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My 1 family/2 children rate is $20 base.
My 1 family/1 child rate is $16 base.
My 2 families/2 children rate is $24 base. Each family pays 75% of my 1 family/1 child rate.
My 1 family/1 child rate is $16 base.
My 2 families/2 children rate is $24 base. Each family pays 75% of my 1 family/1 child rate.
I would take it if they were willing to double my usual rate. That would cover the additional hours they want me available, the unpaid time off, and the unpaid summers.
It sounds like this family wants a nanny, but can in no way AFFORD a nanny. Thank them for their interest and walk away.
It sounds like this family wants a nanny, but can in no way AFFORD a nanny. Thank them for their interest and walk away.
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for your responses. Let me ask a couple of follow-ups.
Would your answer change about wanting that job if one of the parents worked from home full time?
Would it make a difference to you if the reason that the parents wanted/needed you at 5:30 was because they were going to work out as opposed to going to work at that hour?
Is having pets an issue for any of you? We have two dogs and two cats. I wouldn't expect you to do anything with the animals but it would be helpful if you at least liked them.
I would also like those hours, OP, as long as the end time was set in stone except for emergencies.
1) I am fine with WAHP if there are firm boundaries, if the office is away from the living area and not near the baby's room, and if there is open communication and the parent is willing to listen rather than become defensive.
----Boundaries - I need to know that I am in charge while I am working. If you are working from home, please work. Don't come rushing out to take over if the baby/toddler/child makes an odd noise, or you 'hear something strange'. Trust that I am fully capable of doing my job, and that I will yell for you in case I *need* your help.
----Your office - Basement, bedroom away from where I am playing with your child or where she sleeps. Any other place where you can be "Out of sight, out of mind". What will not work - living room, kitchen table, room next door to the baby's room during naps when you are on the phone, etc. YOU need privacy to do your job, I need calm and quiet to do my job.
----Communication - You have been coming up for lunch with your baby and me for months. All is wonderful, then separation anxiety hits. You come up for lunch and leave, and your child becomes hysterical. This happens all week. I ask to speak with you the following Monday, and after the meltdown, I put baby to bed, and we talk. I ask you tactfully and politely to consider not coming up for lunch for a few weeks, since baby gets so upset when you leave. If your response is, "Well, shouldn't you be able to calm her down? I want to see her, and it's your job to cope with her being a little sad when I leave." then we have a big problem. If, OTOH, your response is, "I was actually thinking the same thing. Should we give it 2 or 3 weeks then try again? What could I do to help her feel less anxious when I have to walk away from her? Can we brainstorm about that this week?" then you might be in the running for employer of the year.
2) If you are paying me for my time, feel free to work out, work, take a nap, go shopping.....you get the picture.
3) I like animals just fine. I know other nannies who are allergic, or just don't like dogs and/or cats. Mention your pets in your ad and in your initial phone conversation with candidates, and you should be fine.
Anonymous wrote:
The hours I require during the school year are 12:30PM-5:30PM (probably off closer to 5:15, but this time block just in case). From 12:30PM to 3PM I need someone to do basic grocery shopping, laundry, straighten the house, run errands as needed, basic meal prep (like chop onions, start rice, peel potatoes type stuff). Around 3, get the kids from school, make the a snack, let them play (prevent them from killing each other), supervise their chores, get them started on homework, and possibly drive them to a practice or activity. Kids are 7 & 11.
Summer hours would be a flat 40 guaranteed, but in reality my kids are in half day camps every other week or so. Same house duties as above. Sometimes the day would be 7-3, sometimes 9-5. As far as going to the grocery store and other short errands, kids are old enough to be left at home. Again, the nanny is needed for supervision, these are not toddler children.
2 weeks vacation of your choice, all federal holidays off, and paid when the family takes vacation (this year we are taking a 3.5 week vacation in the summer, on week at Christmas, and 1 week at spring break and would not require nanny to take her vacation at the same time-the 3.5 weeks is NOT normal, normally it s 1 week in summer and a total of 3-4 weeks vacation for our family).
I'd like to do a flat rate of $500/wk, 52 weeks a year.
