Unless it's MUTUAL, most nannies draw the healthy boundary line with credit checks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nannies have more cause to demand a credit report from their potential employers than the potential employers do of the nanny. We should know if they are able to afford us.


BTW, I wouldn't cross that line with any potential employer and I would never give my permission from them to access my credit report.

Agree. Nannies should also do a criminal check. You are working in a house, not an office.

We have no clue if the father of the child is a rapist. During one of my jobs, the father started working at home. He spent way too much time hanging around me. It was really creepy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MB here who requires a background check but never a credit check. Personally, I think there are many reasons a person might have bad credit and still be an excellent employee. For example, medical bills, family expenses, horrible divorces, home expenses after a catastrophe...there are countless reasons for bad credit and I don't see a correlation between bad credit and a good employee.

That said, nannies need to avoid being naive. Many employers, especially for higher paying jobs, will require such checks. You can have a bottom line of refusal, but you could well be sacrificing the higher paying jobs. This has long been the way of the non-nanny world and nannies need to realize they can't always escape the requirements that their employers have to deal with and have become the norm for them.

Thats the point of the credit check, to show you those things and let you ask about them. No ones saying to look at the check and see some medical bills and pass on the nanny. You are gathering extra information to see if the employee is a good choice, and you have to use your judgement when reviewing that information.

Of course! The same way nannies should use THEIR judgement when reviewing your (poor?) credit history. For example, if you have significant late payments, perhaps you will need to pay the nanny on Mondays. Than she need not worry that you'll be late with her paychecks.

You don't have to automatically be overlooked because of your credit problems, even if you've now cleaned up your act.

Think whatever you want, but I'm the one offering a job and the nanny is the one unemployed. If a nanny is going to be annoying enough to ask for references, a credit check, or anything else of me then I will just move on to a more professional nanny.

Why do you think any intellegent professional would trust you? Because you have a child with whom you need help?

I'm trusting them. I'm leaving them alone in my home for hours. I'm giving them charge of my child. I'm giving them a debit card. I'm trusting them when they say they spent $20 out of their pocket on my child. I'm trusting them to show up each day. I'm trusting them to not rummage through my jewelry box.

But you think it's "equal" for them to request a credit check of me because I need to pay them $400 a week? Maybe if you are interviewing with a family in a trailer park you might be justified in asking for a MB credit check because $400 a week might be beyond their means, but when you come to my 6,000 SF house in an acre in DC and you had the nerve to ask me for a credit check to make sure I can pay you I would end the interview immediately.

For $400/wk, you don't have anyone showing up! Trump routinely cheats sunbcontractors and you sound like a trump-type person. Noveau riche and orange.

[Anonymous]

This is the nanny forum, not politics. - DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MB here who requires a background check but never a credit check. Personally, I think there are many reasons a person might have bad credit and still be an excellent employee. For example, medical bills, family expenses, horrible divorces, home expenses after a catastrophe...there are countless reasons for bad credit and I don't see a correlation between bad credit and a good employee.

That said, nannies need to avoid being naive. Many employers, especially for higher paying jobs, will require such checks. You can have a bottom line of refusal, but you could well be sacrificing the higher paying jobs. This has long been the way of the non-nanny world and nannies need to realize they can't always escape the requirements that their employers have to deal with and have become the norm for them.

Thats the point of the credit check, to show you those things and let you ask about them. No ones saying to look at the check and see some medical bills and pass on the nanny. You are gathering extra information to see if the employee is a good choice, and you have to use your judgement when reviewing that information.

Of course! The same way nannies should use THEIR judgement when reviewing your (poor?) credit history. For example, if you have significant late payments, perhaps you will need to pay the nanny on Mondays. Than she need not worry that you'll be late with her paychecks.

You don't have to automatically be overlooked because of your credit problems, even if you've now cleaned up your act.

Think whatever you want, but I'm the one offering a job and the nanny is the one unemployed. If a nanny is going to be annoying enough to ask for references, a credit check, or anything else of me then I will just move on to a more professional nanny.

Why do you think any intellegent professional would trust you? Because you have a child with whom you need help?

