Pay for live-in nanny while we are on holiday
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Anonymous
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Hi. I'm looking for some advice on how to pay our live-in nanny while we're away on holiday. Is it common to pay the regular hours she would have worked if we were home? Or is it normal with some sort of deduction in pay?
Our contract doesn't mention anything specific, just hourly pay. Please don't flame me, I am honestly just looking for what is common practice. |
Anonymous
Sorry but you are an idiot! She has guaranteed hours and you pay her! |
Anonymous
No, she doesnt have guaranteed hours. That's not part of the contract and she never asked for it. But thanks for your mature and constructive response. |
Anonymous
| If your contract doesn't state what happened when you travel and she doesn't go with you, you need to discuss with her asap. Some families expect the nanny to be there, collecting mail, taking care of pets and making sure that laundry and grocery shopping are done before the family returns, in which case the family pays normal salary. Other families want the nanny to vacate when they aren't there, and they don't pay anything because the nanny is able to use those weeks as unpaid vacation. |
Anonymous
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Why would she want an unstable job? If she has financial obligations she'll probably get a more consistent job. Or is she independently wealthy?
Just pay her if you want her there when you come home. |
Anonymous
Thanks. We wouldn't ask her to do any work while we're away but she doesn't have to vacate either. She can if she wants to but we won't require it since this is where she lives and I don't think it's fair that she should vacate and find another place every time we travel. Am I right that common practice is to pay when we're away? |
Anonymous
| We pay full salary all year to our live in, regardless of our travels. She is required to take half of her vacation time during the winter break. |
Anonymous
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Just pay your nanny like you normally would. You pay her the same amount every other week, I can never understand why it becomes difficult to pay just because a nanny isn't needed for a few days. Are you using her pay to afford your vacation? I know I couldn't enjoy a vacation knowing I've financed my vacation by taking food out of my nanny's mouth. If money gets tight for MBs around the holiday, try to imagine how tight it is for someone making $30k per year, and you dock her pay.
To answer your question specifically, it doesn't matter what the common practice is. Your contract doesn't specify, so you could not pay her if your conscience will allow. Or you could pay her, she would be grateful, and you would be a decent person. |
Anonymous
Yes!!of corse!! |
Anonymous
| Would you be ok with being docked a week's pay because your employer decided to take a vacation? |
Anonymous
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MB here. Anytime we don't need our nanny because we are away, or have company, or whatever, we pay her. If she is ready and able to work, but we CHOOSE not to use her, then we pay her (this is for our full-time nanny, not for occasional babysitters or part-time or temporary people.)
I would do that whether or not the nanny is a live-in. |
Anonymous
| We have a live in. Yes, She has guaranteed hours so she's paid as usual. Since she also has access to our kitchen we also leave the fridge aNd pantry moderately stocked if she will be here. |
Anonymous
Thanks everyone! We will pay her. I wasn't looking for an excuse not to and it has nothing to do with us not affording our vacation if we pay her (we're just driving to relatives two hours away, nothing fancy). I just wanted to know how throw is commonly handled. |
Anonymous
01.11 here. Common practice is to pay regardless of whether the nanny works or not. Few families find nannies willing to go without pay while NF is on vacation and nanny may also need to vacate her living space. With that said, I've worked with several families who made it clear that my food while they were gone was my responsibility, which was fine with me, but I was paid, and although I wasn't required to work while they were gone, I cooked ahead for my charges and did various child-related tasks which I couldn't do as easily when the kids were there (cleaning all the toys and reorganizing them, sorting through clothes). |
Anonymous
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It would seem cruel to dock her a week's pay just because you are leaving town.
Most esp. now that Christmas is next week. Bah Humbug. I say you still pay her what you normally would and if she is a super great nanny, a little bonus on the side to sweeten the pot. |