That would basically mean an average of $20/hr during the school year and $12.50 during the summer. Any potential OT (highly unlikely with the camp schedule, most likely nanny would be sub 40hrs) during the summer would be paid at the $12.50 time and a half rate, exceeding the flat $500 weekly rate.
Based on my calculations, this job would average out to 28.7hrs a week over 52 weeks and $17.74/hr at that flat rate and a potential for 4 weeks off paid a year, plus fed holidays.
OP, I am wondering how illness and teacher workdays and holidays from school will be handled? Will you pay extra for those days, or just assume they are covered by the "high" rate during the school year? Also, have you confirmed with your county/state that your children are old enough for the housekeeper to leave them home alone? Personally, I would want proof of that as well as a signed statement from you stating you had ordered me to follow your wishes and leave your kids home.
I would prepare a bit for interviews by printing out comparison charts, so you can give candidates their choice of a dependable weekly rate, or a fluctuating weekly rate between school weeks and non-school weeks. Choose an hourly rate that will NOT fluctuate for nthe second choice, do your calculations, and make up simple charts.
I would also offer guaranteed hours considering this will be a fairly low paying job. You will be likely to lose candidates when they hear they will not be paid when YOU choose to leave town or not use their services.
Obviously, you need to figure out your max budget for this - if you can pay no more than 26K, and don't plan to pay taxes, that's one thing, and you might be better off sticking with an AP. If you can afford to pay more, figure out how much more, and do your math
In my state, for a typical school year of 44 weeks, with about 8 weeks off during the school year (including break weeks, teacher work days, and the rare sick day), I would be paying for 36 20 hour weeks, and 16 40 hour weeks. Let's pretend my max budget is 26K and I an avoiding paying taxes. 720 hours plus 640 hours is 1360 total. 26000/1360 = $19.12/hour.
So the options you offer the candidates are:
$500/week - Steady dependable pay 52 weeks per year based on being available to work 1360 hours/year, or an "average" of 26 hours/week. Some weeks 20 hours, some weeks more, up to 40 hours depending on illness and school being closed/holidays. Total pay is $26,000/year
$19/hour, calculated weekly. "Typical" weekly hours guaranteed, additional pay when hours exceed the typical amount. Most weeks $380/gross. Approximately 16 weeks in the summer and through the school year, $760/gross. Best guess on yearly wages, (36 x 380) + (16 x 760) = $13,680 + $12,160 = $25,840
With a total gross yearly of $26,000 it might appeal to someone whose SO is the primary breadwinner. It would not appeal to anyone who is self-supporting or is the primary breadwinner for their family.
So the low pay will greatly limit your pool of candidates, but you might still find someone decent.
So the low pay will greatly limit your pool of candidates, but you might still find someone decent.
Your Nanny is doing exactly the right thing. Hopefully when your out of control child asks to go play in the basement she is calmly saying,"No, the basement is off limits this week since you locked me in last week."
Of course, you and your dh are likely letting him down in the basement to ride that bike as soon as your Nanny walks out the door at night, so you should expect your kid to lock nanny in the basement again as soon as she allows him to play down there again.
I look forward to your post within a month complaining that your Nanny quit because she just didn't understand your high spirited rambunctious buy.
Of course, you and your dh are likely letting him down in the basement to ride that bike as soon as your Nanny walks out the door at night, so you should expect your kid to lock nanny in the basement again as soon as she allows him to play down there again.
I look forward to your post within a month complaining that your Nanny quit because she just didn't understand your high spirited rambunctious buy.
Throw the issue back at them. If parents insist on working at home, they either need to grow up and deal with kid noise or soundproof their offices.
"MB/DB, I want to ask you for your ideas on how to keep your kids quiet when they are home and you are working. I have exhausted my box of tricks, and I know none of us enjoy it when you are screaming at the kids to be quiet.
How can I help you work in peace and quiet? I have noticed that the best way to get your kids to be quiet is to allow them all screen time. Is that your preference?"
Throw it back at them, stop beating yourself up, and start looking for a new position.
"MB/DB, I want to ask you for your ideas on how to keep your kids quiet when they are home and you are working. I have exhausted my box of tricks, and I know none of us enjoy it when you are screaming at the kids to be quiet.
