Work authorization

[Anonymous]

I recently moved to DC. I am trying to find a nanny share and decided to hire a part-time nanny in the meantime. The nanny came highly recommended by one family (on this forum). I talked to the family on the phone and they assured me the nanny was a permanent resident. When the time came to ask for documentation that showed legal authorization to work in the US the nanny started making up a lot of stuff. First she was not a resident, but had permanent work authorization, contradicting what the family originally said. When she could not prove it, she said she lost her card and also her SS card. I gave her the three days stipulated in form I-94 to show her documentation and she did not, so I told her she could not work for me anymore, not only because she obviously was not legal but also because of the multiple lies. As far as the nanny share, I have talked to three families so far and they all have been extremely light about work authorizations and taxes. One family told me that they "never thought about asking their nanny whether she is legal to work in this country;" another family told me that "they trusted that the previous family in the nanny share had done the proper checking of documentation;" and the third told me that "they decide not pay taxes because their nanny is an independent contractor (response: she is not!) and that they trusted their nanny was legal but had never checked anything." I work for the government, as many other parents in DC. I would think that most families here do not take the IRS or DHS lightly. I am new to the DC area, please tell me that this is not the norm here.

[Anonymous]

Welcome to Washington. Until they show you proof, most employers of housekeepers and babysitters are paying off the books... even in Washington.

[Anonymous]

If you OP care so much about taxes and the DHS, You should get a nanny from agency . Those nannies are legal to work in the US. Be prepare to pay for a full time nanny with all benefits . They don't have nanny share there .

[Anonymous]

I have hired nannies without agencies and haven't had trouble finding citizens or people with fully legal working status. I feel strongly about paying legally and haven't had trouble finding applicants. (Though I've also had lots of applicants who were weeded out once I specified that they must be able to be paid legally.)

I think more people take this seriously here than elsewhere OP so just keep at it.