Raise talk- how much/how to handle (nanny/housekeeper)

[Anonymous]

I have a daily morning nanny/housekeeper for two hours every morning. She’s worked for me for 2 years starting when my only child was 6. She takes care of breakfast/lunch/backpack reset/very short walk to bus/drive to very nearby summer camps.

She also does our laundry, dishes, vacuums, cleans bathrooms (not shower scrubbing but she does toilets), changes sheets.

For these services I pay her $30/hr for a total of $300 weekly. It’s an indulgence and I view it as self care that vastly improves my everyday existence.

It’s just my child and I, plus our cat (she feeds in the AM but doesn’t do litter).

She has two weeks of vacation, plus she’s paid if we are out of town, and if she calls out, I pay her regardless.

I think the wage is fair for what she does - I have a low maintenance child who is more independent by the day and can, at this point, go to the bus himself.

She has asked for a raise and I’d like to know what is reasonable. She’s asking for a raise at the same time that I’m asking myself if I need her so much. I also have a friend who lives nearby who might be interested in having her come a few days per week, so that might be a solution to giving her more $ and less hours. Welcome your thoughts.

[Anonymous]

Does your nanny have another job for the rest of day or not? Either way your nanny may not want to or able to work extra hours but no harm in asking. I would not do less hours though. If your child is independent, I would rather hire a weekly house cleaner and save the money. Another idea is to offer more hours to your nanny for weekly date night babysitting.

[Anonymous]

Personally I think you’re paying her well for what she does. But finding someone to work those hours is like finding a unicorn. So many people with school age kids only need mornings and it’s really hard to find someone.
I’d probably give a $2 raise per hour to keep her.

[Anonymous]

I would do $2-4 raise. Maybe start with $2.50. It's probably not worth her time to come one hour a day vs. two and if you reduce her hours, she'll probably leave. Its hard to find someone like that.

[Anonymous]

I think that is a very good hourly rate for the job description.

[Anonymous]

I am definitely in the minority here but I personally feel that $30/Hr is very low to pay someone to vacuum floors, do adult laundry as well as scrub a bathroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a daily morning nanny/housekeeper for two hours every morning. She’s worked for me for 2 years starting when my only child was 6. She takes care of breakfast/lunch/backpack reset/very short walk to bus/drive to very nearby summer camps.

She also does our laundry, dishes, vacuums, cleans bathrooms (not shower scrubbing but she does toilets), changes sheets.

For these services I pay her $30/hr for a total of $300 weekly. It’s an indulgence and I view it as self care that vastly improves my everyday existence.

It’s just my child and I, plus our cat (she feeds in the AM but doesn’t do litter).

She has two weeks of vacation, plus she’s paid if we are out of town, and if she calls out, I pay her regardless.

I think the wage is fair for what she does - I have a low maintenance child who is more independent by the day and can, at this point, go to the bus himself.

She has asked for a raise and I’d like to know what is reasonable. She’s asking for a raise at the same time that I’m asking myself if I need her so much. I also have a friend who lives nearby who might be interested in having her come a few days per week, so that might be a solution to giving her more $ and less hours. Welcome your thoughts.

Wow, I would love to find someone who would do this level of work for me for $30/hour, and come every day for two hours. I have scoured care.com, offered $35 for childcare only with a 2 hour minimum (basically just wanting someone to get my children up and out the door on days I need to leave early-I have offered to pay the $70 for two hours even if they don’t work two hours) and have never been able to find someone consistent, much less someone who would also clean and do laundry.

Where did you find this person? If you refuse to raise her rate and she decides to leave then can you post her contact info here so someone else can hire her?

[Anonymous]

We went up $2/hour and thad was 14 years ago…so I think $3-4 is fair…

[Anonymous]

Well, you have the holy grail of reliable help for just a few hours a week. I think $30/hr is fair, and also the minimum you should expect to pay when the hours are so few but are when you want them.

So I think you have to think hard about what it's worth to you. I totally understand this kind of luxury/support/backup/stress reducing help. Totally. So I could see giving her a raise of $1-2/hr. But if you're ready to be done w/ having help then that's ok also.

This is the hardest kind of help to find so you probably should think in terms of being done altogether, rather than being able to replace her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a daily morning nanny/housekeeper for two hours every morning. She’s worked for me for 2 years starting when my only child was 6. She takes care of breakfast/lunch/backpack reset/very short walk to bus/drive to very nearby summer camps.

She also does our laundry, dishes, vacuums, cleans bathrooms (not shower scrubbing but she does toilets), changes sheets.

For these services I pay her $30/hr for a total of $300 weekly. It’s an indulgence and I view it as self care that vastly improves my everyday existence.

It’s just my child and I, plus our cat (she feeds in the AM but doesn’t do litter).

She has two weeks of vacation, plus she’s paid if we are out of town, and if she calls out, I pay her regardless.

I think the wage is fair for what she does - I have a low maintenance child who is more independent by the day and can, at this point, go to the bus himself.

She has asked for a raise and I’d like to know what is reasonable. She’s asking for a raise at the same time that I’m asking myself if I need her so much. I also have a friend who lives nearby who might be interested in having her come a few days per week, so that might be a solution to giving her more $ and less hours. Welcome your thoughts.

You are lucky, you should have been paying her $50-/hr. I would raise her to $35/,hr if you want to keep her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am definitely in the minority here but I personally feel that $30/Hr is very low to pay someone to vacuum floors, do adult laundry as well as scrub a bathroom.

It's low, indeed! I make $35 hourly and don't have to scrub bathroom. Just general tide-up room, unload dishwasher, walk the dog and make sure the child is on time at the bus stop. A $2.50 raise would be helpful. Everything is expensive and every year the cost of rent increases.

[Anonymous]

I would just get a weekly housekeeper.

Does she at least clean /take in mail/water plants/ feed cat when you are out of town?