We have had nannies for 8 plus years, as have all of our friends. We always do 2 weeks pay in cash as a holiday/year end bonus, and then a small token gift along with it - sometimes it’s a framed photo of our kids, sometimes it’s a $50 gift card. This year our nanny mentioned there was a candle she loved that is $30. All of our friends do the same (we have all discussed it many times). Hands down the nannies all prefer cash so if you’re going to give more than $100 in a gift card I would change it to cash. Sure she can spend it on $200 in coffee, but I bet she would rather have $200 in cash.

Is there any way you can move the bonus pay up to December instead of next month just to make it easier? I understand that your bonuses won’t be paid until next month but you would just be borrowing from that pot you know is coming. Our bonuses don’t get paid until Feb/Mar but we budget to pay our nanny’s bonus in December every year. Maybe that isn’t feasible for you, but if you can swing it that’s what I would do. If not, maybe explain to your nanny that you will do New Year bonuses instead once your bonus is paid, in which case a $100 gift seems fine to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - What amount would you think is good? $200?

Giving it early would be tough since our bonuses won’t be paid until after.

Maybe you can’t afford a nanny?

Oh stop being silly. OP could give the bonus as a holiday bonus and do no extra gift and that would be fine (standard even), but doing a non-holiday bonus + a holiday gift means she can’t afford one? Just stop. And it makes sense OP wants to pay out the bonus when their household has extra cash flow from their own bonuses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - What amount would you think is good? $200?

Giving it early would be tough since our bonuses won’t be paid until after.

Maybe you can’t afford a nanny?

Huh? This is a gift in addition to a bonus. I don’t know about you, but I don’t get $100 gifts from my employer for the holidays.

OP, your amount is fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's the accident of timing OP.

If her annual bonus (regardless of amount) was paid in June, would you give a $100 coffee gift card to her for Christmas? Or do more?

That’s what I am trying to figure out. I feel really clueless here and just tossed out $100 to the spouse but we weren’t sure what was appropriate. The stuff about the bonus is more to indicate this is not the bonus payment, but a gift. The stuff about the extra days off I was taking into account.

I think this “accident of timing” person is wrong. Most people give a year end bonus plus a token holiday gift, it sounds like that’s what you do as well and that’s a fine amount for it. I don’t know anyone that gives 2 big bonuses a year. Usually on their yr anniversary it’s a raise versus bonus

I wouldn’t do a gift card. Just add more bonus than you were planning and in Dec.

Anonymous wrote:OP here - What amount would you think is good? $200?

Giving it early would be tough since our bonuses won’t be paid until after.

Her bonus should come this month, as well as a holiday gift.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - What amount would you think is good? $200?

Giving it early would be tough since our bonuses won’t be paid until after.

Maybe you can’t afford a nanny?

Hmmm yes. Think we will just fire her instead.

Anonymous wrote:It's the accident of timing OP.

If her annual bonus (regardless of amount) was paid in June, would you give a $100 coffee gift card to her for Christmas? Or do more?

That’s what I am trying to figure out. I feel really clueless here and just tossed out $100 to the spouse but we weren’t sure what was appropriate. The stuff about the bonus is more to indicate this is not the bonus payment, but a gift. The stuff about the extra days off I was taking into account.

Anonymous wrote:OP here - What amount would you think is good? $200?

Giving it early would be tough since our bonuses won’t be paid until after.

Maybe you can’t afford a nanny?

OP here - What amount would you think is good? $200?

Giving it early would be tough since our bonuses won’t be paid until after.

Cash is better than gift card, but amount is fine (typical Xmas gift)

No, I don’t think it’s enough. Why not give the bonus in December.

It's the accident of timing OP.

If her annual bonus (regardless of amount) was paid in June, would you give a $100 coffee gift card to her for Christmas? Or do more?

We were going to give our nanny a Christmas gift that is separate from her annual bonus (that is paid in Jan). We were thinking of a $100 gift card to a local coffee chain she likes. It has a location by us and her house so she could use it while walking with the kids or at home/on the weekend. She is getting above the 2 weeks pay as a bonus and extra paid days off for Christmas since she already used all her vacation days.

Do you think $100 is enough?