Honest compensation question

[Anonymous]

Sorry that you're having such a hard time finding someone, OP. I think your compensation is a little on the low end for 40 hours, but it's still fair. You contributing to health care should balance that.
All I can say is cast a wide net and keep trying. care, sittercity, neighborhood listservs, this board, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old is your baby OP? A newborn could be more at the rate you describe. For a little older, I would say around $12- $15 depending on experience. In cases like this, it could be better for you to stay home. But that is totally up to you guys to decide, of course. I will say with child care, you get what you pay for in almost all cases. You can go cheaper but they might



be inexperienced and you



would be worrying all day. Another option is day care that you might want to look into. Good luck!

why you have baby if you can't afford to pay?!!

[Anonymous]

Part of the problem is that taking care of a baby is too much work for many of these nannies. They want an easy job for a lot of money. I'm sorry, but someone with three years experience should not be charging $20 an hour.
You can find someone for $16 an hour, but they may not have a lot. Of experience. And there is nothing wrong with that. In some ways, it could be better. If they are young and really want to be a great nanny, they will be enthusiastic in their job.
I like the idea that someone else mentioned about a nanny share. That could work for you as well.
Make sure you are offering vacation and sick days and establish a snow policy right up front.

I hope you find someone great!

[Anonymous]

Op here. I CAN afford for care. However, I would prefer to have a safety net for my child so I can pay for actual education when the time comes. Hence why I can offer higher than we are comfortable with. I also thought I might have a shot at day being on so many wait lists.

Our contract has vacation and every federal holiday as well as any other federal closures.

So I guess the advice here is that if I am not paying $20 for one baby, I probably won't find someone?

We were in a nanny share and that was worse - the other family didn't want to pay for anything. We provide for some food for the nanny, contributing to health insurance, overtime and all that and they just wanted a flat rate with nothing else - we weren't ok with that.

Anyway thanks to the helpful posts - I know we aren't making bad offers. I can't believe some people would just up and not follow they right before they are to start putting others jobs in jeopardy. Oh well.

[Anonymous]

What you're not understanding is that a nanny's obligation is to herself, not your family. If she is having a hard time financially, she will accept whatever she needs in order to stay afloat until something better comes along. It's not personal, but she would be doing what she needs to do.

Get a spot in an in-home daycare or find a better nanny-share partner or something. Nobody is entitled to an experienced college graduated nanny for middle-low rates.

[Anonymous]

OP, you can find someone for under $20 an hour. Just not one of the entitled nannies who thinks she deserves $20 an hour because she babysat her way through college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have had a string of horrible luck with nannies - hired a bad one (reference was great) and then hired a couple who took other jobs between agreeing to the job and the start date.
My question is this - we have one baby and nannies are asking for a starting salary of $18-$21 an hour for one baby.

Is this really what someone with moderate (lets say 5-8 years, or a recent graduate) experience would be getting for one child?

If so, I want to know. We are stretched thin financially and I'm trying to decide if long term it makes sense to find care or just piecemeal it together until we can get into day care. We aren't broke, but $2900/mo is such a huge chunk of my pay that I don't see the point in working (though staying home will be difficult financially, at least I know I'll show up!).

I want to work and I want to find good care - I'm just having a really difficult time. I'm even going over budget in offering $16 an hour for 40 hours and contribution to healthcare or transportation costs. Vacation, all federal holidays off, some early friday releases (when my husband gets home early, the nanny will be sent home) and a generally happy baby.

I'm just confused and trying really had to understand how this works here - I don't want to offend the person caring for my child, as I want someone who WANTS to do the job, but I have a hard time understanding how, if someone has been with a family for 3 years and is now making $21 an hour, I'm supposed to start them at $21. Wouldn't it be normal to start a little lower and get raises? Wouldn't a nanny want raises and bonuses?

Would you take a new job (in the same field) at a salary less than what you have been earning? It's not a mystery - you are losing nannies because they are finding higher paying jobs. Is it fair that nannies continue to look for better paying jobs after they accept your position? NO. However, often better other offers come in after they have accepted a position from the same post/agency where you found them.

