Should I expect my employer to pay me while they are vacationing?

[Anonymous]

Of course your position is comparable to daycare; you are their ALTERNATIVE to daycare.

Parents pay a set amount every week at daycare - they should budget to do the same with their nanny. Yes, you need to explain this to some parents, but it is standard and you should go into this discussion with confidence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course your position is comparable to daycare; you are their ALTERNATIVE to daycare.

Parents pay a set amount every week at daycare - they should budget to do the same with their nanny. Yes, you need to explain this to some parents, but it is standard and you should go into this discussion with confidence.

Sorry, but nanny pay and daycare pay are not comparable. Nannies get paid by the hour. Daycare centers have an annual budget that breaks down to an annual fee per slot, with the total annual fee per slot getting paid in weekly installments for the convenience of the family. Holidays and the providers' other time off are already factored into the daycare's annual fee. Also, because daycare is a group setting, the provider doesn't simply get extra paid vacation when one child does not use his slot in a particular week; the center must stay open for its other charges. This isn't the case with respect to a nanny who works only for one family; for her, getting paid for the parents travel time is akin to getting additional paid vacation. The daycare model is also true of teaching salaries where teachers have an option to get paid an annual salary divided over the nine month academic year or the same salary divided over the twelve month calendar year. They are getting paid at the same rate, but receiving their compensation differently.

If nannies want to be paid a fixed amount every week in the manner of a daycare center, they need to be prepared to earn a lower nominal hourly rate, discounted to reflect time the family won't need her services. In other words, they need to focus on the average effective rate rather than the nominal hourly rate. Except, of course, when nannies manage to dupe new parents into thinking that it is standard to get 6 or more weeks paid vacation.

[Anonymous]

If nannies want to be paid a fixed amount every week in the manner of a daycare center, they need to be prepared to earn a lower nominal hourly rate, discounted to reflect time the family won't need her services. In other words, they need to focus on the average effective rate rather than the nominal hourly rate. Except, of course, when nannies manage to dupe new parents into thinking that it is standard to get 6 or more weeks paid vacation.

Most parents do this when figuring out what to offer. If they know they'll be off for six weeks, its pretty standard to offer a lower rate if there is more paid time off. This appeals to some candidates and not others but its all just compensation. Guaranteed hours is a benefit not an entitlement and nannies need to negotiate this upfront. You should never assume that you receive something that wasn't offered at the time you were hired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course your position is comparable to daycare; you are their ALTERNATIVE to daycare.

Parents pay a set amount every week at daycare - they should budget to do the same with their nanny. Yes, you need to explain this to some parents, but it is standard and you should go into this discussion with confidence.

Sorry, but nanny pay and daycare pay are not comparable. Nannies get paid by the hour. Daycare centers have an annual budget that breaks down to an annual fee per slot, with the total annual fee per slot getting paid in weekly installments for the convenience of the family. Holidays and the providers' other time off are already factored into the daycare's annual fee. Also, because daycare is a group setting, the provider doesn't simply get extra paid vacation when one child does not use his slot in a particular week; the center must stay open for its other charges. This isn't the case with respect to a nanny who works only for one family; for her, getting paid for the parents travel time is akin to getting additional paid vacation. The daycare model is also true of teaching salaries where teachers have an option to get paid an annual salary divided over the nine month academic year or the same salary divided over the twelve month calendar year. They are getting paid at the same rate, but receiving their compensation differently.

If nannies want to be paid a fixed amount every week in the manner of a daycare center, they need to be prepared to earn a lower nominal hourly rate, discounted to reflect time the family won't need her services. In other words, they need to focus on the average effective rate rather than the nominal hourly rate. Except, of course, when nannies manage to dupe new parents into thinking that it is standard to get 6 or more weeks paid vacation.

Nannies are hourly, not fixed rate like daycare, because 1) its the law and 2) the daycare has fixed hours - unlike nanny employers who may ask nanny to work early one day, stay late another, etc. That flexibility, and the occasional longer work hours, are compensated at the agreed hourly rate.

