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OP, are you annoyed enough about the no-show to limit this person's ability to find any further jobs through care.com?
Because a negative review will do just that. Parents (since they pay to keep care running) can post whatever they wish, and nannies who try to have the reviews removed by care get banned from the site.
If you had HIRED this person and she did a no show, then sure, post a review. But it seems petty, especially since your review will be on her "permanent record", to write a review for this.
Because a negative review will do just that. Parents (since they pay to keep care running) can post whatever they wish, and nannies who try to have the reviews removed by care get banned from the site.
If you had HIRED this person and she did a no show, then sure, post a review. But it seems petty, especially since your review will be on her "permanent record", to write a review for this.
OP, while this situation could work out wonderfully, you need to approach this neighbor/friend with YOUR wants for your child and see if she is willing to accommodate your needs, likely to her child's detriment.
Is she willing to follow your child's schedule, even if it means her kid misses out on classes or outings?
Is she willing to do as YOU want when it comes to feedings/naps/etc.?
You need to list what you have to have from daycare, what you'd like to have from daycare, and what is optional/fully negotiable. Then you need to take your friendly feelings, put them aside, and talk BUSINESS.
FWIW, unless this friend is going to act as an actual nanny (no personal errands on the clock unless pre-approved, her child comes second, your needs are first) the $400 you offered is the max I'd suggest you pay, unless you are seeking more than 45 - 50 hours of care.
Is she willing to follow your child's schedule, even if it means her kid misses out on classes or outings?
Is she willing to do as YOU want when it comes to feedings/naps/etc.?
You need to list what you have to have from daycare, what you'd like to have from daycare, and what is optional/fully negotiable. Then you need to take your friendly feelings, put them aside, and talk BUSINESS.
FWIW, unless this friend is going to act as an actual nanny (no personal errands on the clock unless pre-approved, her child comes second, your needs are first) the $400 you offered is the max I'd suggest you pay, unless you are seeking more than 45 - 50 hours of care.
bleuazul wrote:My budget for wages, taxes, and health care payments for the nanny is $4,100/month. Are you saying that I should be vigilant about previous experience and references or that I should scrap my plan and come up with a new one? Either way, help.
OP, if your budget is 4100 per month INCLUDING your share of taxes and some health care assistance, let's run the numbers:
4100 * 12 = 49200
Taxes (SS/Medicare, unemployment, etc.) will add 10% to your weekly cost for wages. That means 49200 is not only gross wages, but also your share of taxes. Doing the math means your budget for wages is actually 44,727. If you want to contribute to nanny's health insurance at a rate of $150/month, that drops your wages budget by an additional 1800/year, to 42,927.
42,927 divided by 52 is a gross weekly rate of $825.52 for 50 hours a week with 3 under 3. Lets make that a nice round $825/week. That allows for an "average" hourly rate of $16.50, with an actual hourly rate of $15/hour, $22.5/hour OT.
Will you be offering extensive PTO or other benefits that are technically "free"? Or will you toss your health insurance idea, and add that money back into wages, for a weekly gross of $860 ($17.20 "average" hourly, $15.64 "actual" hourly, $23.46 OT rate)?
What about yearly raises for good performance? How will you afford to pay nanny her mileage reimbursement if she is driving your kids anywhere - does that have to come out of your $4100/month budget as well? Or will you be providing a car, since seeking a nanny with a car that fits 3 car seats severely limits your candidate pool?
Are you seeking anything beyond childcare? Do you expect nanny to do any household work beyond kid laundry, room tidying, and basic meal prep?
That hourly wage ($15 - $15.60/hour gross) will likely get you a caregiver who is completely new to being a nanny, although she will likely have babysitting experience, or, if you're lucky, you might find a daycare worker looking for a change of pace.
What you will not get for the wage you can afford (unless you live somewhere where the COL is insanely low) is a hardworking EXPERIENCED nanny who can definitely handle the job.
OP, if you do as the PP suggests, you should be prepared for your nanny to give you very short notice as soon as she has secured another position.
In virtually any other childcare situation you pay to "hold your place" or to "retain services". You choose to skip paying for a week or 2 of daycare, you'll wind up without daycare. You choose to skip paying your nanny because you choose to not use her services, you'll be without a nanny as soon as she can dump you.
In virtually any other childcare situation you pay to "hold your place" or to "retain services". You choose to skip paying for a week or 2 of daycare, you'll wind up without daycare. You choose to skip paying your nanny because you choose to not use her services, you'll be without a nanny as soon as she can dump you.
