Do you get paid while the child is in school?

[Anonymous]

I was asked to do overnight babysitting for the son of a family I know for four days. Two of those days will be school days, meaning he technically won't be in my care for 8ish hours of the day. However, I feel like I can't accept other babysitting jobs during that time because I'll still be "on call" during those hours in case he gets sick or has to be picked up from school for any reason. For anyone who has done this before, do you usually ask for your regular hourly rate during school hours? Or some sort of flat fee?

[Anonymous]

Parents are out of town correct? Unless someone else can pick him up in case of an emergency I would charge a flat fee.

[Anonymous]

Yes, you should still be paid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parents are out of town correct? Unless someone else can pick him up in case of an emergency I would charge a flat fee.

+1

[Anonymous]

Wait what? You want to get paid for 24 hours a day?

[Anonymous]

To clarify, yes, the parents will be out of town. No, I don't expect to get paid 24 hours a day. I expect to be paid for all my working hours at my regular rate as well as a flat rate overnight. School hours are different though, because those are hours during the day when I could be working a different job but can't in case there's an issue at school. That's why I'm asking what the standard is for those hours.

[Anonymous]

Yes, they definitely need to pay you when they require you to be instantly available.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To clarify, yes, the parents will be out of town. No, I don't expect to get paid 24 hours a day. I expect to be paid for all my working hours at my regular rate as well as a flat rate overnight. School hours are different though, because those are hours during the day when I could be working a different job but can't in case there's an issue at school. That's why I'm asking what the standard is for those hours.

I would absolutely charge for the day (@ 7am -10pm) plus the overnight fee. Are you staying in their home? Anytime I am required to be in their home or availabile to the family, I am paid for that. Be clear about that up front.

[Anonymous]

I get paid any time I am not free to do something else. Now I might negotiate down to a lower rate for those hours or a flat rate but if they don’t want to pay you to retrieve their kid in the event he gets a fever at 10am on a school day then they will need to have someone else on call.

[Anonymous]

Personally I would charge hourly from 7am-11pm and $50 flat rate for the overnight part. I would not charge for school hours unless I had to go pick the kid up from school.

I used to babysit during the day for extra money when my Nanny kid started school. The babysitting parents knew that the Nanny job came first and that I might have to take their kid with me to pick up Nanny kid.....It never happened though.

[Anonymous]

Of course they need to pay you if they want you on call.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To clarify, yes, the parents will be out of town. No, I don't expect to get paid 24 hours a day. I expect to be paid for all my working hours at my regular rate as well as a flat rate overnight. School hours are different though, because those are hours during the day when I could be working a different job but can't in case there's an issue at school. That's why I'm asking what the standard is for those hours.

Why can't you work a different job and just tell them the situation. Plenty of parents work while their kids are at school, they don't sit around just in case they get called.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To clarify, yes, the parents will be out of town. No, I don't expect to get paid 24 hours a day. I expect to be paid for all my working hours at my regular rate as well as a flat rate overnight. School hours are different though, because those are hours during the day when I could be working a different job but can't in case there's an issue at school. That's why I'm asking what the standard is for those hours.

Why can't you work a different job and just tell them the situation. Plenty of parents work while their kids are at school, they don't sit around just in case they get called.

Because a nanny/sitter cannot leave her second-job charges if the first charges get sick or hurt at school. Being a nanny is not like other jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait what? You want to get paid for 24 hours a day?

If she is on duty, then, yes, she should be paid. If when kid is in school and she is free to do whatever she wants to do with no obligation to child, then she doesn't get paid.

[Anonymous]

I have negotiated a travel rate - $400 for the day. I use this rate when traveling with the family or staying overnight with the children.

So much easier and unambiguous.