It sounds like OP 'tried' to negotiate pay for every week, and the family added to THEIR vacation time and are trying to back out of the payment to the nanny. She should discuss it - in a calm rational manner of course. And if she and the family cannot agree, she is free to start looking for work elsewhere. She cannot force the family to pay, but that calm rational discussion should help the family to realize it is in everyone's best interest to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course your position is comparable to daycare; you are their ALTERNATIVE to daycare.

Parents pay a set amount every week at daycare - they should budget to do the same with their nanny. Yes, you need to explain this to some parents, but it is standard and you should go into this discussion with confidence.

Sorry, but nanny pay and daycare pay are not comparable. Nannies get paid by the hour. Daycare centers have an annual budget that breaks down to an annual fee per slot, with the total annual fee per slot getting paid in weekly installments for the convenience of the family. Holidays and the providers' other time off are already factored into the daycare's annual fee. Also, because daycare is a group setting, the provider doesn't simply get extra paid vacation when one child does not use his slot in a particular week; the center must stay open for its other charges. This isn't the case with respect to a nanny who works only for one family; for her, getting paid for the parents travel time is akin to getting additional paid vacation. The daycare model is also true of teaching salaries where teachers have an option to get paid an annual salary divided over the nine month academic year or the same salary divided over the twelve month calendar year. They are getting paid at the same rate, but receiving their compensation differently.

If nannies want to be paid a fixed amount every week in the manner of a daycare center, they need to be prepared to earn a lower nominal hourly rate, discounted to reflect time the family won't need her services. In other words, they need to focus on the average effective rate rather than the nominal hourly rate. Except, of course, when nannies manage to dupe new parents into thinking that it is standard to get 6 or more weeks paid vacation.

Nannies get paid by the hour because it is federal law and because, as the other PP mentioned, they offer flexibility that daycares do not. If we followed the daycare model exactly you'd get charged a late fee per 5 minutes late when coming home - but probably what happens is you just pay your nanny a little more at her hourly or OT rate, no?

Any decent nanny employer recognizes that they will need to pay for childcare 52 weeks a year. Budget accordingly. If you can't sort that out, you have no business being someone's employer and the great nannies won't touch your jobs with a ten foot pole.

(And 2 weeks vacation is standard, I don't know where you're getting 6 weeks or implying that it has anything to do with the topic under discussion.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No they don't have to pay you. But than you don't have to be available when they return.

+1

+1. Guaranteed hours are a perk, not an entitlement. If you are in a job that won't provide that, and your think you can get it elsewhere, you should leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course your position is comparable to daycare; you are their ALTERNATIVE to daycare.

Parents pay a set amount every week at daycare - they should budget to do the same with their nanny. Yes, you need to explain this to some parents, but it is standard and you should go into this discussion with confidence.

Sorry, but nanny pay and daycare pay are not comparable. Nannies get paid by the hour. Daycare centers have an annual budget that breaks down to an annual fee per slot, with the total annual fee per slot getting paid in weekly installments for the convenience of the family. Holidays and the providers' other time off are already factored into the daycare's annual fee. Also, because daycare is a group setting, the provider doesn't simply get extra paid vacation when one child does not use his slot in a particular week; the center must stay open for its other charges. This isn't the case with respect to a nanny who works only for one family; for her, getting paid for the parents travel time is akin to getting additional paid vacation. The daycare model is also true of teaching salaries where teachers have an option to get paid an annual salary divided over the nine month academic year or the same salary divided over the twelve month calendar year. They are getting paid at the same rate, but receiving their compensation differently.

If nannies want to be paid a fixed amount every week in the manner of a daycare center, they need to be prepared to earn a lower nominal hourly rate, discounted to reflect time the family won't need her services. In other words, they need to focus on the average effective rate rather than the nominal hourly rate. Except, of course, when nannies manage to dupe new parents into thinking that it is standard to get 6 or more weeks paid vacation.

Nannies get paid by the hour because it is federal law and because, as the other PP mentioned, they offer flexibility that daycares do not. If we followed the daycare model exactly you'd get charged a late fee per 5 minutes late when coming home - but probably what happens is you just pay your nanny a little more at her hourly or OT rate, no?

