Ask nanny reference for pay rate?

[Anonymous]

OP here. I'm seriously not trying to rip off my nanny or determine the least amount she will accept or anything like that. We really like the nanny we want to make an offer to, and given that we are new to the nanny hiring world, we have little knowledge of what is fair and unfair. When I was thinking of asking references what they paid, it was more to get an idea of what she is currently making so I could offer her a buck or two MORE than what she is currently getting, given that the reference family and us have similar situations.

Obviously based on the responses here and just rethinking it myself, I'm not going to ask, I just really didn't know if it was standard since every job I have ever gotten asks my previous salary and then usually verifies with my previous employer.

[Anonymous]

Nannies in the DC area earn 15-30/hr.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nannies in the DC area earn 15-30/hr.

How is this helpful? That's a seriously big range.
.

[Anonymous]

OP, there isn't anything particularly


OP, there isn't anything particularly wrong with checking a nanny's salary history, so you can ask if you want. The thing is, it probably isn't going to give you much information. What you need to do is research the market rates in your area, decide what the job will entail, and what sort of extras you are looking for in a nanny. Once you price out the job, that's the range for the job. Nannies are responsible for their own finances and are absolutely able to decide if your job is worth accepting.

Don't start by asking the possible nanny her rate unless you have done your research first. They will inflate the rate and you can easily end of overpaying and that will not guarantee you a higher quality nanny.

For example, nannies in the DC are make $15-17/hr for one child and $16-18/hr for two kids with no housework other than cleaning up after themselves and kids (including kid laundry only)

Unless there are three or more kids and extra chores or duties, there isn't a reason to pay over $20/hr in DC. Actually, I would pay $20+/hr for a nanny with special needs experience.

A nanny who has 15+ years experience might think she is worth $25/hr...and maybe she is, but not to me. My job doesn't require that experience and is not worth paying extra for. However, the FTM with triplets down the street might be very willing to pay more for that experience.

In the end, the nanny's salary history is irrelevant. Each job is different and it is the job and its requirements that set the rate. That's why nanny rates are pretty consistent in a geographic area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would it be cool to ask a nanny's reference how much they paid her? Or is that a no-no?

every family we asked amongst 5 nannies answered that and said if it was cash or not. totally fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would it be cool to ask a nanny's reference how much they paid her? Or is that a no-no?

That's what I did. I took the numbers I got and based my offer off of that. I knew she was out of a job for a while and hard up for money so I offered her $2/hr under what I thought she would be happy with figuring she would get there with raises. It's been a year now with her and she seems happy. But I'm going to hold off on a raise unless she says something.

You're an asshole. You're purposefully taking advantage of your nanny.

that was a troll nanny trying to scare who knows who.

[Anonymous]

I think this would be a highly inappropriate question to ask.

If they offer to inform you, then that is one thing.

But to inquire on your own is just rude + very intrusive.

Know your boundaries.

You are calling them to ask about her capabilities as a nanny, not about her payscale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would it be cool to ask a nanny's reference how much they paid her? Or is that a no-no?

every family we asked amongst 5 nannies answered that and said if it was cash or not. totally fine.

Same here. References disclosed rate and scope of job (another typical ref question). Most of the nannies we interviewed were from neighborhood list serv posts from the parents themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, there isn't anything particularly


OP, there isn't anything particularly wrong with checking a nanny's salary history, so you can ask if you want. The thing is, it probably isn't going to give you much information. What you need to do is research the market rates in your area, decide what the job will entail, and what sort of extras you are looking for in a nanny. Once you price out the job, that's the range for the job. Nannies are responsible for their own finances and are absolutely able to decide if your job is worth accepting.

Don't start by asking the possible nanny her rate unless you have done your research first. They will inflate the rate and you can easily end of overpaying and that will not guarantee you a higher quality nanny.

For example, nannies in the DC are make $15-17/hr for one child and $16-18/hr for two kids with no housework other than cleaning up after themselves and kids (including kid laundry only)

Unless there are three or more kids and extra chores or duties, there isn't a reason to pay over $20/hr in DC. Actually, I would pay $20+/hr for a nanny with special needs experience.

A nanny who has 15+ years experience might think she is worth $25/hr...and maybe she is, but not to me. My job doesn't require that experience and is not worth paying extra for. However, the FTM with triplets down the street might be very willing to pay more for that experience.

In the end, the nanny's salary history is irrelevant. Each job is different and it is the job and its requirements that set the rate. That's why nanny rates are pretty consistent in a geographic area.

You aren't a nanny, so quoting what YOU would pay and stating it as an average, would be as ignorant as me telling you what I think you should earn. I often wonder if some of the parents on here, missed the humanity gene, but overdosed on the self-centered and selfish one instead.

[Anonymous]

When you call my former references, they call me to tell me what they thought of you.

If you asked inappropriate questions, my former employers recommend that I eliminate you as a possibility.

So beware.

[Anonymous]

Why are the Dcum nannies so violently scared of their comp record? You're going to get market rates and it doesn't take long for most families to talk to other MBs and figure those out. No need to exaggerate and attempt to bully on an anonymous forum.

Beware. Ooooo. Some employer might be scared into overpaying you. Yeah right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you call my former references, they call me to tell me what they thought of you.

If you asked inappropriate questions, my former employers recommend that I eliminate you as a possibility.

