Christmas Bonus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Less than $100 feels like you are sending a message. Between $100-500 is fine but nothing to write home about. $500-$1000 is excellent. Over $1000 indicates that they really feel you are spectacular.

(This said, I make ~$1000 per week before taxes)

If you need to be on the lower end, don't sweat it. I don't know any nanny who would quit an otherwise well-paying and satisfying job over a small bonus. It's the jobs that are either already overworking or underpaying or just generally not appreciative/considerate--if there's already issues it can exacerbate.

If you know you can't afford a generous bonus, you could compensate by throwing in extra PTO days around the holidays if your family is in town and can take the kids. You should also be VERY mindful of not pushing extra work onto the nanny during the holiday chaos if you know her bonus will be small. If she spends mid-November-Christmas helping to clean the house for guests, pack for holiday travel, take the kids to get photos done, make cards for teachers, wrap presents for Aunt Edna, etc. etc. on top of her normal workload and THEN is given a small bonus...it definitely makes you look bad. Even if she offers to do XYZ to help out, be mindful of accepting since she won't think, "I am sure they planned to only give me this gift card since last August and that's why they accepted all my help without bumping up my bonus.

This is very helpful thank you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You'll get "one week pay" from everyone here OP.

I'm an MB and I've never known any other employer to actually pay that much.

We typically give anywhere from $200-500 in cash as a holiday bonus. The $200 went to a nanny who had just started with us in October, and the $500 went to a nanny who had been with us for 3 years.

We do it under the table. So, for some nannies perhaps $500 is the equivalent of a week's NET pay, but that isn't the measure we use for the decision.

You do what you can, if performance merits a bonus and you are able to give one. As an employee I think a raise matters more than the size of the bonus so if you're going to budget for anything put more towards an hourly rate increase.

I'm an MB and we typically do a week's guaranteed take home pay (we pay legally, so it's a substantial difference) rounded up + a small gift "from" the kids (1st year it's a framed picture or pictures of them w/ the nanny). This year we're going away for 3 weeks at the holidays so our nanny is getting a ton of extra cash. (We fully pay in our absence, don't ask her to do anything in our absence and help her pick up extra jobs if she wants them... so she will end up w/ 1-2 weeks vacation and 1-2 weeks of essentially 2x the pay.) Given that -- and given that this is our nanny's first year with us, so she doesn't know what we've done in the past -- we may given more like $500 (v $900). Haven't decided yet.

[Anonymous]

I've had everything from nothing to 3 weeks pay. I prefer to have the pay done legally, and yes, I know that a portion will come out as taxes, but my employers are fine with it, they give me the choice.

[Anonymous]

Wow. A week's pay is a lot, but good to know. She's great with our son, but she doesn't do anything around the house other than wash his dishes from lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. A week's pay is a lot, but good to know. She's great with our son, but she doesn't do anything around the house other than wash his dishes from lunch.

Isn't being great with you child enough? Geez...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. A week's pay is a lot, but good to know. She's great with our son, but she doesn't do anything around the house other than wash his dishes from lunch.

What are your expectations re 'doing things around the house'? Was she hired as a nanny to your son or a nanny plus house helper? That complaint says much about you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. A week's pay is a lot, but good to know. She's great with our son, but she doesn't do anything around the house other than wash his dishes from lunch.

Isn't being great with you child enough? Geez...

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. A week's pay is a lot, but good to know. She's great with our son, but she doesn't do anything around the house other than wash his dishes from lunch.

What are your expectations re 'doing things around the house'? Was she hired as a nanny to your son or a nanny plus house helper? That complaint says much about you.

I thought it was expected that she would at least pick up toys and put them away when the day was done. She leaves everything on the floor as is and leaves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. A week's pay is a lot, but good to know. She's great with our son, but she doesn't do anything around the house other than wash his dishes from lunch.

What are your expectations re 'doing things around the house'? Was she hired as a nanny to your son or a nanny plus house helper? That complaint says much about you.

I thought it was expected that she would at least pick up toys and put them away when the day was done. She leaves everything on the floor as is and leaves.

So come home a few minutes earlier and ask her to pick up the toys before she leaves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. A week's pay is a lot, but good to know. She's great with our son, but she doesn't do anything around the house other than wash his dishes from lunch.

What are your expectations re 'doing things around the house'? Was she hired as a nanny to your son or a nanny plus house helper? That complaint says much about you.

I thought it was expected that she would at least pick up toys and put them away when the day was done. She leaves everything on the floor as is and leaves.

So come home a few minutes earlier and ask her to pick up the toys before she leaves.

No, it's a nanny's responsibility to put toys away a few minutes before the end of her shift. The parent doesn't need to come home early for this to happen. That's just ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

OP - Last bosses gave me one month bonus every year and my current bosses give me one week. I feel as grateful and appreciated now as I used to feel with my previous employers.

Every family has a budget and professional nannies understand that. Give what you feel it is right and what you can afford.

[Anonymous]

A weeks pay on the books. We are kind of anal that way, no under the table because of our jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. A week's pay is a lot, but good to know. She's great with our son, but she doesn't do anything around the house other than wash his dishes from lunch.

What are your expectations re 'doing things around the house'? Was she hired as a nanny to your son or a nanny plus house helper? That complaint says much about you.

I thought it was expected that she would at least pick up toys and put them away when the day was done. She leaves everything on the floor as is and leaves.

So come home a few minutes earlier and ask her to pick up the toys before she leaves.

No, it's a nanny's responsibility to put toys away a few minutes before the end of her shift. The parent doesn't need to come home early for this to happen. That's just ridiculous.

Sounds to me this is a management issue - you are the boss. Tell her what you expect. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. A week's pay is a lot, but good to know. She's great with our son, but she doesn't do anything around the house other than wash his dishes from lunch.

What are your expectations re 'doing things around the house'? Was she hired as a nanny to your son or a nanny plus house helper? That complaint says much about you.

I thought it was expected that she would at least pick up toys and put them away when the day was done. She leaves everything on the floor as is and leaves.

So come home a few minutes earlier and ask her to pick up the toys before she leaves.

No, it's a nanny's responsibility to put toys away a few minutes before the end of her shift. The parent doesn't need to come home early for this to happen. That's just ridiculous.

I meant come home early and talk to her about the issue. Sorry that wasn't clear.

[Anonymous]

We give two weeks pay on the books.