We found a great nanny candidate but...

[Anonymous]

This pay is normal here in LA

[Anonymous]

I haven't been paid under $20/hr in LA since 2003. Be grateful she doesn't want paid sick/holidays or guaranteed hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can afford the $22 an hour and are comfortable paying that then it could be worth it for you. However, if she is someone you want to keep long-term you need to think if you'll be able to afford giving her an annual raise if you start her at $22 an hour. If you really like her but $22 is just too much you can always counter offer at a rate that you find more appropriate (though I wouldn't go below $20 an hour based on her experience and education).

OP again - excellent point. How much is the average annual raise for good nannies?

I'm the PP...
My annual wages have always been $1 per hour. If the family added another child sometime during the year that also typically resulted in a $1 per hour raise.
I'm in the outer suburbs of DC so I'm not sure how much the raise information is relevant to LA but its something you can discuss with the nanny you hire and its also something you can put in your working agreement

[Anonymous]

^^^ annual raises ...
Sorry, its been a long day!

[Anonymous]

She sounds great OP - but I can totally see how that rate is tough, especially for one infant.

I like the PP's suggestion about countering at $20 or 21, and I would also be pretty direct with her that you really want to hire her but the rate - even at what you offer - will represent a real stretch for you and leave you with no room to offer her annual raises or a bonus or any compensation for great performance.

THings like this are a negotiation. She may be terrific but there may be other candidates out there (especially at the $20/hr level) and you may offer her other things she values beyond just compensation.

The idea of not having to worry about holidays/sick leave/health insurance, etc... is pretty attractive to me as an MB but knowing that I'm starting a nanny at a rate outside my comfort level might be a deal breaker for me.

[Anonymous]

I think that if she really doesn't want guaranteed hours, I would go for it. If you can swing taking a couple of weeks off during the year yourself, you could recoup all of the additional pay from her hourly wage.

That said, I too am suspicious of people who don't seem to need a regular income. I think they tend to be flakey.

[Anonymous]

Hate to be the stick in the mud, but you have to pay her for any time spent doing work, and that would include her clothes washing time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hate to be the stick in the mud, but you have to pay her for any time spent doing work, and that would include her clothes washing time.

This is what I was thinking. If you decide to hire her, and are going to go for a straight pay for hours worked set-up, you ought to pay her for the time she spends doing your child's laundry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hate to be the stick in the mud, but you have to pay her for any time spent doing work, and that would include her clothes washing time.

This is what I was thinking. If you decide to hire her, and are going to go for a straight pay for hours worked set-up, you ought to pay her for the time she spends doing your child's laundry.

Unless she just doesn't want to do it at work. If OP says she can take the baby and go to the laundry, and she says she doesn't want to, then why not? Alternatively, why not tell her she can take the baby to her house and do the laundry during the day.

[Anonymous]

I don't think that's THAT expensive for Los Angeles. However, I don't live there so can't be too sure.

It depends OP -- Does she stand out from other potential nannies? IS the $22/hour worth it too you?

[Anonymous]

OP here and thanks for all the great information and suggestions. We did hire her for $22 per hour with no guaranteed hours, vacation or personal days. She will get sick days (which benefits all of us IMO). And when we clarified the laundry situation, she made it clear that it is of no additional expense to us but she will give us receipts for the baby's laundry soap - basically she will do it on her own time which she says is no big deal.

Yes, she really did stand out as an extraordinary nanny and a very kind woman. She will start in mid-May. I'm relieved and happy to know that we have a good nanny lined up -- but does anyone ever know if a nanny will work out or not before they work for a few months?