Nanny severance

[Anonymous]

we are after many years, letting our nanny go. we let her know in august. she has been working very light hours since then- about 2 hours a day? picking up one of the kids and getting her home for dinner at 5. but out of respect and loyalty i have kept her salary at full. even through pandemic when she wasn't working. Our daughter is 8 and our son is almost 5.


she will stop working end of year. i have offered to pay her insurance through june and was going to offer 3 months salary as severance. She just emailed me and said “I do know that severance is 2 to 4 months for every year worked.” Which in her case would be over $100,000. I don’t have that kind of money and it seems like a lot to me.

Is this what you give your nannies?

[Anonymous]

Two weeks severance pay is standard. If you really thought she did an amazing job, give her a month. Certainly not "2-4 months pay for every year worked". You're already going above and beyond with the insurance. You've also kept her at full salary when you could've reduced pay.

[Anonymous]

Wow! At that point I would ask her to stay on for the two hours a day and pay just for the two hours and gradually reduce hours until she quit.

[Anonymous]

Ridiculous. My corporation gives one week for ever year worked.

[Anonymous]

That’s sort of hilarious. 4 months is 1/3 of the year, so an entire year every 3 years? Ha, ha.

[Anonymous]

PP here - admittedly I'm not a nanny, however, when I googled "Nanny severance pay", nearly every link I clicked said 2 weeks salary. A couple links did say for long-terms nannies "1 weeks pay per year worked", so take your pick. But nothing I read said "2-4 months pay per year worked".

[Anonymous]

Maybe she meant 2-4 weeks per year worked and not months? Even so, that’s a lot, and you’re already thinking 3 months, which is WAY more generous than most jobs, nanny or not.

[Anonymous]

You are too kind. I would have sent her 2-week pay and never to come near my home again after such an e-mail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are too kind. I would have sent her 2-week pay and never to come near my home again after such an e-mail.

I think that's a big harsh, but this note certainly wouldn't make me feel more generous towards her.

You essentially have given her severance by telling her 4 months ago and allowing her a ton of time to job search. That's actually how my company does it. No pay check at the end, but you get a long ramp to get yourself sorted out.

I'd give her a month's salary and a thank you.

[Anonymous]

You are very generous OP. You told her in August so she has had time to find a new job. AND paid her full time to work 2 hours a day. I do not think you need to give any severance personally and I used to be a Nanny.

[Anonymous]

Her response would have sat so badly with me that I probably would not have reacted well to it. You owe her nothing. Your offer of insurance through June is very generous. As for severance, you have already been very generous. I doubt I would do more than two weeks.

[Anonymous]

Say you can't afford to let her go then.

[Anonymous]

Why hasn't she found another job already? You have given her 4 months notice basically. Nannies are in high demand! Severance is supposed to support and cover the time you need to find another job - not as a bonus or a freebie.

[Anonymous]

We gave our longest-term, high quality, dedicated nanny (8.5 years when she left) $5,000 on her last day. We, like you, had given her six months notice. She was thrilled and we are still in touch many years later. I think anything beyond an amount like this would be absurd.

[Anonymous]

She may have missed typed what she meant. What you are doing is already very generous and I’m sure she realizes that.