Nanny share - Different rate for when only one child is present?

[Anonymous]

Hi -

We are setting up a nanny share but one family will need more coverage than another. Does anyone have experience with this? Is it acceptable/common to pay one hourly wage when two babies are present and a different wage (slighty less) when there is only one baby?

Thanks for your insight!

[Anonymous]

What is the difference in hours?
My experience:
Family A needed me 40 hours/week
Family B needed me 45 hours/week

Family A paid me $9/hr for the 40 hours.
Family B paid me $9/hr for the first 40 hours, $18/hr for the additional $5/hr.

This way, I was guaranteed a 45 hour work week at $18/hr.

When Family A needed me for overtime hours, the rates changed. It was $18 per family for one child, or $13.50/hr per family if I was watching both.

[Anonymous]

It is not uncommon for there to be a different rate when she is scheduled to have only one child, a scenario like you've described, but it wouldn't be an enormous difference and you'll want to discuss it during the interview portion of your candidate search. If you're paying $18/hr for two, I'd think $15-16/hr for the one would be no problem. As a nanny I would only hesitate if I was concerned about this becoming a regular unscheduled thing (like, oh, DCA isn't going to be here this week, grandma is in town" leading me to make less that week than I'd anticipated), but if it was spelled out in the beginning that it would basically be a share for Xhours and the other child for Xhours, no problem at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is not uncommon for there to be a different rate when she is scheduled to have only one child, a scenario like you've described, but it wouldn't be an enormous difference and you'll want to discuss it during the interview portion of your candidate search. If you're paying $18/hr for two, I'd think $15-16/hr for the one would be no problem. As a nanny I would only hesitate if I was concerned about this becoming a regular unscheduled thing (like, oh, DCA isn't going to be here this week, grandma is in town" leading me to make less that week than I'd anticipated), but if it was spelled out in the beginning that it would basically be a share for Xhours and the other child for Xhours, no problem at all.

This is what would be my concern as well. If little Johnny is home sick or has a doctors appointment I would still expect the full share rate, and the other family should be able to count on paying their usual rate during unforeseen changes in schedule. But for regularly scheduled periods with just one child, I think a single child rate is fine.

[Anonymous]

We have has experience where the share needs were not totally balanced. I handled this by pro-rating the amt each family paid - but I have always worked off of the gross weekly pay (yes we pay OT too) and just done the hourly math for the contract. This was clean and also avoided the potential fight over nanny getting less money when 1 family did not use her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the difference in hours?
My experience:
Family A needed me 40 hours/week
Family B needed me 45 hours/week

Family A paid me $9/hr for the 40 hours.
Family B paid me $9/hr for the first 40 hours, $18/hr for the additional $5/hr.

This way, I was guaranteed a 45 hour work week at $18/hr.

When Family A needed me for overtime hours, the rates changed. It was $18 per family for one child, or $13.50/hr per family if I was watching both.

Sorry, typo. I meant the additional 5 hours per week.

[Anonymous]

In one of my shares. Family A had a SN kid (2yrs) and they were frankly a bit more well off than family B (15 m old). For about 40 hrs/week

So I told them, my rate for the share would be $22/hr. Family A paid 16/hr and Family B paid $6/hr.

They worked this out among themselves and at the end of the week I received cash $880 total.

[Anonymous]

OP, you need to ask the nanny. Rest assured, she knows what she expects. We don't. A lot depends on what she is used to. As you might have noticed here, these things are really all over the map.
Let us know what she says.