Different rates for nannying vs babysitting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I ask our nanny to babysit I am required, by law, to pay her at overtime rates.

That is prohibitive for us so we don't use her for babysitting. It has nothing to do w/ her - she's terrific, but what we would legally be required to pay her is roughly double what we can pay someone else. It's the difference between getting out w/ my husband or not quite frankly.

Again, false. Different jobs, different rates, not the same employment. Nanny could work 40 hours for you, but if you ask her to come back in 3 hours on a Friday so you guys can catch a late movie you could pay her $10 an hour and that's it, no overtime needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am still my charge's nanny when I work in the evenings. I have the same education, emergency training, and experience in the evening that I do in the day time. I am also extremely familiar with my charge and his moods/fears and will not need to call my employers while they are out -- I know what is truly important and what I can handle. I also know my way around their home and will usually get a load or two of my charge's laundry done in the evening or make some homemade food for him for the next day.

Why would I ever expect to be paid less?

If a doctor is having money troubles and offers to wash my car do I need to pay him extra because he has a Doctorate and lots of years experience being a doctor? No. And the parents don't need a college educated career nanny to watch tv while their child sleeps as they catch a movie. So you can either take the reduced pay or bow out and take nothing. No ones forcing you to do anything.

The doctor washing your car isn't doing his typical work. The nanny is doing work that is still in the realm of what she normally does. I am a nanny that frequently is on the clock while my charges are sleeping, either in the morning or evening, and I would expect the parents to pay the same thing if it were "babysitting" versus nannying time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am still my charge's nanny when I work in the evenings. I have the same education, emergency training, and experience in the evening that I do in the day time. I am also extremely familiar with my charge and his moods/fears and will not need to call my employers while they are out -- I know what is truly important and what I can handle. I also know my way around their home and will usually get a load or two of my charge's laundry done in the evening or make some homemade food for him for the next day.

Why would I ever expect to be paid less?

If a doctor is having money troubles and offers to wash my car do I need to pay him extra because he has a Doctorate and lots of years experience being a doctor? No. And the parents don't need a college educated career nanny to watch tv while their child sleeps as they catch a movie. So you can either take the reduced pay or bow out and take nothing. No ones forcing you to do anything.

The doctor washing your car isn't doing his typical work. The nanny is doing work that is still in the realm of what she normally does. I am a nanny that frequently is on the clock while my charges are sleeping, either in the morning or evening, and I would expect the parents to pay the same thing if it were "babysitting" versus nannying time.

A nanny that is babysitting isn't doing her typical work.... You can't have it both ways. Are nannies babysitters or not? I think it's been clearly expressed on this forum that nannies are NOT babysitters, they bring a lot more to the table, all of which is wasted when the child is already asleep when they arrive. They are doing a different job so they should get a different rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, but let's say paying the nanny's rate for babysitting isn't the the cards. For whatever reason. What's the best procedure? Just turn down her request?

I could see the insult if the parents approached the nanny about sitting at a lessor rate. But what's the gracious way to handle it when the nanny approaches the parents?

OP here. This is the heart of the issue. We hire someone cheaper in the evenings so we can afford to go out frequently. We pay our nanny well, but we aren't super wealthy, so that extra pay to hire her would add up and mean going out less together, which we already don't do enough. I appreciate the suggestion made by PPs that we just lay it out for her. We pay $15/hr for evening babysitting (which means we do dinner/bath/pjs/etc) and if she wants top priority for those hours, we'll happily provide it, else we'll continue to hire our current sitters. That said, if I ever ask her to stay late or watch the kids on a weekend or other day off, I'd of course pay her standard rate plus overtime, if applicable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, but let's say paying the nanny's rate for babysitting isn't the the cards. For whatever reason. What's the best procedure? Just turn down her request?

I could see the insult if the parents approached the nanny about sitting at a lessor rate. But what's the gracious way to handle it when the nanny approaches the parents?

OP here. This is the heart of the issue. We hire someone cheaper in the evenings so we can afford to go out frequently. We pay our nanny well, but we aren't super wealthy, so that extra pay to hire her would add up and mean going out less together, which we already don't do enough. I appreciate the suggestion made by PPs that we just lay it out for her. We pay $15/hr for evening babysitting (which means we do dinner/bath/pjs/etc) and if she wants top priority for those hours, we'll happily provide it, else we'll continue to hire our current sitters. That said, if I ever ask her to stay late or watch the kids on a weekend or other day off, I'd of course pay her standard rate plus overtime, if applicable.

You need to look into the legal side (presuming you are paying on the books). If you are required to pay overtime even if she is babysitting, at the $15/hr it wouldn't be worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since your nanny asked tell her the deal: oh, we've been paying various sitters $15/hr for 4-6 hour babysitting gigs where the kids are set up for bed and go to sleep at 7pm. If you are interested in that at those terms we can let you know when some events come up. Just let us know if that is something you are interested in.

That simple. Not a way to juice overtime, it's nighttime babysitting.

This is illegal. If your nanny babysits, you pay regular rate and if it is over 40 hrs,IT kicks in.


