Overtime for hours not worked

[Anonymous]

Hi!

We have a nanny 50 hrs a week so we pay her 10 hrs time and a half. When she takes PTO or we have days off where we don't need her we still pay her 50 hours but at her base rate ($22/hr) for 50 hours not time and a half if she doesn't work beyond 40 hours. She is pushing back and asking for OT no matter what. Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

How many guaranteed hours? If none/no contract, you generally don’t get overtime unless you actually work the overtime hours. My guess is she is asking for guaranteed hours/pay.

[Anonymous]

Her contract says her schedule is 50 hours due to 8-6 general need but it also says OT will be paid for hours worked. Which is very typical of an hourly position + aligned with the law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Her contract says her schedule is 50 hours due to 8-6 general need but it also says OT will be paid for hours worked. Which is very typical of an hourly position + aligned with the law.

If you don't need her, you pay; PTO, no OT. However, if you like her and want her to stay, I would pay the OT as guaranteed hours.

[Anonymous]

So this is what my employer does during vacation, holidays, pto and I think it’s fair. So no matter what, I get paid 50 hrs but I only get paid the overtime rate when I actually work the 50 hrs. Now if they come home early I still get my overtime rate. It only changes on holidays, vacations and PTO. Would I prefer to get the overtime rate during vacation? Absolutely! But that’s not realistic. No job pays you an overtime rate if you aren’t working.

[Anonymous]

^^ So true. ^^

[Anonymous]

MB here. I have never bothered to parse this. We pay our nanny a guaranteed rate for 50 hrs/week, 52 weeks/year, and that doesn't change for weeks of vacation, or holidays, or when for any reason she doesn't work 50 hrs.

Does that cost us more in actual dollars than it would if we were more attentive to actual hours worked? Sure. But it would take a lot of time to calculate/check/adjust actual pay rates on a weekly basis and I don't want to be bothered with that. And I don't like worrying about individual hours (or portions of hours). So maybe our nanny makes out better as a result but I'm ok with that - I want her to feel respected and professional in her role, and being able to feel like you're on a guaranteed salary is party of that IMO.

It isn't worth the nickel and dime savings to me to have to deal with the hassle and to make our nanny feel diminished in any way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MB here. I have never bothered to parse this. We pay our nanny a guaranteed rate for 50 hrs/week, 52 weeks/year, and that doesn't change for weeks of vacation, or holidays, or when for any reason she doesn't work 50 hrs.

Does that cost us more in actual dollars than it would if we were more attentive to actual hours worked? Sure. But it would take a lot of time to calculate/check/adjust actual pay rates on a weekly basis and I don't want to be bothered with that. And I don't like worrying about individual hours (or portions of hours). So maybe our nanny makes out better as a result but I'm ok with that - I want her to feel respected and professional in her role, and being able to feel like you're on a guaranteed salary is party of that IMO.

It isn't worth the nickel and dime savings to me to have to deal with the hassle and to make our nanny feel diminished in any way.

That’s what a payroll system is for.

[Anonymous]

I would suspect the problem is coming from this part

we have days off where we don't need

It's one thing as a nanny to know I wouldn't get my full income for my two weeks of vacation, but to not get it whenever the family decides they don't need me that week is another story. I would be reserving time for you without being guaranteed income. I would have a conversation with the nanny and specify how many hours per week you can really guarantee. If you don't guarantee the overtime hours, she may not be willing to reserve that time for you. If I were your nanny, I'd be fine with not having OT for vacation weeks, but not random weeks throughout the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MB here. I have never bothered to parse this. We pay our nanny a guaranteed rate for 50 hrs/week, 52 weeks/year, and that doesn't change for weeks of vacation, or holidays, or when for any reason she doesn't work 50 hrs.

Does that cost us more in actual dollars than it would if we were more attentive to actual hours worked? Sure. But it would take a lot of time to calculate/check/adjust actual pay rates on a weekly basis and I don't want to be bothered with that. And I don't like worrying about individual hours (or portions of hours). So maybe our nanny makes out better as a result but I'm ok with that - I want her to feel respected and professional in her role, and being able to feel like you're on a guaranteed salary is party of that IMO.

It isn't worth the nickel and dime savings to me to have to deal with the hassle and to make our nanny feel diminished in any way.

That’s what a payroll system is for.

I use a payroll system. To adjust hours this way means the nanny gets paid a week later for the work, and someone has to go in and enter actual hours worked each week. It is not worth my time to do that, nor is it worth it to make the nanny feel like every quarter hour is being micromanaged. All 3 nannies I've employed over the years have vastly preferred a fixed weekly salary (based on hourly rates) that they can count on. I would also. I see no upside in trying to save some small amount of money per week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MB here. I have never bothered to parse this. We pay our nanny a guaranteed rate for 50 hrs/week, 52 weeks/year, and that doesn't change for weeks of vacation, or holidays, or when for any reason she doesn't work 50 hrs.

Does that cost us more in actual dollars than it would if we were more attentive to actual hours worked? Sure. But it would take a lot of time to calculate/check/adjust actual pay rates on a weekly basis and I don't want to be bothered with that. And I don't like worrying about individual hours (or portions of hours). So maybe our nanny makes out better as a result but I'm ok with that - I want her to feel respected and professional in her role, and being able to feel like you're on a guaranteed salary is party of that IMO.

It isn't worth the nickel and dime savings to me to have to deal with the hassle and to make our nanny feel diminished in any way.

That’s what a payroll system is for.

I use a payroll system. To adjust hours this way means the nanny gets paid a week later for the work, and someone has to go in and enter actual hours worked each week. It is not worth my time to do that, nor is it worth it to make the nanny feel like every quarter hour is being micromanaged. All 3 nannies I've employed over the years have vastly preferred a fixed weekly salary (based on hourly rates) that they can count on. I would also. I see no upside in trying to save some small amount of money per week.

1. No the nanny wouldn’t get paid a week later. I get paid every week even when hours have to be adjusted. The system allows for weekly changes but they have to be done by a certain day. At most her pay would be a day late.

2. It’s not micromanaging when you have a contract that outlines hours. That is how hourly employment works. Just like if I work more overtime hours I want to be paid for it.

3. I’m not disagreeing that salary is great, just pointing out your logic flawed. If payroll is done correctly and according to what is stated in the contract there aren’t issues.

[Anonymous]

People who nickle and dime nannies are the ones who go through a lot of nannies. Treat your nanny the way you wish to be treated.