thoughts on this offer?

[Anonymous]

It's a fine offer but if you can add some PTO for sick days, it would be a better offer.

[Anonymous]

OP you say you'd like your nanny to stay with your preschooler when she's sick. How will you handle a situation where your child gets your nanny sick? Will she be forced to take unpaid sick leave/work sick in this instance? If you truly can't offer any paid sick time, I'd reconsider the expectation that she care for sick children. You cannot in good fair try to have it both ways, in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

*faith

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the feedback. I am surprised at for how many the PTO is a problem. Our last nanny (a share situation) agreed to the set vacation and in fact our 2 top candidates did no problem. With 2 families, 4 careers and my employer being difficult, it really had to be that way. She never NEVER got sick. She did have some minor outpatient medical procedures that she planned in advance, on a 3 day weekend, taking off Friday. BEtween the 4 of us, we made it work.

However, I will consider this and frankly, negotiate sick time with my boss. I had to negotiate federal holidays with my boss when we hired that first nanny.Before then, I didn't get those off either!

Which brings me to another point. I need a new job but that's a post for another forum

[Anonymous]

I would have to have at least 1 wk vaca at my choosing. This year I would need it to go to my brothers weeding, which is clear across the country in the middle of November.

[Anonymous]

OP, can your partner cover for up to 5 sick/PTO days a year for a nanny? The wording of your posts makes it sound like you are the only option for back-up care so I just wanted to clarify.

I am a former nanny and also wouldn't entertain this position. Having no flexibility with my vacation time would be a major deal breaker for me. Between my family and my husband's family (4 total since both of our parents are remarried), we need the time to visit all of them and attend important events.

The other deal breaker would be the lack of sick days.

Also, your pay isn't a bad offer by any means, but it is nothing special -- very squarely average. It might even be slightly below average when you consider that it is only a 40-hour per week position (many nannies are used to 45-50 hour positions and the increase in pay that comes with them).

With that being said, I'm sure you will find someone who will find it to be an okay offer -- just put it out there and see how it goes.

[Anonymous]

I'd have a problem with not being paid for time off.

[Anonymous]

To be clear, this is 3 weeks paid time off, not none + most federal holidays. I suppose I could get one of those 3 weeks as nanny choice PTO to be used for sick or anything. BOss won't like it but he doesn't like the fact that I'm pregnant either.

My DH could work from home but as a family we like to take our vacation time together. He doesn't want to use one of his weeks while I work and one of mine while he works.

I"d rather raise the rate per hour. Most jobs don't give vacation in the first year too. If I change jobs, I may have NO vacation so if we set nanny vaca in advance, I could use that in job negotiations.

I appreciate your candor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To be clear, this is 3 weeks paid time off, not none + most federal holidays. I suppose I could get one of those 3 weeks as nanny choice PTO to be used for sick or anything. BOss won't like it but he doesn't like the fact that I'm pregnant either.

My DH could work from home but as a family we like to take our vacation time together. He doesn't want to use one of his weeks while I work and one of mine while he works.

I"d rather raise the rate per hour. Most jobs don't give vacation in the first year too. If I change jobs, I may have NO vacation so if we set nanny vaca in advance, I could use that in job negotiations.

I appreciate your candor.

OP, I'm an MB. We understand that it's 3 weeks off, which is great. But it's not great if the nanny candidate doesn't have anything to do for those particular 3 weeks or if she has a vacation she's already committed to or does annually or if she needs to take a day off like we all do here or there for a doctor's appointment or other commitment. You are asking someone to literally never take a day off except for 3 weeks which you have dictated. I'm sorry that your job is so inflexible, but honestly, as a nanny candidate, I'd be a bit perterbured if you went on and on about how inflexible your job is and how disgruntled you are about their inflexibility, but then had no problem asking me to be similarly inflexible.

[Anonymous]

What industry are you in that you think "most" jobs have no vacation at all for the first year? Obviously there are hourly jobs that don't have any vacation (if you don't work, you don't get paid), but even my brother's grocery store job has vacation the first year. I don't think it's true that "most" jobs have no time off the first year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To be clear, this is 3 weeks paid time off, not none + most federal holidays. I suppose I could get one of those 3 weeks as nanny choice PTO to be used for sick or anything. BOss won't like it but he doesn't like the fact that I'm pregnant either.

My DH could work from home but as a family we like to take our vacation time together. He doesn't want to use one of his weeks while I work and one of mine while he works.

I"d rather raise the rate per hour. Most jobs don't give vacation in the first year too. If I change jobs, I may have NO vacation so if we set nanny vaca in advance, I could use that in job negotiations.

I appreciate your candor.

Bingo. This applies to your nanny as well! If your nanny has a spouse or family she likes to do things with, then what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be clear, this is 3 weeks paid time off, not none + most federal holidays. I suppose I could get one of those 3 weeks as nanny choice PTO to be used for sick or anything. BOss won't like it but he doesn't like the fact that I'm pregnant either.

My DH could work from home but as a family we like to take our vacation time together. He doesn't want to use one of his weeks while I work and one of mine while he works.

I"d rather raise the rate per hour. Most jobs don't give vacation in the first year too. If I change jobs, I may have NO vacation so if we set nanny vaca in advance, I could use that in job negotiations.

I appreciate your candor.

Bingo. This applies to your nanny as well! If your nanny has a spouse or family she likes to do things with, then what?

Exactly. We all get that your job is inflexible OP. It sounds really crappy, and you sound quite frustrated with it. That being said, you asked what we thought of your offer. Its not great. The pay is quite average, the PTO inflexible, and the lack of sick days is a big turn off especially considering you'd like sick coverage. We understand that it is simply a reflection of your own crappy PTO situation, but your candidates aren't going to love it, that's just an unfortunate fact.