I have, and will never, understand people who cheap out on their childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I ask our nanny to babysit I am required, by law, to pay her at overtime rates.

That is prohibitive for us so we don't use her for babysitting. It has nothing to do w/ her - she's terrific, but what we would legally be required to pay her is roughly double what we can pay someone else. It's the difference between getting out w/ my husband or not quite frankly.

Again, false. Different jobs, different rates, not the same employment. Nanny could work 40 hours for you, but if you ask her to come back in 3 hours on a Friday so you guys can catch a late movie you could pay her $10 an hour and that's it, no overtime needed.

Ok, let's presume this ends in a courtroom. Your task is to convince the judge that the person who gets paid X dollars/hr for childcare during the day, and is legally entitled to overtime for work beyond 40 hours a week, does not merit the same pay for watching the same children, in the same space, at night?

I really don't think that will fly anywhere - legally or morally.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I think this has gone a bit off the rails. I'm not asking my nanny to babysit. I hire a family friend, a young professional with extensive child care experience who likes to make a little extra cash,when I need a sitter for a few hours in the evening, most of which is spent with the kids sleeping. My nanny asked me to hire her instead of my regular sitter. At her regular rate, it would cost me significantly more to hire my nanny. I'm not trying to take advantage of her. She's basically asking me to do her a favor by hiring her instead of someone else. I just wanted to know how others have handled this situation.

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of nannies on this board bitter about the amount they earn and hype up the typical rate. $20 is on the high range for a nanny or babysitter. $15 is on the lower side for both nanny or babysitter but I wouldn't call it a low rate. $12-14 is a low rate. $15 -$17 is typical. There is no difference between pay for babysitter and nanny for roles you describe.

Your issue is that your nanny pay rate is too high and more than you can afford for all the hours of care you need.

[Anonymous]

I've been a nanny a long time. If the parents already hire other babysitters at a lower rate, but I want to have the opportunity to get those extra hours, I would ask them to tell me what they pay the babysitters and what the job entails. By that I mean, the part where you get them all ready for bed, etc., and that you don't expect all the normal nanny duties that I would do during the day. Then I would decide whether I want the gig at that rate. I don't think you are obligated to pay me my day nanny rate unless you want me to do the same things I do during the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I think this has gone a bit off the rails. I'm not asking my nanny to babysit. I hire a family friend, a young professional with extensive child care experience who likes to make a little extra cash,when I need a sitter for a few hours in the evening, most of which is spent with the kids sleeping. My nanny asked me to hire her instead of my regular sitter. At her regular rate, it would cost me significantly more to hire my nanny. I'm not trying to take advantage of her. She's basically asking me to do her a favor by hiring her instead of someone else. I just wanted to know how others have handled this situation.

It doesn't matter because legally, you have to pay her OT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I think this has gone a bit off the rails. I'm not asking my nanny to babysit. I hire a family friend, a young professional with extensive child care experience who likes to make a little extra cash,when I need a sitter for a few hours in the evening, most of which is spent with the kids sleeping. My nanny asked me to hire her instead of my regular sitter. At her regular rate, it would cost me significantly more to hire my nanny. I'm not trying to take advantage of her. She's basically asking me to do her a favor by hiring her instead of someone else. I just wanted to know how others have handled this situation.

It doesn't matter because legally, you have to pay her OT.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since your nanny asked tell her the deal: oh, we've been paying various sitters $15/hr for 4-6 hour babysitting gigs where the kids are set up for bed and go to sleep at 7pm. If you are interested in that at those terms we can let you know when some events come up. Just let us know if that is something you are interested in.

That simple. Not a way to juice overtime, it's nighttime babysitting.

This is good advice.

Nanny for 25 years here and yes, this. It's her choice to take you up on the offer or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I think this has gone a bit off the rails. I'm not asking my nanny to babysit. I hire a family friend, a young professional with extensive child care experience who likes to make a little extra cash,when I need a sitter for a few hours in the evening, most of which is spent with the kids sleeping. My nanny asked me to hire her instead of my regular sitter. At her regular rate, it would cost me significantly more to hire my nanny. I'm not trying to take advantage of her. She's basically asking me to do her a favor by hiring her instead of someone else. I just wanted to know how others have handled this situation.

It doesn't matter because legally, you have to pay her OT.

Exactly.

This. Please, OP, please be aware that you would have to pay her OT for any hours over 40. It is not a different job in the eyes of the IRS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I think this has gone a bit off the rails. I'm not asking my nanny to babysit. I hire a family friend, a young professional with extensive child care experience who likes to make a little extra cash,when I need a sitter for a few hours in the evening, most of which is spent with the kids sleeping. My nanny asked me to hire her instead of my regular sitter. At her regular rate, it would cost me significantly more to hire my nanny. I'm not trying to take advantage of her. She's basically asking me to do her a favor by hiring her instead of someone else. I just wanted to know how others have handled this situation.

It doesn't matter because legally, you have to pay her OT.

Exactly.

This. Please, OP, please be aware that you would have to pay her OT for any hours over 40. It is not a different job in the eyes of the IRS.

You can nanny and babysit for the same family at different rates. Get your facts straight.