Advice on annual raise

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ or it says "we love you and hope to have you many years but bumping you up a dollar each yr is definitely not doable."

Why do you think that is a positive message? You like me and want me to continue working for you, but either cannot afford raises that will make an actual difference for me, or you are selfishly choosing not to in order to keep up the appearance that you can afford me. I do not want token raises. If it doesn't at least keep up with my rent/transportation cost increases, I would not be able to have the long term relationship you are penny pinching to preserve.

Ok, but if you work for a family for 10 years do you expect a $1/hr raise every year for 10 years? Because most people will reach the limit of their budget before then. If you start out making $20/hr do you expect to be making $30/hr after 10 years? If they max out at $25/hr will you leave and find another job? If you can continue to find higher paying jobs every time a family maxes out their budget then by all means, move on, but I'd say most nannies won't find that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ or it says "we love you and hope to have you many years but bumping you up a dollar each yr is definitely not doable."

Why do you think that is a positive message? You like me and want me to continue working for you, but either cannot afford raises that will make an actual difference for me, or you are selfishly choosing not to in order to keep up the appearance that you can afford me. I do not want token raises. If it doesn't at least keep up with my rent/transportation cost increases, I would not be able to have the long term relationship you are penny pinching to preserve.

Ok, but if you work for a family for 10 years do you expect a $1/hr raise every year for 10 years? Because most people will reach the limit of their budget before then. If you start out making $20/hr do you expect to be making $30/hr after 10 years? If they max out at $25/hr will you leave and find another job? If you can continue to find higher paying jobs every time a family maxes out their budget then by all means, move on, but I'd say most nannies won't find that.

How many nanny jobs last for 10 years? That has such a low probability of occurring that it is not even a hypothetical I am going to entertain. Most nanny jobs last 1-3 years, becoming part time as kids enter preschool. I need a full time income, and have no desire to become a housekeeper, so I peace out when I hear talk of preschool. So yes, for the 3 years I work for a family I do expect $1/hour raises at minimum. I started nannying as a 19 year old student, making $12/hour. Six years later, I am coming up on my last year of nannying and I now make $20/hour. I have always gotten either a $1/hour raise, or I have upgraded. If by some circumstance I had found a family worth sacrificing for financially, and I was in the position to do so, I would have but for additional benefits like PTO or health insurance. A piddly cent on the dollar raise just really isn't going to do it, unfortunately. That's just another symptom of families who THINK they can afford a nanny trying to stretch themselves to do it, and nannies that aren't confident enough in their value to demand better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ or it says "we love you and hope to have you many years but bumping you up a dollar each yr is definitely not doable."

Why do you think that is a positive message? You like me and want me to continue working for you, but either cannot afford raises that will make an actual difference for me, or you are selfishly choosing not to in order to keep up the appearance that you can afford me. I do not want token raises. If it doesn't at least keep up with my rent/transportation cost increases, I would not be able to have the long term relationship you are penny pinching to preserve.

Ok, but if you work for a family for 10 years do you expect a $1/hr raise every year for 10 years? Because most people will reach the limit of their budget before then. If you start out making $20/hr do you expect to be making $30/hr after 10 years? If they max out at $25/hr will you leave and find another job? If you can continue to find higher paying jobs every time a family maxes out their budget then by all means, move on, but I'd say most nannies won't find that.

How many nanny jobs last for 10 years? That has such a low probability of occurring that it is not even a hypothetical I am going to entertain. Most nanny jobs last 1-3 years, becoming part time as kids enter preschool. I need a full time income, and have no desire to become a housekeeper, so I peace out when I hear talk of preschool. So yes, for the 3 years I work for a family I do expect $1/hour raises at minimum. I started nannying as a 19 year old student, making $12/hour. Six years later, I am coming up on my last year of nannying and I now make $20/hour. I have always gotten either a $1/hour raise, or I have upgraded. If by some circumstance I had found a family worth sacrificing for financially, and I was in the position to do so, I would have but for additional benefits like PTO or health insurance. A piddly cent on the dollar raise just really isn't going to do it, unfortunately. That's just another symptom of families who THINK they can afford a nanny trying to stretch themselves to do it, and nannies that aren't confident enough in their value to demand better.

Well, I'm currently interviewing nannies and the one I interviewed yesterday was with her last family 9 1/2 years. The family before that she was with for 10 years. I interviewed someone last week who had been with a family for 13 years. I've interviewed probably 10 nannies over the last 2 weeks and many of them had been with families for close to 10 years. That's what I'm looking for in a nanny and there is no way I will be able to provide a $1/hr increase every year. You obviously are in a different situation and that's fine for you but that doesn't apply to every family or every nanny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ or it says "we love you and hope to have you many years but bumping you up a dollar each yr is definitely not doable."

