Should My Employers Know?
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Anonymous
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A little advice needed please. I'm a 24hr nanny M-F (105 hrs a week). I am realizing that to ever get ahead and amount a responsible amount of savings, I may...gulp... Need to get a weekend nanny/baby-sitting job. I probably won't do a 24hr weekend job, just probably 15-20hrs worth.
I'm not in debt and I make an okay primary salary. I just dream about having a nice cushion if needed one day. Do you think I should tell my current weekday family about my plans? I'm afraid they will be concerned about my burnout or if I won't be available to cover for them if needed. I don't think they will supportive, but they don't understand what it costs a "normal" people to live in NYC- my rent was just raised again. They are extremely High Net Worth, so they kind of have blinders on. Should I let them know, or keep it quiet? |
Anonymous
| I'm concerned about you burning out. |
Anonymous
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Is a live-in option available with your family? It seems very silly to pay rent on an apartment (especially in NYC) that you live in 2 days out of a week. Do you actually work all 105 hours?
If family 1 doesn't want/need you to live-in, I would find a weekend job that would allow you to live-in. In order to build a financial cushion, a lot of sacrifice is required (especially in this economy). Good luck OP. |
Anonymous
| OP Here- living in is not an option at my weekday job, the weekend nanny needs the room. And probably the only way to get a live in weekend job is for it to be a 24hr job. I do need a few hours out for fun/personal errands on weekends. Yes, I'm on duty and working 105 hrs at my weekday job. |
Anonymous
| 8:43- thank you. |
Anonymous
Is that even legal? Why have children if you need someone 24/7 to care for them?? Also, they give the weekend nanny a place to live but not you who is there 2 and a half times her? Why wouldn't they get rid of the weekend nanny and take you on for the full week. I don't get this at all. |
Anonymous
| 9:15- the weekend nanny stays in the room that the weekend nanny uses during the week. Weekend nanny stays at her own place during the week. They use the bedroom like an office. Yes 24/7 nannies are legal and common. |
Anonymous
| What are they paying you? I can't imagine working that much and not feeling like I have a cushion. |
Anonymous
| No in NY 24/7 nannies are not legal. You have to have 1 day off per week per law. But having a 24/5 and a 24/2 nanny to split the week is legal, as long as they are paid for every hour worked, plus OT over 40hrs. |
Anonymous
| Either you are being incredibly underpaid/not paid OT, or this post isn't real. Even if your base pay is $15 an hour, when OT is added in, you should be clearing 100K gross a year. How do you not have a cushion if you have no debt? |
Anonymous
| I would ask weekend nanny if she needs a roomie. Or get a roommate if you can to split rent with. It's silly that you pay a months worth if rent if you are only in the home for 8 days a month. Or maybe you could advertise for a position to swap childcare for room and board. Say you do 1 Saturday night and the family lets you stay in the suite downstairs. Just another option. Don't burn out! You are a very busy lady already! |
Anonymous
| You should be making a huge amount in OT , like 65 hrs at 1.5 pay. It is federal law and if you let them get away with this, then you are nuts. |
Anonymous
OP here- Thank you all for your replies and suggestions. Believe me, I have looked into all the housing options. I have about 7 months left on my tiny studio apartment (2 year lease). I can't have a roommate, and I do need some quiet Privacy, and peace after working the whole week. The weekend nanny has a husband and kids she lives with. I don't have debt, but I don't have a a lot of savings either. I don't want to live off of credit cards either. But at this point if I am out of a job for a few months, I do not have enough to cover myself. Also, I have nothing in retirement, and I am in my 30's. I definatley try to live within my means. I don't have much of a social life (work to much  , so I don't go out much. I feel if I work hard now for a few years, I can save enough to secure a more free future.
But my original question was should I let my weekday employers know that I am taking on more hours on the weekend? Do they have a right to know? Yes, I most likely be burned out. In already burned out  . But I try to still go above and beyond in my job, and provide exceptional full charge care. I don't want my employers to know my financial situation.
My pay is around $11.75 an hour, and they do pay legally-with OT. This is mid-range salary for a 24hr nanny in NYC. I have been with them for 1 and half years. |
Anonymous
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If you're unable to save a decent amount working 24/5 then either your pay at that job is not nearly enough or your expenses are too high relative to your income. I get that living in NYC is expensive, but unless your rent is more than $2000/month you should have some left over for savings.
When I was doing 24hr care I was paid a daily rate. With your schedule I would have been clearing about $80,000/yr. This was in an area with a COL just slightly less than NYC, and that salary would have allowed for plenty of savings and discretionary spending. OP, I would seriously reconsider taking on a weekend position considering you're already on duty 24/5 during the week. I have a friend with a similar schedule and she's facing serious burnout. If I were your employer I would be very concerned about you taking on another 15-20 hours of work/week. Would it be possible to find a few families who just need occasional help on the weekends or perhaps just one day of help? That would still leave you with some decent time for yourself as well as provide a little extra to stick in savings. |
Anonymous
| So you are making about 80 K a year and have no debt but can't come up with a decent savings account? You're doing something wrong here and finding another job isn't going to make up for it. |