How much of a raise should I expect?

[Anonymous]

I make salary and got a 5% raise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If this is in the Washington DC area, $18/hr for 2 including a newborn, is dirt cheap. People I know get $30/hr for one baby.

No, you don't. Total BS.

OP, your expectations as laid out in your first post sound reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of nannies simply move on as soon as they discover they're being grossly underpaid. It certainly is much easier to get a much higher paying job, then give notice.

At least this nanny wants to give the family an opportunity to rectify their mistake of underpayment, but I'd have a new job lined up just in case they don't get it.

[Anonymous]

MB here.

I don't think $18/hr, for two kids, for a nanny who is already tenured (and hopefully proven terrific) in the job is unreasonable.

I think there is a significant difference in perception though in terms of a one time adjustment, versus 3 raises in the span of a year.

OP, I would suggest asking to talk with your employers about your total compensation and their satisfaction w/ your performance. Something like:

"I'd like to touch base about your expectations of me when the baby comes, whether you're pleased with how I'm doing the job so far, etc... I really enjoy working with you and little Suzy and am excited about the new baby. I would love to be able to stay with you as your family grows, but I don't want to make any assumptions about what you might be planning so would like to sit down and talk."

Then, during the discussion (assuming they want you to stay long-term) ask them what their plans for compensation might be as the family grows. Leave the first question open-ended so you can get some information about what they are thinking and can calibrate your response accordingly. You can something like "I would like to ask you to consider raising my hourly rate to $18/hr, in light of my proven competence, tenure with the family, and the addition of the baby. I would also like to see if 2 or 3 more personal days a year might be possible."

Then see what they say. Maybe they'll save you the work by just saying they plan to bump you to 18, in which case you can just ask for the additional days. Maybe they'll say they were only planning to get you to $17 and you can negotiate from there.

But I would approach it as one negotiation, not multiple small bumps. This kind of conversation is difficult for most people (on all sides) so just doing it one is cleaner and easier in the long run. And part of the discussion could be gradually building in the raises if that helps - $1/hr at the one year mark and $2 when maternity leave is over or something like that. But then you don't get another raise (theoretically) until your third year so just be prepared for that.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MB here.

I don't think $18/hr, for two kids, for a nanny who is already tenured (and hopefully proven terrific) in the job is unreasonable.

I think there is a significant difference in perception though in terms of a one time adjustment, versus 3 raises in the span of a year.

OP, I would suggest asking to talk with your employers about your total compensation and their satisfaction w/ your performance. Something like:

"I'd like to touch base about your expectations of me when the baby comes, whether you're pleased with how I'm doing the job so far, etc... I really enjoy working with you and little Suzy and am excited about the new baby. I would love to be able to stay with you as your family grows, but I don't want to make any assumptions about what you might be planning so would like to sit down and talk."

Then, during the discussion (assuming they want you to stay long-term) ask them what their plans for compensation might be as the family grows. Leave the first question open-ended so you can get some information about what they are thinking and can calibrate your response accordingly. You can something like "I would like to ask you to consider raising my hourly rate to $18/hr, in light of my proven competence, tenure with the family, and the addition of the baby. I would also like to see if 2 or 3 more personal days a year might be possible."

Then see what they say. Maybe they'll save you the work by just saying they plan to bump you to 18, in which case you can just ask for the additional days. Maybe they'll say they were only planning to get you to $17 and you can negotiate from there.

But I would approach it as one negotiation, not multiple small bumps. This kind of conversation is difficult for most people (on all sides) so just doing it one is cleaner and easier in the long run. And part of the discussion could be gradually building in the raises if that helps - $1/hr at the one year mark and $2 when maternity leave is over or something like that. But then you don't get another raise (theoretically) until your third year so just be prepared for that.

Good luck.

Why no raise for the 2nd year? The way I see it is if I worked for a company and got yearly increases and got a promotion half way through the year (essentially adding a baby to the nanny's responsibilities would be like a promotion), I would get 3 pay increases in one year, not skip my next yearly because I got a promotion mid year. Right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MB here.

