Room in exchange for work- legal?
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Anonymous
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"Live -In Part-Time Nanny Wanted (West End)
Looking for a Live-In Nanny to do part time (@24 hours a week) childcare in exchange for free room and utils in exclusive Foggy Bottom! You will have your own bed and bath located on the first floor (which has no other rooms, very private). The house is a 4 floor townhome and our offices and bedrooms are on the 3rd and fourth floor providing good separation and privacy overall. Some highlights: - Private room furnished with a Queen Bed, closet, dresser - Small refrigerator in bedroom to keep cold drinks nearby - TV on wall with small apple tv for streaming - High-speed wifi - Full, private bathroom - Use of Kitchen and main living space as well We have cats, although they will not come into your room and are friendly. A car and driving is not required as the neighborhood is completely walkable. We do not have parking for any cars you would bring. We have a 10 month old son, he sleeps through the night and he's a delight. He goes to daycare 2 blocks away but we require some help getting him up and to school, and we need some weekend coverage. The responsibilities we will need you to perform are the following: - Monday - Friday 7am - 9am: Wake up, change, feed and get ready for school Monday-Friday - Saturday 4pm-8pm 2 meals, activity and bedtime routine - Sunday 7am - 4pm Wake, food, activity and naps There can be some flexibility in scheduling occasionally, we use a "pin" whiteboard system that tracks necessary shifts, but ultimately we need coverage for the timeslots listed above on a regular basis. There is an opportunity to make additional money for extra babysitting time when necessary. This is a great opportunity for someone who is a student or who works part-time. - Must have at least 3 references for character and childcare - Must present valid ID and pass a background check - Must present proof of student status or work schedule that demonstrates you can meet the hours shown above. Please contact me if interested" Is this legal? |
Anonymous
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Why would someone work 24 hrs for straight room and board? I wouldn't pay $1500 For a room in someone's hpiae
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Anonymous
| You are advertising that "we will take advantage of you"!. No. This is a truly stupid idea. |
Anonymous
| Op here. Sorry, I should have clarified. This is an ad posted in my neighborhood listserv. I am a nanny myself and thought it sounded a little crazy as well. But is it legal? |
Anonymous
| It's my understanding the even live Ins are required to make at least minimum wage per hr worked. So no I don't think it's legal . |
Anonymous
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Yes its legal.
They are being very upfront about it. I think they could get someone to do it if it was just the mornings, but who wants to give up their weekends every weekend? |
Anonymous
Lots of people are grateful for reliable weekend work. |
Anonymous
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No, it's not legal unless they spell out how much room and board is worth, how much the nanny is making per hour and guarantee pay for anything above 24 hours, and it's for the NANNY'S benefit, ie. nanny has a choice between live-out at a fair rate and live-in for just room/board.
Most nannies aren't really going to want to work every single day, even for just two hours. Add in that the hours in the morning conflict with a full day or split shift position, and it's even less likely that the nanny will be long term. With three references required, I would assume that most nannies would be able to charge at least $20/hour, which translates to trading $480/week gross pay for one floor in a shared house. That's $2,080/month or $24,960/year. I can't imagine that a nanny wouldn't prefer to live-out and instead be able to have some privacy. |
Anonymous
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I think their focus is a student or someone with part-time work, not necessarily a professional nanny.
This could work for someone who is in college (it doesn’t say all of the references need to be nanny references), and needs a place to stay. I have quite a few elementary education major friends from college who took on this sort of work - a few hours on the weekend and a few hours during the week, with plenty of time to go to classes, complete schoolwork, etc. |
Anonymous
+1 I was thinking the same thing. This would make a great gig for a college student. I don’t think it is that bad. |
Anonymous
| They will get a TON of applicants! |
Anonymous
| They aren't offering board. Just room. |
Anonymous
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Thanks to those who have replied. I wasn't so much looking for opinions regarding the "fairness" - Has anyone come across an article concerning the legality of a "work trade" ?
Thanks! |
Anonymous
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Of course it's legal, just not desirable. 24 hours work is worth way more than rent for 1 room. That's worth about $100-$150/week (it's not a full apartment).
Therefore maybe 10-12 hours of work. The M-F 7-9am gig seems fair, but the extra weekend work is totally not worth it. I'd be shocked if someone takes it as is. |
Anonymous
I already answered that question.
In other words, there are criteria to make it legal. 1. List the nanny’s hourly wage. 2. List the cost of the room. 3. State that nanny receives board in lieu of wages. 4. If nanny works more than 24 hours in a week, she is paid at the hourly rate for all extra hours. 5. Technically, it has to be of benefit to the nanny in order to deduct room and board. If you are a nanny, I would presume that you have a reason for wanting to live with them. However, it’s usually room and board or neither. |