If the standard bonus is one week's pay...

[Anonymous]

But your nanny has been with you less than 6 months, do you 1/2 a week's pay? We are very happy with our nanny and want her to feel appreciated, but a full week seems like a hefty bonus, especially since she will also receive an extra paid week off for the holidays (in addition to the paid leave in her contract) and she is already paid on the very high end of the DC anny rate spectrum. Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

I should also add - we recently bought her a nice birthday gift (something she wanted) and pay her to babysit at a much higher than standard rate (she makes $20/hour to babysit at night while our baby sleeps).

[Anonymous]

1) Typically a nanny who also babysits for you will make the same regardless of the time of day. Paying her her nanny rate for nighttime work is not exceptional, OP.

2) What you gave her for her birthday is not really relevant here. Does DH say, well, I got you a new iPad for your birthday so here are some socks for Christmas?

3) For nannies who have worked less than 6 months we usually say one day's pay per month of work, but at 6mo you should know whether or not you're happy with her and planning to keep her on. If both of those things are true, why would you want to be Scrooge regarding her bonus?

4) Give whatever you want. Only you know your nanny and can guess how offended she will or will not be by her bonus. FWIW I received a full bonus after working four months for my NF (last year). Meanwhile my partner and several of his coworkers are about to quit their jobs (not nannying) because his ahole boss is stiffing the employees after their best sales year ever and giving 25% of the bonuses from last year. This is not about being an "entitled nanny," simply that bonuses reflecting your value to your employer are expected in some jobs/industries, even if it is more fluid in others.

[Anonymous]

10:16 is very off base. Giving your nanny a pro-rated bonus os 1/2 a week is extremely generous. In the DC area at least bonuses are only common in the mind's of nanny posters on this board. The rampant nonsense from them goes on every year.

[Anonymous]

10:27 - thank you! I am freaking sick of the nannies on this board posing as MBs to say that ridiculous bonuses are the norm. People are hurting, and nannies in this area make good salaries. I think a bonus is a wonderful thing to do for a good nanny, but the entitlement I see on this board is disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:10:27 - thank you! I am freaking sick of the nannies on this board posing as MBs to say that ridiculous bonuses are the norm. People are hurting, and nannies in this area make good salaries. I think a bonus is a wonderful thing to do for a good nanny, but the entitlement I see on this board is disgusting.

Entitlement? To a living wage and basic benefits?
How many wealthy nannies to you know?

[Anonymous]

The standard bonus is one week's pay. I received that even when I lived out in the Midwest. It isn't just a "DC nanny" thing.

Typically, if it's been less than a year, my understanding is to pro-rate it one day's pay for every month worked.

[Anonymous]

10:27 - thank you! I am freaking sick of the nannies on this board posing as MBs to say that ridiculous bonuses are the norm. People are hurting, and nannies in this area make good salaries. I think a bonus is a wonderful thing to do for a good nanny, but the entitlement I see on this board is disgusting.

+100

[Anonymous]

I'm freaking sick of the good nannies who get taken advantage of, by entitled absentee "parents" who don't much care about anything going on at home.

Thank God there are some very appreciative parents out there who are real gems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm freaking sick of the good nannies who get taken advantage of, by entitled absentee "parents" who don't much care about anything going on at home.

Thank God there are some very appreciative parents out there who are real gems.

How sad that this particular nanny always address MB posts questioning the skewed expectations of nannies by accusing the poster of being a disengaged parent. She obviously struggles with logic, because blind acquiescence in a multitude of inflated nanny expectations does not make one a better person or a more engaged parent. In fact, the engaged parents who want to do the right thing are the ones most likely to check in on this board for information.

OP, if you choose to give your nanny a bonus after six months--and you can absolutely choose to do a small gift instead--it would be appropriate to give her half of one week's pay. Giving her one day's pay for each month of work would result in her getting a bigger bonus after six months of service than she would get after a year or more, at which point most people who do choose to give bonuses (as opposed to a cash gift) would pay a week's compensation.

Of course you should pay a livable market-driven wage if you want to keep a talented full time nanny for the long haul, but there is no need to compromise your financial security or your child's future education to convince some 24 year old dimwit nanny that you are a good parent.

[Anonymous]

5:43 is from a different planet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:5:43 is from a different planet.

Yep - one where people speak the truth.

She's the only one who addressed the one day per month worked bonus concept as being fundamentally flawed (in the context of the norm being one week pay as a bonus, and therefore prorating that formula for less than a full year employment.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:5:43 is from a different planet.

Yep - one where people speak the truth.

She's the only one who addressed the one day per month worked bonus concept as being fundamentally flawed (in the context of the norm being one week pay as a bonus, and therefore prorating that formula for less than a full year employment.)

She's right about giving a half week's pay for a nanny who has only been employed for 6 months.

[Anonymous]

January is when unappreciated nannies get a new job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:January is when unappreciated nannies get a new job.

You should write for a fortune cookie company.