I don't think $18/hr, for two kids, for a nanny who is already tenured (and hopefully proven terrific) in the job is unreasonable.

I think there is a significant difference in perception though in terms of a one time adjustment, versus 3 raises in the span of a year.

OP, I would suggest asking to talk with your employers about your total compensation and their satisfaction w/ your performance. Something like:

"I'd like to touch base about your expectations of me when the baby comes, whether you're pleased with how I'm doing the job so far, etc... I really enjoy working with you and little Suzy and am excited about the new baby. I would love to be able to stay with you as your family grows, but I don't want to make any assumptions about what you might be planning so would like to sit down and talk."

Then, during the discussion (assuming they want you to stay long-term) ask them what their plans for compensation might be as the family grows. Leave the first question open-ended so you can get some information about what they are thinking and can calibrate your response accordingly. You can something like "I would like to ask you to consider raising my hourly rate to $18/hr, in light of my proven competence, tenure with the family, and the addition of the baby. I would also like to see if 2 or 3 more personal days a year might be possible."

Then see what they say. Maybe they'll save you the work by just saying they plan to bump you to 18, in which case you can just ask for the additional days. Maybe they'll say they were only planning to get you to $17 and you can negotiate from there.

But I would approach it as one negotiation, not multiple small bumps. This kind of conversation is difficult for most people (on all sides) so just doing it one is cleaner and easier in the long run. And part of the discussion could be gradually building in the raises if that helps - $1/hr at the one year mark and $2 when maternity leave is over or something like that. But then you don't get another raise (theoretically) until your third year so just be prepared for that.

Good luck.

Why no raise for the 2nd year? The way I see it is if I worked for a company and got yearly increases and got a promotion half way through the year (essentially adding a baby to the nanny's responsibilities would be like a promotion), I would get 3 pay increases in one year, not skip my next yearly because I got a promotion mid year. Right?

Wrong. When I worked with a major corporation, it was structured like this: If annual review is in January (for example), and then a promotion happens in June, the next annual review would be the following June. Otherwise, it would be more like a six month review, because you've only had that particular post for six months, and likely will have a different supervisor as well. Also, consider what if the annual review was January, but the promotion happens in November or December; it doesn't make sense to do an "annual review" just a couple months into a brand new position. Some companies might do it differently, but in the job I had, they did it this way.

Being a nanny is different, and having a new baby come into the family isn't really the same as getting a promotion (yes, more work and theoretically more pay, but not quite the same thing as your basic role hasn't changed and of course you still have the same "supervisors.").

Anyway, your point is moot because PP you are quoting meant that the nanny IS getting a raise for each event, it is $1/hr more per each event (1st annual review, new baby, 2nd annual review, $3/hr more total). PP was just suggesting that they do the transition in pay in a way that makes sense for them, whether it's doing $1/hr before baby and then $2/hr more after baby, or if they want to just do a $3/hr jump all at once, etc.

I strongly agree with PPs suggestion of negotiating and discussing everything all at once, rather than in small increments just a couple months apart. Obviously, if you do a one year review now, then in a couple months ask for a new baby raise, and then a few months after that ask for the second year review, it might make them feel like you're too focused on the money and trying to bleed them dry ("nanny is asking for a raise, AGAIN, we just gave her two in the last 8 months!"). Also, they might agree to a raise now for the one year review, not realizing that you plan to ask for another raise when new baby comes, and again, might feel taken advantage of or blindsided if you come to them the day MB comes home from the maternity ward (or the day MB returns to work from mat leave) to demand the new baby raise.

These things must be handled up front, so that everyone is on the same page, and nanny is clear about her expectations in pay for the next year, and the family can let nanny know what is possible from them.

I'm hoping OP will update us soon; I'm curious how it is all unfolding...

[Anonymous]

Who thinks this family would like the trouble of finding a new nanny at this point? Not I. It's much less costly to pay up.