Any decent nanny employer recognizes that they will need to pay for childcare 52 weeks a year. Budget accordingly. If you can't sort that out, you have no business being someone's employer and the great nannies won't touch your jobs with a ten foot pole.

(And 2 weeks vacation is standard, I don't know where you're getting 6 weeks or implying that it has anything to do with the topic under discussion.)

Agreed that 2 weeks vacation is standard, with one week at the family's choice and one week at the nanny's choice. But most families take off more than one week per year, and if the nanny gets paid for that time but has no responsibilities, then she is getting additional paid vacation. Most families will pay a lower hourly rate in that scenario.

[Anonymous]

I always have other plans as soon as I am scheduled to be done with my job. I let them know upfront.

[Anonymous]

No reasonable person just goes weeks out of the year without an income because the employer decides that you randomly won't be needed that week lol- sorry but if you told me I could be your nanny but was at your beck and call to be at the ready to have to "figure it out" for anytime of the year so you can travel and not have to pay me I would tell you how embarrassing you are straight to your face. Who agrees to that? Maybe some young dumb girl you find to be your "on call babysitter" but no average person agrees to that. An educated adult with a life, bills, rent and responsibilities would never allow you to just dock her pay anytime of the year while you decide to go traveling. To leave me high and dry and not give me not give me an income because its not convenient for you? I don't think so.

[Anonymous]

When did guaranteed hours become a perk? I have never had a job where it was written into a contract. They just paid me if they didn't need me to work. It is the right thing to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When did guaranteed hours become a perk? I have never had a job where it was written into a contract. They just paid me if they didn't need me to work. It is the right thing to do.

+1
Not only is it the right thing to do, it's the ONLY thing to do. That's if you expect to still have a nanny upon your return. Lol.

[Anonymous]

Get it spelled out in your contract, nannies. Otherwise, you'll be making assumptions that could backfire if your employers don't think the same way you do about guaranteed hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get it spelled out in your contract, nannies. Otherwise, you'll be making assumptions that could backfire if your employers don't think the same way you do about guaranteed hours.

It's you who will have a little problem when you come back from the beach, to find your laid off without pay nanny, has a new paying (imagine that!) job.

[Anonymous]

I actually do agree that the best way to ensure that you have a happy long-term nanny is to set up a contract that will allow her life stability and guaranteed pay is one of those things that is good to include. But what's funny is that I get all irritated at the entitlement in some of those posts and feel like arguing - because some posters act like it should be an absolute requirement or that employers who don't offer it are being willfully cheap or taking advantage of their nanny or that it's somehow a human rights issue.

As we've all said, nannying is a weird combination of salaried and hourly employment - it doesn't really fit into any category, which means you can't assume that any perks/benefits are assumed by either party.

PPs have acted like nannies are the only ones in the country who don't get paid when their time is reserved. I was an employee at a big-box store and a waitress. Both of those jobs never had a set schedule (I would find out the week before and it was always completely different), and sometimes when I was scheduled, they would cancel on me for their own reasons and I simply would not get paid. Other times, they would call me in randomly when I was off because another employee cancelled or something.

Obviously, it was not a job I wanted long-term and I was unhappy, so it's definitely not a recommended way to treat an employee. But most hourly jobs are exactly like this. PP is right that some employers who have had an hourly job that isn't nannying might assume that nannying functions the same way as when they were an hourly employer. They may simply not be thinking about it any other way. So assuming they are just cheap or don't care about you isn't always true. Enlighten them politely and respectfully.

Honestly even the corporate or government world isn't all job and pay security either. I'm a Fed who is currently furloughed for 11 days and not getting paid. I realize that's not exactly the same thing as nannies not getting paid, but even the Federal government is randomly not paying their long-term employees. When I was in the private sector, there were random realignments and reorganizations, lay-offs, moving people off of assignments and projects without notice, etc. One day you would have a job or a whole team, and the next day you don't.

So while I agree with you that employers would be benefitted by providing nannies a secure job and pay and that nannies should ask for these things respectfully if they need/want them, acting like nannying is so disadvantaged compared to all these other secure, constantly paying jobs is really irritating and just plain wrong.

[Anonymous]

Don't you read in the newspaper how horribly abused some nannies are? Have you heard of an abused office worker?