Taking nanny on vacation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are planning a week long trip next summer and want to ask our nanny to come along. We wouldn't want her to work her normal 9 hour days but maybe 4 or 5 hours a day. How would that work with compensation? Would we pay her normal hourly rate for just those hours or pay her for a full-time week? We would cover her hotel room but would we get all her meals too? Just trying to figure out a budget for the trip. TIA.

I've traveled with families many times. To help, I'll share some examples of good vs bad travel experiences.

Work schedule:
A good trip will give you a general idea as to when you're needed to work/when you'll have off. For example, if you know you only need her in the mornings and 1-2 nights so you and your significant other can go to dinner alone. This doesn't have to be set in stone! A bad trip will have her guessing hour to hour, or saying she won't have to work at all the second day and then changing your mind.

Location:
A good trip location will have things easily accessible to her. Examples of this could be staying on-site at Disney, or loaning her a car during some of her off time so she can go to a nearby shopping mall. A bad trip location would be somewhere where she's pretty much stuck at the hotel where you're staying without much to do.

Sleeping arrangements:
A good trip will mean she has her own room. A bad trip will be giving her the pull out/sofa sleeper in the main living space. (I saw you're planning on paying for her hotel room, but I still thought I'd mention this).

Food:
A good trip will pay for most meals. When making a budget, I'd plan on buying all of her meals. It would be crummy if you tried to schedule her from say, 1-5, so you wouldn't have to pay for her lunch or dinner.

Pay:
Why would she want to go on a trip if you were only paying her for 4-5 hours a day? What's the incentive there? Unless you don't guarantee pay, she would make more money staying home. You should definitely pay her the full week's pay. Keep in mind travel time too. Traveling with kids isn't necessarily work-free time.

[Anonymous]

Since she is going to be working SOME hours for you OP, I would cover every expense for her.

Let her have her own private room, if she has to share with your child(ren) it is not considered a real vacation.

And yes, I would cover her meals as well as any activity costs needed to take your children out. I.e, museum tickets, movie tickets, etc.

And simply pay her her regular hourly salary for hours worked. That would be the right thing to do.

She can buy her souvenirs on her own and if she chooses to do some independent sightseeing, she can pay for that too.

Remember: This is a working vacation here. Like a business trip for her. And business trips always include hotel, air fare, meals and salary.

I would discuss all of the logistics prior to the trip to make sure you are both in total agreement on everything.'

GL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since she is going to be working SOME hours for you OP, I would cover every expense for her.

Let her have her own private room, if she has to share with your child(ren) it is not considered a real vacation.

And yes, I would cover her meals as well as any activity costs needed to take your children out. I.e, museum tickets, movie tickets, etc.

And simply pay her her regular hourly salary for hours worked. That would be the right thing to do.

She can buy her souvenirs on her own and if she chooses to do some independent sightseeing, she can pay for that too.

Remember: This is a working vacation here. Like a business trip for her. And business trips always include hotel, air fare, meals and salary.

I would discuss all of the logistics prior to the trip to make sure you are both in total agreement on everything.'

GL.

this!

[Anonymous]

just call the hotel or resort. they have very qualified people for $100/day. less hassle, they know the area, they can work mornings, afternoons and/or evenings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since she is going to be working SOME hours for you OP, I would cover every expense for her.

Let her have her own private room, if she has to share with your child(ren) it is not considered a real vacation.

And yes, I would cover her meals as well as any activity costs needed to take your children out. I.e, museum tickets, movie tickets, etc.

And simply pay her her regular hourly salary for hours worked. That would be the right thing to do.

She can buy her souvenirs on her own and if she chooses to do some independent sightseeing, she can pay for that too.

Remember: This is a working vacation here. Like a business trip for her. And business trips always include hotel, air fare, meals and salary.

I would discuss all of the logistics prior to the trip to make sure you are both in total agreement on everything.'

GL.

this!

I disagree with And simply pay her her regular hourly salary for hours worked. That would be the right thing to do

She should receive her regular weekly pay. I have never gone on a business trip and not received my regular pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:just call the hotel or resort. they have very qualified people for $100/day. less hassle, they know the area, they can work mornings, afternoons and/or evenings.

+1 We did this on a recent vacation and would highly recommend. One call to the front desk and zero hassle. We specifically looked into hotels that arranged sitters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are planning a week long trip next summer and want to ask our nanny to come along. We wouldn't want her to work her normal 9 hour days but maybe 4 or 5 hours a day. How would that work with compensation? Would we pay her normal hourly rate for just those hours or pay her for a full-time week? We would cover her hotel room but would we get all her meals too? Just trying to figure out a budget for the trip. TIA.

I've traveled with families many times. To help, I'll share some examples of good vs bad travel experiences.

Work schedule:
A good trip will give you a general idea as to when you're needed to work/when you'll have off. For example, if you know you only need her in the mornings and 1-2 nights so you and your significant other can go to dinner alone. This doesn't have to be set in stone! A bad trip will have her guessing hour to hour, or saying she won't have to work at all the second day and then changing your mind.

Location:
A good trip location will have things easily accessible to her. Examples of this could be staying on-site at Disney, or loaning her a car during some of her off time so she can go to a nearby shopping mall. A bad trip location would be somewhere where she's pretty much stuck at the hotel where you're staying without much to do.

Sleeping arrangements:
A good trip will mean she has her own room. A bad trip will be giving her the pull out/sofa sleeper in the main living space. (I saw you're planning on paying for her hotel room, but I still thought I'd mention this).

Food:
A good trip will pay for most meals. When making a budget, I'd plan on buying all of her meals. It would be crummy if you tried to schedule her from say, 1-5, so you wouldn't have to pay for her lunch or dinner.

Pay:
Why would she want to go on a trip if you were only paying her for 4-5 hours a day? What's the incentive there? Unless you don't guarantee pay, she would make more money staying home. You should definitely pay her the full week's pay. Keep in mind travel time too. Traveling with kids isn't necessarily work-free time.

MB here. I think the above is excellent advice, OP.