How can I help you work in peace and quiet? I have noticed that the best way to get your kids to be quiet is to allow them all screen time. Is that your preference?"
Throw it back at them, stop beating yourself up, and start looking for a new position.
Anonymous wrote:Parents, I've been a nanny for 15 years and I would never prioritize jury duty over your family and you should allow your nannies too either.
So you've never been called for jury duty? How? Are you an illegal immigrant, not registered to vote, or just oddly lucky?
Because refusing to report to jury duty repeatedly tends to get you tossed in jail, and being absent on a contempt of court charge also disrupts your employers lives, right?
Anonymous wrote:FFS! Let me put this to you a different way, feel free to answer or not. How much more would you charge for a 30hr/ week position, over a four day period, than you would for a 40 hour/week position? Obviously your annual income would be reduced by 25% if your rates remained the same. Standard nanny requirements, nothing out of the ordinary. I have been a nanny for 10 years and jobs really don't vary too much.
It's obvious you hate being questioned, but here goes...do you plan to take.on another job? If not, and you earn enough to live on working 40 hours/week, divide that weekly gross by 30 and you have your PT rate for this job that you claim is just like every other nanny job that has ever existed. For example, if you earn $800/week for 40 hours, your rate needs to increase from $20/hour to $26.67, an increase of, DUH, 25%.
I think that would be a crazy increase, and would find a one-day-a-week gig and increase my rate by 10% for both jobs. But then I also think all Nanny jobs are different, so you will likely dismiss my advice.
Good luck to you, because you will need it FFS.
No less than $25/hour for every hour you are traveling to the gig, working, eating, or sleeping. Since I would be charging full rate for sleep time, I would not expect a food stipend.
My minimum would be $700
If you don't charge for sleep time, you should get a food stipend, amount determined by what an "average" meal costs where you are working.
And if you have to share a standard hotel room with 2 - 3 other women, you should charge your "overnight travel stipend" - Mine is $150 per night.
My minimum would be $700
If you don't charge for sleep time, you should get a food stipend, amount determined by what an "average" meal costs where you are working.
And if you have to share a standard hotel room with 2 - 3 other women, you should charge your "overnight travel stipend" - Mine is $150 per night.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I just saw someone on my neighborhood listserv looking for a live-in nanny to whom she'd pay $200-$300/week for full-time employment, two kids. She said she'd never had trouble finding someone to fill this role before but that now she was.
I think that is outrageously low and probably illegal. Am I wrong?
I saw someone advertising 9-11/hour, but when I talked to her, she wants to pay $200-250 for 40-50 hours. Yes, it's illegal, number of kids doesn't matter.
Rather than telling her it's illegal to hire a nanny for $200-300 per week, I would suggest steering her to the au pair program, which pays au pairs a $200 stipend for up to 45 hours per week.
Typical dishonesty. The low stipend is only a small part part of the total costs, not to mention the endless aggravation.
Official au pair costs are $375/week. It's more with unofficial costs. I don't think an au pair is actually cheaper than a live-in nanny. It's just a different experience - very different.
I make a minimum of $600 per week for 50+ hours. I would say that yes, an au pair is cheaper.
So, with overtime accounted for, your live-in rate is approx $11/hr. Total cost of hosting an AP is $410 week and we use 40 hrs/wk, so avg rate for us is $10.24/hr - not that much of a discount IMO. A HF using the full 45 hrs would have a bigger discount though.
Nannies are protected by the FLSA, which means a nanny is legally entitled to be paid at least minimum wage, either Federal or State, whichever is higher. In a few places in the US, LI nannies are also entitled to overtime, but that is the exception, not the general rule.
So an AP makes Federal minimum wage minus 40% for room and board, or $195.75/week for up to 45 hours. Program costs add about $175 to that amount, and then let's say all the "extras" (food, transport, and so on) are another $75/week. That means out of pocket costs for an AP are around $450/week, even though you pay program fees up front.
Now, if you hire a nanny to LI and earn minimum wage, she will actually earn $326.25 for a 45 hour week with no OT. You would likely not have any agency fees to pay, since no agency would place a minimum wage nanny, and you might look at about $75/week in extra costs, plus about $35 in employer taxes. So your total cost for a minimum wage LI nanny would be around $435/week, IF you could find such a rare unicorn.