So beware.

Next.

[Anonymous]

OP, totally legitimate question. Most employers ask about former pay rates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it /extremely/ interesting that this was just posted, considering that I just had someone do this to me!! (I nearly posted about it but decided not to, I'm glad someone else did instead). Nevertheless here is my story and take on it:

I am not in the DC area (I'm in another US city, nanny rates are a bit lower here). I went on three interviews in a row (one Tuesday, one wednesday, one Thursday) two weeks ago.

The Tuesday family had nine month old twins and had a /very/ long list of chores I would be responsible for during their nap time, including things like vacuuming the entire house, sanitizing moms breast milk pumping equipment, washing windows, etc, in addition to basic responsibilities (dishes, laundry, preparing baby food, etc). Also DB worked from home and said he was "constantly in and out of the kitchen and living room" (which was the main play area for the kids). They told me their former nanny had had to "suddenly leave due to health issues." They asked my rate and I told them for their job I would require $16/hr.

The Wednesday family had ten month old twins and requested no house work from me at all (aside from "please try to keep it in roughly the same condition as when you arrive, when possible"). They asked my rate and I told them $15/hr.

The Thursday family had one newborn and required no housework. They told me they were offering $15/hr for the position.

I am close with all my references (former MBs) and they all excitedly told me how they spoke highly of me to the Wednesday and Thursday families when they contacted them. However, they (former MBs) went out of their way to tell me that the Tuesday family specifically asked what rate they had paid me. They told me they felt uncomfortable being asked that, and that they did not answer that question.

So, aside, from making my references uncomfortable, what REALLY irritated me about this, is the fact that every single reference I had provided had been for jobs caring for a single child (not twins or even families with more than one child), and none of those positions had required any housework either. Also, because my most recent nanny position lasted three years, three out of four of my references were from positions that were held more than 3 years ago, and since then I've finished my degree in early childhood education, and taken two years of spanish language classes (and gained more professional nanny experience), so it's especially irrelevant what I made in those positions.

The Tuesday family ended up calling and offering me the job, at $15/hr. They said they couldn't afford any more than that (I know that MB was a naturopathic physician and DB was a financial advisor so i find that a bit hard to believe). They also cited the fact that their last nanny (who they raved about, but again, who had "left suddenly due to health concerns") was paid only $13/hr. [And on the subject of my pay with another family with only one child from five years ago being irrelevant; the pay that a different nanny got for the same position also feels irrelevant to me! I have impeccable references, ECE degree, and 13 years of nanny experience; it's hard to top that.]

I also received job offers the same day from the Wednesday and Thursday interview families, at the same pay rate (for a lot less work). It was actually a hard choice between those two families, but obviously I declined the Tuesday family's offer. I was extremely tempted to tell them about the fact that I got two other offers at the same pay rate for a lot less work, but I took the high road and just politely declined.

And, to top it all off, I spoke to a nanny friend of mine, and it turns out that her roommate (who has been unemployed for months and looking for a nanny job, but has only a year or two of very part time childcare experience) had apparently interviewed with the Tuesday family also, and she took the job--at $13/hr! I know she doesn't have much experience but we're talking about twin infants and a lengthy list of household chores here! My nanny friend told me that her roommate has only worked with them for one week and already was complaining about the workload and contemplating quitting! (Gee, really makes me question what happened to their last nanny??)

The point is, only skeezy, cheap, jerk parents resort to something as absurd and petty as asking references their former nanny's pay rate. At least in my experience anyway.

Ok - I admit I only skimmed this essay but I think the point is that you were offered a job at an hourly rate that you didn't want to accept, but you had other offers that were more attractive. You took a job that appealed to you more. Someone else took the job you didn't want. The employers with the twins didn't get you with all your experience but they got someone more affordable who was happy to accept and they have room to give that person raises.

Everyone wins right? That's the free market - if that family wanted you badly enough they had to pay more, but they didn't and found someone else. You got the same hourly rate with less work - so you're happy presumably.

Except that you want to whine. Or you're one of our resident trolls with endless free time to fabricate scenarios on which you can build a rant.

[Anonymous]

Sigh.

There were several points I made, but the most important one is that they were trying to use my previous wages to justify paying me a lower rate, but my previous wages are not relevant for many reasons:
1) their position requires a lot of housework, which none of my previous jobs did
2) their position was taking care of infant twins, when none of the jobs I held with said references were for the care of more than one child
3) the majority of my positions were from more than three years ago
4) since those positions I have not only gained more professional nanny experience but I have also completed my ECE degree as well as other childcare related studies

They clearly weren't factoring any of that information in; they were just looking for justification for offering me a low wage. Rather than look at themselves and say "maybe we need to reevaluate our needs, maybe we don't really need the nanny to wash the windows and sanitize moms breast milk pumping equipment," they were just wanting to say "oh, well she only made $14/hr in this other job, so we can feel totally justified in offering $15/hr for ours!" (Again, not taking into account any of the factors I have listed above.)

The point I was trying to make about someone else accepting the job at $13/hr is that you get what you pay for when you pay a low rate:
1) someone with little to no experience
2) someone who is not committed--first nanny left suddenly (she says it was health issues, but that could've easily been an excuse to leave for a better position), and second nanny is only a week in and already contemplating quitting!!