Any BTDT Advice - Afterschool. Nanny

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any. BTD to advice for how to find a great after school nanny, who drives - including when to start looking? We're in Montgomery County and planning to hire for next school year, and I am not sure how to go about it. Thanks in advance for any tips!

[Anonymous]

Another. In Arlington with the exact same question. I think we need an afterschool nanny to get 5 yr old from school bus at 4pm, get 2 yr old from preschool and get both home. Prepare a snack, we'd be home by 6:30 so thinking 3:30 to 6:30. We'd do homework.

Sound like a real job?
How do people handle those early release days?
Teacher work days?
Do you use payroll service for this.
We both travel on occasion so might offer some later nights but with advanced notice.


OP: I"m not trying to hijack..I suspect our questions are similar.

[Anonymous]

I don't have any specific advice, just our experience. We have this arrangement right now and it's been amazing (mostly because of our nanny.)

We use a nanny from 3:00- 6:30 M-F and pay $450 a week. Our nanny is a teacher that finishes at around 3:00 and makes it over to pick up DS at his nearby school for his 3:15 pickup time. I ask in advance if the nanny can cover days DS has off, sometimes they overlap, sometimes they don't. I have backup care from our previous nanny. For snow days they are usually both off so the nanny will come over and spend the day with DS, if the nanny isn't off then I use backup care.

We just pay cash and don't withhold taxes.

Nanny has been amazing in every way and very flexible. He has always been open to staying late with short notice (we've asked less than once a month) and of course coming on the snow days has been a blessing. DS loves the nanny and they are just wonderful together. He teaches DS all kinds of things.

We looked at the beginning of the year and hired as soon as we met him. He started the following week.

[Anonymous]

^^ I don't think this is the example to follow. No taxes? $26 per hour?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ I don't think this is the example to follow. No taxes? $26 per hour?

PPs nanny can always pay their own taxes. Employer doesn't have to withhold or do anything complicated. And I don't see a problem with $26/hr. It's a very specific job for someone that lives in DC and has a car and 5 days a week available and what seems like a good amount of flexibility. What would you suggest paying?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ I don't think this is the example to follow. No taxes? $26 per hour?

What's wrong with the $26 hour?

As for the taxes I agree with you both parties should be paying their share of taxes, but unfortunately many employers and nannies break the law.
I doubt this nanny is likely to say anything as she is pocketing an extra $1800 cash a month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ I don't think this is the example to follow. No taxes? $26 per hour?

What's wrong with the $26 hour?

As for the taxes I agree with you both parties should be paying their share of taxes, but unfortunately many employers and nannies break the law.
I doubt this nanny is likely to say anything as she is pocketing an extra $1800 cash a month.

Only 1 party pays taxes, it can just either be the nanny or the NF that sends them to the IRS. If the NF is the one doing it it is called withholding. So paying a nanny cash and not withholding taxes isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's only bad if nanny fails to pay taxes on that when the time comes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ I don't think this is the example to follow. No taxes? $26 per hour?

What's wrong with the $26 hour?

As for the taxes I agree with you both parties should be paying their share of taxes, but unfortunately many employers and nannies break the law.
I doubt this nanny is likely to say anything as she is pocketing an extra $1800 cash a month.

Only 1 party pays taxes, it can just either be the nanny or the NF that sends them to the IRS. If the NF is the one doing it it is called withholding. So paying a nanny cash and not withholding taxes isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's only bad if nanny fails to pay taxes on that when the time comes.

It's not an either or. Employers who pay over an X amount are obligated to pay certain taxes. $1800 a month meets that limit.
They do not have to pay Fed or State taxes. The nanny is responsible for those. Though many employers withold those as well.
FYI nannies are not independent contractors in case you didn't know that.

[Anonymous]

This nanny is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This nanny is.

Very rarely they are typically they are NCS, but not all Newborn night nannies are independent contractors it is very nuanced. You average nanny is not. At least not in the eyes of the law.
Bottom line: save yourself time and money by looking into the law and follow it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What Is an Independent Contractor?
An independent contractor is hired to perform a job or service for an employer, but the employer has no control over the details of how the services are performed. Generally, an independent contractor provides needed equipment and supplies and is free to make other decisions along those lines. An independent contractor not only controls how the job gets done, but they also have the right to control who does the job, meaning they can hire someone to fill in for them when necessary. Also, contractors don't work regularly for the employer; instead they are hired on an as-needed basis.

If your nanny worked as an independent contractor, she would make all the decisions about television time, where she takes the kids, and when naps would happen without consulting you first. She could also decide to hire someone else to fill in for her on days that she can't make it, without having to consult with you. As an independent contractor she would be responsible for providing supplies, like the stroller and those goldfish, on her own instead of using yours.

According to care.com some nannies can be independent contractors because for example my nanny falls in the above definition. I trust her completely and really have never discussed a schedule or anything with her. I've asked her to provide a service and she does. I ask her to care for the kids, feed and bath them before I get home. I don't tell her exactly how or in what order to do those things. She does them before I get home and everyone is happy. I also don't provide the "tools for the job" for her because she uses her own car to pick up the kids.

[Anonymous]

2 nd op here. I can't afford 26$ hr. Was thinking more like 20

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2 nd op here. I can't afford 26$ hr. Was thinking more like 20

Money can't promise anything. Maybe your $20 will get an even better nanny than the one receiving rave reviews at $26. And then maybe someone next will have an even better one for $18. It all depends who messes best with your family, what exactly you are looking for, and who is available and looking for a job when you need a new nanny. Also keep in mind one MB might rave about her nanny who is highly independent and does all kinds of random activities with the children while another MB might hate nanny for that and feel she's being cut out of the loop on planning. So an absolutely amazing nanny for you might be a horrible experience for someone else.

[Anonymous]

Just get a college student.

[Anonymous]

To be considered an independent contractor the worker must not only control the manner in which the work is done, the nature of the job must be such that the employer can't reasonably control the work. So, it doesn't matter how much you trust your nanny, the fact that you reasonabley could dictate the way her work is done means she's an employee.