Questions on Nanny Sharing

[AshleyBMarion]

Hello, I'm doing a nanny share with another family and we are both new to this. As we were discussing needs, some questions came up that we weren't sure how to handle or what a good policy is to ensure both families AND the nanny are happy. Hoping you can help with the below questions:

What's the going hourly rate for a full time nanny share for 2 infants (50 hours week M-F) in Alexandria?

What do you typically offer for vacation, sick and holiday time (paid and unpaid) and how do you split this between families?

Do you get agreement from both families to pay the full weekly rate (50hours X hourly rate) every week as a flat require rate like a salary OR treat the nanny as a "freelancer" in that you keep track of the hours worked and pay only for that... For example, if one or both families come home 2 hours earlier on Friday one week, do you only pay for 48 hours vs. the full 50 hours that week?

How do you handle the situation when on any given day, one family needs care and the other family does not? For example, a snow day or holiday day when one family still needs to go to work and the other doesn't...do you both still pay the day or only the family that needs the care pays for that day?

If one child in the nanny share is sick, and that family still needs to go in to work, how do you handle that? Obviously, you wouldn't want to make the other child sick, but you both still need care.

[nannydebsays]

AshleyBMarion wrote:Hello, I'm doing a nanny share with another family and we are both new to this. As we were discussing needs, some questions came up that we weren't sure how to handle or what a good policy is to ensure both families AND the nanny are happy. Hoping you can help with the below questions:

What's the going hourly rate for a full time nanny share for 2 infants (50 hours week M-F) in Alexandria?

Not in your area, but general industry standard is that each family pays 60 - 75% of their chosen nanny's single family rate. IOW, if the nanny you hire would charge $16/hour to care for 1 baby, you can expect to pay $10 - 12/hour PER FAMILY for her services in a nanny share. Some posters will claim you can pay half nanny's single family rate per family. That will work until your nanny finds out she is underpaid. A nanny share will cost more than a daycare spot.

Your next few questions involve the idea of "guaranteed Hours" vs. pay per hour. Many nannies prefer guaranteed hours, so they can count on getting paid $XXX/week, 52 weeks per year. It's similar to how payment in daycare works. The nanny (daycare) reserves her time (a spot) for your use, and you pay nanny (daycare) whether you choose to use those hours (that spot) or not.

What do you typically offer for vacation, sick and holiday time (paid and unpaid) and how do you split this between families?

15 days PTO , and IMO all those days should be nanny's choice. Why? because unless both share families take vacations simultaneously, nanny will never actually have the luxury of not working for at least 1 family. With a share, you have 4 parents, plus relatives and back-up sitters to take turns watching the kids when nanny is off.Minimum 9 paid holidays (NYE/NYD, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, Christmas Eve/Day) - if nanny prefers to have other holidays off, these are negotiable.

Do you get agreement from both families to pay the full weekly rate (50hours X hourly rate) every week as a flat require rate like a salary OR treat the nanny as a "freelancer" in that you keep track of the hours worked and pay only for that... For example, if one or both families come home 2 hours earlier on Friday one week, do you only pay for 48 hours vs. the full 50 hours that week?

I would not work without guaranteed hours.

How do you handle the situation when on any given day, one family needs care and the other family does not? For example, a snow day or holiday day when one family still needs to go to work and the other doesn't...do you both still pay the day or only the family that needs the care pays for that day?

Again, guaranteed hours. If nanny is able and available to work and you choose not to use her, she is not penalized financially or forced to take PTO against her wishes.

If one child in the nanny share is sick, and that family still needs to go in to work, how do you handle that? Obviously, you wouldn't want to make the other child sick, but you both still need care.

That is worked out between the families and the nanny, and outlined in the share work agreement. Personally, once a baby starts showing symptoms, I fugure everyone has been exposed and don't worry about sick care specifically.[b]

[AshleyBMarion]

Thank you so much for this guidance, it's really helpful!! I was thinking along the same lines, so it's nice to hear it reinforced. Wondering if some of these are standard across most nanny share arrangements, or if others have different opinions or experiences?

[Anonymous]

AshleyBMarion wrote:Hello, I'm doing a nanny share with another family and we are both new to this. As we were discussing needs, some questions came up that we weren't sure how to handle or what a good policy is to ensure both families AND the nanny are happy. Hoping you can help with the below questions:

What's the going hourly rate for a full time nanny share for 2 infants (50 hours week M-F) in Alexandria?

I work in this area and make $25 an hour as a nanny for a single family, so like the previous poster said you should expect to pay half of slightly more than this. So the nanny would probably expect $26-28 per hour for the share so you should pay either $13 or $14 per hour.

What do you typically offer for vacation, sick and holiday time (paid and unpaid) and how do you split this between families?

3 weeks off. The PP makes a good point but I think 1 week should be nannies choice and the others are a families choice, in essence say family A wants to take the second week in February off, then nanny has that week off, and the remaining family needs to use some backup care. Then the other family can take a vacation, and then finally nanny can choose a week of her choice. But all told nanny gets 3 full weeks off from working.

Do you get agreement from both families to pay the full weekly rate (50hours X hourly rate) every week as a flat require rate like a salary OR treat the nanny as a "freelancer" in that you keep track of the hours worked and pay only for that... For example, if one or both families come home 2 hours earlier on Friday one week, do you only pay for 48 hours vs. the full 50 hours that week?

Salary.

How do you handle the situation when on any given day, one family needs care and the other family does not? For example, a snow day or holiday day when one family still needs to go to work and the other doesn't...do you both still pay the day or only the family that needs the care pays for that day?

Snow days are not nannies concern. She is available to work, if you choose not to use her then she still makes her salary.

If one child in the nanny share is sick, and that family still needs to go in to work, how do you handle that? Obviously, you wouldn't want to make the other child sick, but you both still need care.

If your child is sick you either have to stay home, hire a sitter for the day, or if it's like chickenpox or measles or something might as well put the kids together and let them both get it over with.