Don't listen to the bitter mommies - if you want a good nanny (college degree and experience/committed to the job) you will generally have to pay $20 an hour. Otherwise you also run the risk of losing a good nanny even after they have started working for you.

Of course if you cannot afford it - you cannot afford it. Stay home with your baby.

[Anonymous]

I posted earlier with actual advice but now I think OP is a troll trying to stir up the wage debate. $16/hr is a totally reasonable rate and you've gotten lots of good advice on how to make it work. The fact that a handful of nannies on this board may make more doesn't make that the reality across the market. Even better - look for a family in an existing nanny share looking to replace a departing family. They will already have a nanny in place. There are a lot of ways to make this work in your price range that are affordable to you and fair to a nanny.

[Anonymous]

Did you tell these nannies your on wait lists for daycare? They probably think you're going to fire them as soon as you get into a daycare. No nanny with experience wants a short term commitment for an average to low rate when they can find something long term.

[Anonymous]

I'm wondering where all these $20/hr jobs were when I was looking for a job a couple of years ago?

[Anonymous]

Op here. We prefer a nanny to day care and are looking for care until preschool. We have been open about that and that is about 18 months away at least. And we can't fire someone - the contract requires a months notice. Though I realize now that nanny contracts are BS because a signed contract means little.

Not a troll. Not looking for a college degree - my guy is an infant and frankly a college degree isn't necessary at all.

And yes I would take a lower paying job for a number of reasons - better commute, better work environment etc. I have take jobs just for the money before and been miserable.

I was asking for honesty - nannies here seem to think $20 is fair and employes think $16 is fair. Not sure where that is reconciled.

We are looking for established shares but have to find someone with reasonable hours and preferably a baby closer in age. But we will see. So far I am home they may if necessary and will pay what we have maxed out at.

Question - if an employer paid all of your healthcare but less hourly even if that meant more take home pay (tax advantages) would you prefer that?

[Anonymous]

I find it surprising that you can't find a nanny with your package, OP. You almost sound like the nanny who likes to come here to drive up rates.

I'm in NWDC and offered the same package at $16/hr and had no trouble finding many excellent candidates with experience and education. Everyone we know in the area who employs a nanny pays between $15-18/hr for one child. I don't know anyone who pays over $20/hr in DC for one child, and I know a lot of nanny employers.

If you are for real, I'm going to suggest you are looking in the wrong places for a nanny. Try asking friends for recommendations and neighborhood list serves.

[Anonymous]

Nanny who thinks you can make your package work nicely. No housework or errands? That's a benefit, frankly, and you offer other benefits as well. You can sell this as a terrific job for a nanny dedicated to focusing on the child rather than chores!

I would look into finding a nanny who is new to the career, and who doesn't feel entitled to make more than $20 with minimal formal nanny experience. See if you can advertise in local colleges, specifically in the soft sciences department, in nursing, and in education.

And do run the numbers. It may be more financially intelligent to SAH or take on a small consulting role you can do from home.

[Anonymous]

OP its becoming clear that it is simply your attitude that is turning nannies off. Normal people can find someone for under $20/hour, so the fact that you can't likely means you are a pain in the ass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP its becoming clear that it is simply your attitude that is turning nannies off. Normal people can find someone for under $20/hour, so the fact that you can't likely means you are a pain in the ass.

+1

You've gotten reasonable, polite responses with reasonable, polite suggestions and many of your responses have read to me as difficult and antagonistic. 21:45 was your response to me and entirely ignored all of my points. I never said it was ethical or right or polite for the nannies to be accepting your job and continuing to interview; I pointed out that it was probably what was happening. If you want to solve the problem you'll need to climb down off your soapbox, stop moaning, and address the reality of the situation by dealing with what's happening and not with how people would behave in your ideal scenario.

And I'll reiterate my suggestion that you start interviewing less experienced nannies who've responded to your ad. They can be just as superb as the more experienced nannies but your package will be at the top end of what they can command so they'll likely accept AND take your job.