No overtime...

[Anonymous]

I recently took a new full time nanny job after working as a part time nanny for the last 7 years. I have guaranteed pay, am scheduled from 8 am to 6 pm M-F, and paid $700 a week, plus a small monthly allowance for gas, insurance, etc. The family use to have a nanny car, but decided to sell it, so I also drive my vehicle while on the clock.

While I was negoigating my pay, I mentioned wanting to be paid overtime but was told nannies don't get overtime and that I'd be salaried and make $700 a week, whether I worked or not and that sometimes they'd get home at 3 and I'd be paid for the whole time anyway. I (naively) agreed, and am now feeling overworked and underpaid. Yes, I have had an unexpected day off here or there and gotten to leave early once or twice, but I mostly leave work between 5:20 and 5:45 every day. When I add in my commute, I am devoting 12 hours every day to this job and it is just too much. I feel stupid for taking it without overtime and am exhausted. I also do light housework (load and unload dishwasher, do my charge's laundry, and tidy the play areas). I don't live in DC, but another large city. I'm not sure what to do, any advice would be appreciated.

[Anonymous]

I think you're getting paid a fine salary and you're leaving before your end time each day. $14/hr is fine especially if you get unexpected days off and are able to leave early basically every day

[Anonymous]

You're making about $13/hr base pay when you do the math backwards to figure out a 50 hour work week.
It doesn't sound like this family is willing to negotiate.
Seems like your choices are be unhappy and stay or find a new job.

Regarding car use: as long as they're paying you the IRS rates for the mileage, I don't see an issue there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're making about $13/hr base pay when you do the math backwards to figure out a 50 hour work week.
It doesn't sound like this family is willing to negotiate.
Seems like your choices are be unhappy and stay or find a new job.

Regarding car use: as long as they're paying you the IRS rates for the mileage, I don't see an issue there.

Correction. $12.75
$12.75 * 40 = $510
$19.13 * 10 = $191.30

510 + 191.30 = 701.30

[Anonymous]

Are you on the books? If not $700 a week
is a good income.

[Anonymous]

No, I am paid on the books (which I want to be, but that obviously makes the take home less).

[Anonymous]

Nannies should only be gaurenteed hours, being "on salary" is not to your benefit mostly because you don't really have any big benefits. You'll have to ask to be paid by the hour with a set number of gaurenteed hours. If your going to try to re-negotiate your pay you should also decide if there is anything else that needs to be reworked. It sounds like this will be difficult, but figure out what you need to make your 12 hour day worth it and then you can explain it in an email with a time to discuss and meet in person. You'll have to expect to negotiate for what you really want and you can tell them "I'm hoping you'll reconsider". Which tells them you'll be looking for new work .

[Anonymous]

You're making less than $13/hour. Not anything special in the rate department, and it doesn't sound like the very occasional time off is enough to make it worth it for you. I would be looking for a new job.

[Anonymous]

You can't add in your commute time. That's on you.

[Anonymous]

OP here - I know the commute time is on me. It doesn't change the fact that I'm devoting 12 hours of my day and feeling like I'm not making enough for the work.

[Anonymous]

so get a new job and stop complaining on an anonymous forum

[Anonymous]

For off the books pay, you're paid a good rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:so get a new job and stop complaining on an anonymous forum

Again another rude one. Half of the people who give advice here in this site are rude people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recently took a new full time nanny job after working as a part time nanny for the last 7 years. I have guaranteed pay, am scheduled from 8 am to 6 pm M-F, and paid $700 a week, plus a small monthly allowance for gas, insurance, etc. The family use to have a nanny car, but decided to sell it, so I also drive my vehicle while on the clock.

While I was negoigating my pay, I mentioned wanting to be paid overtime but was told nannies don't get overtime and that I'd be salaried and make $700 a week, whether I worked or not and that sometimes they'd get home at 3 and I'd be paid for the whole time anyway. I (naively) agreed, and am now feeling overworked and underpaid. Yes, I have had an unexpected day off here or there and gotten to leave early once or twice, but I mostly leave work between 5:20 and 5:45 every day. When I add in my commute, I am devoting 12 hours every day to this job and it is just too much. I feel stupid for taking it without overtime and am exhausted. I also do light housework (load and unload dishwasher, do my charge's laundry, and tidy the play areas). I don't live in DC, but another large city. I'm not sure what to do, any advice would be appreciated.

OP, here's the thing. Your problem is not overtime. Yes, nannnies are entitled to overtime. But it sounds like you are being paid, albeit a low rate, for 10 hours a day even though you normally work less. We can't know what market rates are in your city, but there are very few places where $12/hr is not at least within the range of normal, even if it is at the very low end of normal. All that being said, only you can decide if this job is just too many hours for not enough work. In that case, there's really nothing to do but look for a new job. I'd be really clear in the future about what base rate is being offered, what overtime is being built into the guarnteed rate, and when additional overtime kicks in. But, as you've noticed, at the end of the day, its a personal decision about when the entire package is just not enough

[Anonymous]

Throwing more money your way isn't going to help. You will still be over worked as you say.