Reasonable expectation for salary increase?

[Anonymous]

I live in an area with rates comparable to DC. I have 13 years experience as a nanny, 20 years experience babysitting, CPR and first aid, and 60+ hours of continuing education certifications in various categories.

I took a position at $15/hour for one infant and being able to bring my toddler with me. Before having my own child, I was able to command around $20/hour, and would not accept less than $18-$20/hour - depending on duties and based on my salary history and qualifications- for one child.

After 1 year with NF, what would be a fair expectation, considering an annual raise, a new baby, and my child no longer joining me regularly? My child will be going to partial day preschool and being picked up by my DH, so only coming to work with me if school is off for the day.

I would never expect the family to start paying me as if I never brought my child, but I am expecting a significant increase. If I had started with them without ever bringing my child and based on their job description I would have easily made $19/hour to start, and at the time was offered a similar position for $19 but unable to bring my child. This family hired me at a significant discount due to my child, which was also a HUGE benefit to me and my family. Now, add a new baby and a full year with the family, I would have been expecting at least a $2-$3/hour increase putting me at $21-$22/hour.

Would it be reasonable to expect a $3-$4/hour increase? Making my new pay rate $18-$19/hour. Breaking it down like this:
$1 as an annual increase
$1-$2 for the new baby
$1 for no longer bringing my child, but still having the flexibility of having my child join me on no school days.

[Anonymous]

Obviously you could ask. But I would not give you an increase based on your not bringing your child with you! You are basically saying that you short-changed your employers when your child was with you and now expect an increase due to the fact that you are no longer short-changing them!

If I were in your position I would expect an annual $1 increase and $1 for the new baby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Obviously you could ask. But I would not give you an increase based on your not bringing your child with you! You are basically saying that you short-changed your employers when your child was with you and now expect an increase due to the fact that you are no longer short-changing them!

If I were in your position I would expect an annual $1 increase and $1 for the new baby.

Thank you for responding! I don't feel, nor do my employers, that they were being shortchanged with my child coming. We were treating it like a share type situation, and I took a paycut almost equal to the cost of FT home daycare to be able to bring my toddler. If it is no longer a share, shouldn't I be able to expect a higher base rate? I know for a fact, they were expecting to pay more per hour for a nanny without a child and I told them I was looking for $15 for being able to bring my child. They know that they got a big discount on a nanny with my qualifications by allowing me to bring my child. If they were to go out and hire a new nanny with my exact qualifications without a child and for the current situation, they could expect to pay at least $20/hour. So even if I ask for $18-$19, they are still getting a discount.

[Anonymous]

The percentage increase is too high regardless of the circumstances, OP. And I wouldn't accept a salary decrease when my older charge starts preschool as I will still be responsible for him on sick days and school holidays (and there are seemingly hundreds of those) so the converse must also be true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Obviously you could ask. But I would not give you an increase based on your not bringing your child with you! You are basically saying that you short-changed your employers when your child was with you and now expect an increase due to the fact that you are no longer short-changing them!

If I were in your position I would expect an annual $1 increase and $1 for the new baby.

I agree with this totally. Your circumstances with your own childcare changing shouldn't cost me more, unless that was an explicit part of the negotiation when you took the position. It may mean that you are no longer willing to work for the reduced rate you took for that benefit, but a jump of $3-4/hr (25% increase) would be too steep for me.

- MB

[Anonymous]

Also, if your child will still be with you on days he/she is sick, then the family is still being exposed to a level of risk in terms of illness that is far from ideal. So they may view this as you feeling you should be paid more while they feel there will be an increased risk of illness in the house.

This would worry me if I had an infant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The percentage increase is too high regardless of the circumstances, OP. And I wouldn't accept a salary decrease when my older charge starts preschool as I will still be responsible for him on sick days and school holidays (and there are seemingly hundreds of those) so the converse must also be true.

Good point! I hadn't considered this. Thank you for the feedback.

[Anonymous]

So, when their child goes to school are you ok with a decrease. A slight raise for a new child is fine but be prepared if you ask for significantly more, to find a new job. Your share, probably cost them money I terms of food, utilities and extra expenses.

[Anonymous]

Good luck, but you are talking significant increases at a time when the family might be layering on pre-school costs and other things.
$15/hour is market for one child, $16-18/hour for two children or some combo of lesser rate while kid 1 is in school and two-kid rate when both are home.
You can certainly try to market yourself as super-nanny but if they can't afford you, they can't.

[Anonymous]

I totally agree with your logistics OP and it sounds like you took careful time and consideration to figure all of this out.

I see it all as reasonable enough.

The fact that they had a new baby should have automatically given you more per hour without having to ask.

[Anonymous]

Op, I would have a frank discussion with them. You asking for $4 raise doesn't seem out of line giving the circumstances. I recieved a $4 raise when a third child was born, however I was also willing to leave the position. They know they would not find someone of your caliber for the rate they originally recieved and if you were to quit they would have to pay the rate you are requesting to a nanny anyways. So it would be wise to give you a $3-4 raise for a great trustworthy nanny rather then go through the process of replacing you.

[Anonymous]

I'm a parent. I could not afford a 25% increase - it would be a deal breaker. Whether or not it broke the bank right now, or in six months when I figured out an alternative on my own schedule.

A raise at a year, a raise for a new baby, sure. But 25%? Who among us has ever gotten that kind of a bump without changing jobs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a parent. I could not afford a 25% increase - it would be a deal breaker. Whether or not it broke the bank right now, or in six months when I figured out an alternative on my own schedule.

A raise at a year, a raise for a new baby, sure. But 25%? Who among us has ever gotten that kind of a bump without changing jobs?

I have. you have to remember that they already got a discounted rate for the first year, now this raise would bump her up to standard nanny rates for two kids in the area. They are going to have a difficult time finding a quaility nanny for under $18 for two children. But honestly I'd just look for a different job that will pay my rate instead of sticking out for so cheap. Her kid is in preschool now so she won't have him and I bet she could probably find emergency care for the times he is sick if she absolutely had too. Or just reduce her rate only when her so comes to work with her. There are more families out there that at flexible than most realize, it just might take a longer search.

[Anonymous]

That's too big of a jump--more than 25 percent. That's a major budget adjustment for your employers and a much bigger raise than anyone gets in any field. Especially if you still expect to bring your child to work when you want to (i.e., you plan to take advantage of that benefit when it suits you).

[Anonymous]

I think $2/hr raise for the new baby makes sense.

The fact that they treated it like a share when you were bringing your own child might have reflected the fact that they could only really afford a nanny share rather than a full nanny employee. I know that's why we went with a nanny who brought her own child. So I'd be surprised if they're suddenly able to afford $19/hr - if that was within their budget, they would have hired some one 100% available to focus on their family from the beginning.