Exchanging daytime hours with night babysitting?

[Anonymous]

We have a nanny who has been with us for 3 months and are a little new to the nanny etiquette. We're taking a trip with the kids which will put us out of town for two work days which we will of course pay her for (not take from her vacation). However, we also need a sitter at night for 4 hours the following week. Is it appropriate to ask her to work that evening for 4 hours in exchange for the 16 hours she is getting off the week before? Meaning, not pay her for babysitting.

I'm asking because I don't know what is appropriate, so would like some honest feedback from other nannies/moms.

[Anonymous]

No this is generally not acceptable, unless it is an arrangement you agreed to at hiring. If you agreed to guarantee her hours and she her availability, then that is the agreement. You pay for the hours you've reserved, and if you need hours outside of that, you pay for those as well. Think of it this way, if you made a reservation for a service of some other kind for certain times, and one week couldn't use them all, would you think it appropriate to ask the service to remain open after hours so that you could make it up, and for free at that?

[Anonymous]

It's actia illegal to bank hours which you're essentially wanting to do. A nanny is an hourly employee and legally needs to be paid for every hour they work. Some nannies and families will agree to this arrangement and it does work for some but it isn't fair to the nanny

[Anonymous]

Nope, not appropriate.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, that doesn't sound legal. Some big companies do a flexible comp time of sorts - I don't want to dip into PTO, so can I be out now but make it up later? - but it's always the employee who requests it. As the employer, I don't think you can direct your employee to do this.

[Anonymous]

No, if you want her to babysit during her off hours, you need to pay her. It's not her problem you're going out of town and don't need her to work.

[Anonymous]

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/nanny-forum/posts/list/306007.page

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone. Thought so, but good to know. And helpful to see the recent thread - looks like I missed that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a nanny who has been with us for 3 months and are a little new to the nanny etiquette. We're taking a trip with the kids which will put us out of town for two work days which we will of course pay her for (not take from her vacation). However, we also need a sitter at night for 4 hours the following week. Is it appropriate to ask her to work that evening for 4 hours in exchange for the 16 hours she is getting off the week before? Meaning, not pay her for babysitting.

I'm asking because I don't know what is appropriate, so would like some honest feedback from other nannies/moms.

No, it is not aporopriate. It is an excellent way to have your nanny look for, and find, another job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, that doesn't sound legal. Some big companies do a flexible comp time of sorts - I don't want to dip into PTO, so can I be out now but make it up later? - but it's always the employee who requests it. As the employer, I don't think you can direct your employee to do this.

It is illegal to give hourly employees comp time, even i f2f they request it.

[Anonymous]

Our nanny has given us free evening babysitting as a gift on our birthdays, anniversary, for Christmas... That can't be illegal, right? We never asked her - she has offered and we gladly have accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our nanny has given us free evening babysitting as a gift on our birthdays, anniversary, for Christmas... That can't be illegal, right? We never asked her - she has offered and we gladly have accepted.

It's a gift, not comp time. She is crazy for giving you such an expensive present, e.g., $18.00/hr for five hours equals a $90.00 present. Make sure your gift to her is equivalent and not a $5.00 gift card to starbucks and a picture of your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our nanny has given us free evening babysitting as a gift on our birthdays, anniversary, for Christmas... That can't be illegal, right? We never asked her - she has offered and we gladly have accepted.

It's a gift, not comp time. She is crazy for giving you such an expensive present, e.g., $18.00/hr for five hours equals a $90.00 present. Make sure your gift to her is equivalent and not a $5.00 gift card to starbucks and a picture of your kids.

+1 You have a generous nanny, PP, treat her well or someone else will.

[Anonymous]

It's actually not illegal to bank hours in the same pay period, so if you pay Bi-weekly it may be legal.

That being said, most nannies do not like doing this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our nanny has given us free evening babysitting as a gift on our birthdays, anniversary, for Christmas... That can't be illegal, right? We never asked her - she has offered and we gladly have accepted.

It's a gift, not comp time. She is crazy for giving you such an expensive present, e.g., $18.00/hr for five hours equals a $90.00 present. Make sure your gift to her is equivalent and not a $5.00 gift card to starbucks and a picture of your kids.

+1 You have a generous nanny, PP, treat her well or someone else will.

This is a common gift among the nanny circles that I am in. I see a lot of nannies gift the exact same thing on holidays, birthdays, etc. To say the nanny is crazy to gift it is rude.