Paying a new nanny.

[Anonymous]

My new nanny is supposed to start soon. I do not want her coming to the house and Dh and I will have to watch the kids and work. Should we 1. Not pay the nanny. 2. Pay her a portion of her salary. Or 3. Pay her the full salary. Keep in mind we barely know her or she could take our money and never start. It’s thousands of dollars we could be paying a near stranger for a service we aren’t getting. TIA.

[Anonymous]

why did you go through the effort of hiring a nanny you weren’t going to use or pay for the time being? If I were the nanny and you told me you weren’t going to pay me, I would be really angry that you wasted my time and strung me along like that, and would probably start looking for a new position. If you decide not to pay the nanny for now, you need to be prepared to start a new search when you need care again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:why did you go through the effort of hiring a nanny you weren’t going to use or pay for the time being? If I were the nanny and you told me you weren’t going to pay me, I would be really angry that you wasted my time and strung me along like that, and would probably start looking for a new position. If you decide not to pay the nanny for now, you need to be prepared to start a new search when you need care again.

We hired her a few months ago and she was with another family until now. I didn’t expect covid to happen lol.

[Anonymous]

Depends on how much you trust her tbh. If you think she's the type of person to take the money and never start you probably shouldn't have her watching your kids to begin with.

[Anonymous]

If you don't pay her, she absolutely will start looking for another job.

When you finally do go back to work, will you have the flexibility to start a new nanny search?

[Anonymous]

You are the one deciding not to have her work so you need to pay her in full. She entered an agreement with you to start work at the agreed upon salary at the agreed upon date. Anything but full salary would be terribly unfair.

[Anonymous]

OP here. It's hard to write someone I hardly know a check for $4000/month. What if she quits after a month? What if she messes up and we want to fire her? We hired her because the references were great. A lot of my friends are saying don't pay her, she can get unemployment. It's a lot of money to feel like I'm throwing away. I would definitely expect to pay a daycare or nanny who had been with us for 1 year+, or even a few months.

[Anonymous]

I would have a conversation with her about social distancing. If she is willing to practice it strictly in the weeks leading up to her start date, and during the time she is working with you, I would have her come.

Barring special circumstances, I think those of you who are paying nannies to stay away are insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would have a conversation with her about social distancing. If she is willing to practice it strictly in the weeks leading up to her start date, and during the time she is working with you, I would have her come.

Barring special circumstances, I think those of you who are paying nannies to stay away are insane.

OP here, I actually don't trust that she's taking the necessary precautions. She told me she planned on going to another state to visit a family member in between her last job and the new job. I had to tell her she should not go and she did not go, but who knows what she is doing now. I felt more comfortable hiring her because DH and I WFH full time, and again, she had great references.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you don't pay her, she absolutely will start looking for another job.

When you finally do go back to work, will you have the flexibility to start a new nanny search?[/quote


She won’t find one, though.

[Anonymous]

Can she “start”? Meaning she does an 30 min story time or make believe game or homework help (no idea how old your kids are). So she gets time with them every day? She may be at home but she is “working” for you and so you are getting time to get to know her, she learns the routine, kids get to show her their rooms via face time, she gets to interact with your family. You and your DH get 30 min of uninterrupted work time (which I would kill for!)

That might make it a little easier to swallow paying her. And she is less likely to quit after a month because she knows you know and will feel like she is leaving a family, not an anonymous group, in the lurch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't pay her, she absolutely will start looking for another job.

When you finally do go back to work, will you have the flexibility to start a new nanny search?

She won’t find one, though.

She'll find a new nanny just as easily as the nanny will find a new job. So many people are out of work right now, there will be a lot of people looking for a new job soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can she “start”? Meaning she does an 30 min story time or make believe game or homework help (no idea how old your kids are). So she gets time with them every day? She may be at home but she is “working” for you and so you are getting time to get to know her, she learns the routine, kids get to show her their rooms via face time, she gets to interact with your family. You and your DH get 30 min of uninterrupted work time (which I would kill for!)

That might make it a little easier to swallow paying her. And she is less likely to quit after a month because she knows you know and will feel like she is leaving a family, not an anonymous group, in the lurch.

OP-I have a baby and a 3 year old. The baby is easy, she sleeps and eats and poops, repeat. the three year old is demanding. If I do the FaceTime story times, how much would you pay? That is a really good idea actually.

[Anonymous]

I would not, because she hasn't started yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are the one deciding not to have her work so you need to pay her in full. She entered an agreement with you to start work at the agreed upon salary at the agreed upon date. Anything but full salary would be terribly unfair.

This. If you’re asking her not to work for you permanently, pay her at least one month’s severance since you had entered into a contract to hire her and she took actions (example not travelling) based on your preferences. If you want her to start in a month or so, you need to pay her as well.