I'm trusting them. I'm leaving them alone in my home for hours. I'm giving them charge of my child. I'm giving them a debit card. I'm trusting them when they say they spent $20 out of their pocket on my child. I'm trusting them to show up each day. I'm trusting them to not rummage through my jewelry box.

But you think it's "equal" for them to request a credit check of me because I need to pay them $400 a week? Maybe if you are interviewing with a family in a trailer park you might be justified in asking for a MB credit check because $400 a week might be beyond their means, but when you come to my 6,000 SF house in an acre in DC and you had the nerve to ask me for a credit check to make sure I can pay you I would end the interview immediately.

For $400/wk, you don't have anyone showing up! Trump routinely cheats sunbcontractors and you sound like a trump-type person. Noveau riche and orange.

Nanny here. Actually I would demand a credit report from my employer if they wanted to run mine. What does my credit have to do with my job? I am taking care of your child and only my criminal background check and references matter. I worked for a couple with good jobs and a nice home. Guess what? Majority of their checks they gave me bounced. I was young and stayed with them for a year. I was probably paid late on average 1-2 a month. You are paying tenant, not the other way around. Your credit report matters much more than mine does.

[Anonymous]

Always google your family, run their names through the criminal dockets, check the Megan’s law website. We’re also taking a risk in working in someone’s home, it’s good to be informed.

That said I think checking credit is a bit much for a normal nanny job. I had a bunch of credit card debt for years as fall out from a divorce, I paid all my bills on time but between that and student loan debt I looked more risky than I was. I’d hate to think I’d be eliminated from consideration based on assumptions.

[Anonymous]

It's not typical in the nanny field and that's the bottom line. We don't have to accept this. Find another family if you're uncomfortable. There's one on every corner.

[Anonymous]

I don’t mind credit checks because I have excellent credit.

That being said, I’ve never found the correlation between credit scores and whether or not a nanny is capable.

[Anonymous]

I also have excellent credit. But I also have some accounts with a couple of high end places where I occasionally shop.

I would not be interested in sharing my personal finances with some random UNKNOWN and UNVETTED parent.

Nannies:
Do NOT give your social security number to anyone until AFTER you have an a good contract in hand signed by all parties.

Don't be stupid.
Identity Theft is a Real Thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

nannydebsays wrote:IMO, most families have no need to run a credit check on a potential nanny. All the parents need to do is sufficient background and reference checking, and they need to establish a way for nanny to pay for whatever incidentals or weekly bills may occur as Nanny and charges are out and about.

There are many ways of providing money to nanny without allowing access to your total family assets:

1) Petty Cash. Spend money, leave receipts, replenish money as needed

2) Visa/Mastercard gift cards or pre-loaded cards, leave receipts, reload card

3) Credit card with low limit, leave receipts, adjust limit up if needed

4) "Household Checking Account" with debit card, leave receipts, transfer funds into account as needed

What sort of families might actually need to do a credit check?

A) Families that are hiring a "Full Charge" nanny who will be taking over ALL spending for kids and possibly household items.

B) Families hiring a "House Manager" who will also be managing bill payments in all aspects of family life. And these families should have a second level of oversight in place regardless.

C) Families with a full staff who expect their House Manager or Personal Assistant to overlook Nanny's spending.

D) High Profile or High Net Worth families who might actually not notice that they are several thousand dollars low on X, Y, or Z account until their thieving employee has given notice.

Agree. Nanny may also want a credit check on the family if they are unknown to her.

This is exactly correct.

Here is Ms. Exactly bumping up ancient threads again to get parents and nannies riled up again.

[Anonymous]

If the problem still exists, old threads have a good reason to be resurrected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the problem still exists, old threads have a good reason to be resurrected.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the problem still exists, old threads have a good reason to be resurrected.

Exactly.

Stop sock-puppeting.

[Anonymous]

Why is a TB/background/social security # check ok but credit not ok? It is unusual, yes because there aren't that many ways for an individual to check another individual's credit. Companies check credit, individuals no.

But to say "never ever say yes because they'll ask you for the color of panties next" is even more weird.