Why do you think that is a positive message? You like me and want me to continue working for you, but either cannot afford raises that will make an actual difference for me, or you are selfishly choosing not to in order to keep up the appearance that you can afford me. I do not want token raises. If it doesn't at least keep up with my rent/transportation cost increases, I would not be able to have the long term relationship you are penny pinching to preserve.

Ok, but if you work for a family for 10 years do you expect a $1/hr raise every year for 10 years? Because most people will reach the limit of their budget before then. If you start out making $20/hr do you expect to be making $30/hr after 10 years? If they max out at $25/hr will you leave and find another job? If you can continue to find higher paying jobs every time a family maxes out their budget then by all means, move on, but I'd say most nannies won't find that.

How many nanny jobs last for 10 years? That has such a low probability of occurring that it is not even a hypothetical I am going to entertain. Most nanny jobs last 1-3 years, becoming part time as kids enter preschool. I need a full time income, and have no desire to become a housekeeper, so I peace out when I hear talk of preschool. So yes, for the 3 years I work for a family I do expect $1/hour raises at minimum. I started nannying as a 19 year old student, making $12/hour. Six years later, I am coming up on my last year of nannying and I now make $20/hour. I have always gotten either a $1/hour raise, or I have upgraded. If by some circumstance I had found a family worth sacrificing for financially, and I was in the position to do so, I would have but for additional benefits like PTO or health insurance. A piddly cent on the dollar raise just really isn't going to do it, unfortunately. That's just another symptom of families who THINK they can afford a nanny trying to stretch themselves to do it, and nannies that aren't confident enough in their value to demand better.

Well, I'm currently interviewing nannies and the one I interviewed yesterday was with her last family 9 1/2 years. The family before that she was with for 10 years. I interviewed someone last week who had been with a family for 13 years. I've interviewed probably 10 nannies over the last 2 weeks and many of them had been with families for close to 10 years. That's what I'm looking for in a nanny and there is no way I will be able to provide a $1/hr increase every year. You obviously are in a different situation and that's fine for you but that doesn't apply to every family or every nanny.

1. Where are you finding these nannies?
2. What pay range are you offering?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ or it says "we love you and hope to have you many years but bumping you up a dollar each yr is definitely not doable."

Why do you think that is a positive message? You like me and want me to continue working for you, but either cannot afford raises that will make an actual difference for me, or you are selfishly choosing not to in order to keep up the appearance that you can afford me. I do not want token raises. If it doesn't at least keep up with my rent/transportation cost increases, I would not be able to have the long term relationship you are penny pinching to preserve.

Ok, but if you work for a family for 10 years do you expect a $1/hr raise every year for 10 years? Because most people will reach the limit of their budget before then. If you start out making $20/hr do you expect to be making $30/hr after 10 years? If they max out at $25/hr will you leave and find another job? If you can continue to find higher paying jobs every time a family maxes out their budget then by all means, move on, but I'd say most nannies won't find that.

How many nanny jobs last for 10 years? That has such a low probability of occurring that it is not even a hypothetical I am going to entertain. Most nanny jobs last 1-3 years, becoming part time as kids enter preschool. I need a full time income, and have no desire to become a housekeeper, so I peace out when I hear talk of preschool. So yes, for the 3 years I work for a family I do expect $1/hour raises at minimum. I started nannying as a 19 year old student, making $12/hour. Six years later, I am coming up on my last year of nannying and I now make $20/hour. I have always gotten either a $1/hour raise, or I have upgraded. If by some circumstance I had found a family worth sacrificing for financially, and I was in the position to do so, I would have but for additional benefits like PTO or health insurance. A piddly cent on the dollar raise just really isn't going to do it, unfortunately. That's just another symptom of families who THINK they can afford a nanny trying to stretch themselves to do it, and nannies that aren't confident enough in their value to demand better.

Well, I'm currently interviewing nannies and the one I interviewed yesterday was with her last family 9 1/2 years. The family before that she was with for 10 years. I interviewed someone last week who had been with a family for 13 years. I've interviewed probably 10 nannies over the last 2 weeks and many of them had been with families for close to 10 years. That's what I'm looking for in a nanny and there is no way I will be able to provide a $1/hr increase every year. You obviously are in a different situation and that's fine for you but that doesn't apply to every family or every nanny.

Agree - our nanny was with her last family for 10 years and took a job with us over a family offering higher pay because we were looking for the same type of long term relationship. It's not uncommon.

[Anonymous]

When you offer low wages, you have to have other perks to attract your better than average nanny. That's just common sense.