And if you hire a LO nanny at minimum wage, she will earn $344.38/week, plus the additional $110 mentioned above, so $445/week total employer costs.
Now in the real world, no decent nanny will choose to work for minimum wage, so the actual cost of a nanny is much higher than the cost of an AP.
Op, it's stressful because you are bringing someone into your home to care for the little person/people you love more than anything in the world.
One way to minimize stress is to do a lot of work with references/background checks. Call references yourself AFTER googling them to make sure they are who nanny says they are, and have a list of open ended questions to ask based in part on the letter of reference they wrote. And get a 50 state background check done that checks for everything under the sun.
When you envision your "perfect" nanny, what are your non-negotiable must-haves? Look for these things first when composing your ad, then once you are doing screening phone interviews ask about your "want-to-haves" and ask about lower priority things when you have culled your applicant list down to those 4 - 6 people you want to interview in person.
Once you are down to a choice between 2 - 3 candidates, have them all over for a 4 hour paid "test run". Tell them some basics about your child(ren), then step back and observe.
Long list of advice short, compose a good descriptive ad, screen/background check as thoroughly as you can, and trust your instincts.
One way to minimize stress is to do a lot of work with references/background checks. Call references yourself AFTER googling them to make sure they are who nanny says they are, and have a list of open ended questions to ask based in part on the letter of reference they wrote. And get a 50 state background check done that checks for everything under the sun.
When you envision your "perfect" nanny, what are your non-negotiable must-haves? Look for these things first when composing your ad, then once you are doing screening phone interviews ask about your "want-to-haves" and ask about lower priority things when you have culled your applicant list down to those 4 - 6 people you want to interview in person.
Once you are down to a choice between 2 - 3 candidates, have them all over for a 4 hour paid "test run". Tell them some basics about your child(ren), then step back and observe.
Long list of advice short, compose a good descriptive ad, screen/background check as thoroughly as you can, and trust your instincts.
I buy my cars to fit my needs. The one time I cared for 3 kids that family bought a used minivan that I drove. They insured it, they kept it at their house, etc.
You might also try layering a second set of sheets and some thick towels or a waterproof pad on his bed. Then he could take the wet towels/sheets off if he wakes wet in the middle of the night.
Layer like this: Mattress protector, sheets, second waterproof pad, second set of sheets, towels.
Layer like this: Mattress protector, sheets, second waterproof pad, second set of sheets, towels.
Anonymous wrote:What should I offer to pay a nanny who will be bringing her 6 mo old daughter with her?
She will be picking up our preschooler at noon. We have given her the option of going to her home or coming to ours at that time. She needs to be at home by 3 when our two older kids arrive home and she will stay until 5-6 pm.
We are asking her to do the kids' laundry once a week and make sure the kids are picking up after themselves - preparing snacks, and the occasional helping put dinner in the oven.
I assume you have already discussed how her baby will be accommodated in your home WRT naps, supply storage, and so forth. Will nanny need a vehicle that can safely seat 4 kids in the rear seating areas? Does she own a minivan/large SUV? Does she baby wear, which would allow her to have 2 hands free at times?
I would also ask her some questions directly related to how she plans to balance your kids needs with the needs of her infant.
---I would like to hear how you would structure your day here, with specifics about how you envision your child's day to day routine.
---How would you handle a situation where all 4 kids need your help? How would you prioritize?
---Here is the weekly schedule for our kids activities. Does this look like a schedule you will be able to balance with your baby and the household needs we are asking you to fulfill?
And so on - give her specific examples and scenarios involving your kids needs.
And I would insist she is at your house from noon - 6. Doing however many loads of laundry a week between 3 and 6 with all 4 kids around seems...impractical. (Saying this as nanny to 2 under 3 who is often challenged to do 4 loads in a 55 hour workweek!)
And since this is a PT job with a fairly heavy workload in terms of the number of kids to manage, I wouldn't discount her pay by more than 25% of what a nanny with her experience/references would make without a baby along. PT jobs usually offer higher hourly rates to make them attractive to nannies who would prefer FT work.
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