is pretty standard.
OP seems pretty set on specific two weeks though.

That being said, you can get pretty much anything you want as long as you’re willing to pay enough…but OP questioning that too.

[Anonymous]

How long has she been working for you and how much is she being paid?

[Anonymous]

Give her the third week unpaid