I always marvel how an adult manages on $15./hr. Please give us a sketch of what you imagine her monthly budget might look like. For instance, can she afford to live on her own? If not, how many people does she need to share her kitchen with?
A nanny who earns $15/hour ($22.50 OT) in a 50 hour a week job is making $825/week, or $42900/year. That's not exactly chump change in my neck of the woods, why is it such a bad yearly rate in your area PP?
Anonymous wrote:We are exploring having a live-in nanny.
We are offering a downstairs room, full bath, and living area with it's own entrance/exit. $500/week in salary (after room/board/taxes deductions) with 2 weeks paid vacation, earned personal/sick days, and all federal holidays off with pay.
Hours would be 8:30-6:30pm M-F with weekends off.
Is this fair? I'm seeing mixed answers on going rates in the area (we are in Silver Spring, MD).
Don't negotiate in net wages. Make any offers or list weekly wages in GROSS only, so that there isn't a lot of extra tax paperwork. Good luck!
Anonymous wrote:Above market, most live-ins make $200-$350.
I am not sure where you live, but in no way is $200/week adequate pay for a 45 hour week, which you said was the norm above.
Federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Assuming a nanny is not in a state with higher minimum wage laws or in a state with OT laws covering LI nannies, $326.25 is the very least a LI nanny in that particular situation should earn as a GROSS wage per week.
Yes, an Au Pair may make around $200 a week, but an Au Pair is not a Nanny, and a Nanny is not an Au Pair. AP's make FEDERAL minimum wage minus 40% for room and board. If that is what you can afford to pay for 45 hours per week of childcare, and you can also afford the program fees, hire an AP. If you can't afford the program fees, find a good daycare situation.
Nannies who LI generally make about $2 less per hour than LO nannies, although some LI nannies don't accept a discounted wage, and some even ask for higher pay due to the fact that their off hours are likely to be infringed on by employers.
Since we don't know where OP is living, let's play the numbers based on the mythical $12 - $15 per hour that many say "most" nannies make. 50 hours a week at the discounted rate of $10/hour is $500 gross per week. 50 hours a week at the discounted rate of $13/hour is $650 gross per week. So OP is actually in the right pay zone, although she needs to talk GROSS pay, not net, with any potential employees.
And OP, when you do start the process to find a new nanny, ask her how she would handle the morning issues you are having!
Also, it's not only important to tell nanny she is in charge, but also tell your KIDS nanny is in charge, and that they are to go to her first.
Good luck in finding a nanny who is professional AND proactive.
Also, it's not only important to tell nanny she is in charge, but also tell your KIDS nanny is in charge, and that they are to go to her first.
Good luck in finding a nanny who is professional AND proactive.
Anonymous wrote:It would be stupid to trust the person instantly.nannydebsays wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We have one. We didn't tell our nanny. We feel no guilt about this at all.
Do you also not care if she finds it and quits? I know plenty of nannies who have no problem working on camera, myself included, but I don't know any who would be okay with her employers secretly taping her. I wouldn't quit on the spot. I'd take special consideration to be super nanny on camera, get an evaluation or recommendation letter from you, find a great new position, then leave you high and dry. If you think its okay to be sneaky and dishonest, why should your nanny treat you any differently?
We'll deal with it if you quit with no notice. I just don't want you abusing my child when you think nobody can see you. That's why we don't tell our nanny.
You don't trust the person you hired.
.
I guess then it's "stupid" to leave your child with a nanny you don't trust, right? Maybe if parents do background checks, contact and speak with references, and take the time to interview carefully, they'll be better able to trust the person they hire.
Of course, that logic doesn't apply to the PP who is going to "deal with it" when nanny finds the secret cams and quits. That PP will just hire the first person they find when the previous nanny quits, and then cope with the consequences if that person does abuse their kid. Brilliant plan. Hope that works out for them.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We have one. We didn't tell our nanny. We feel no guilt about this at all.
Do you also not care if she finds it and quits? I know plenty of nannies who have no problem working on camera, myself included, but I don't know any who would be okay with her employers secretly taping her. I wouldn't quit on the spot. I'd take special consideration to be super nanny on camera, get an evaluation or recommendation letter from you, find a great new position, then leave you high and dry. If you think its okay to be sneaky and dishonest, why should your nanny treat you any differently?
We'll deal with it if you quit with no notice. I just don't want you abusing my child when you think nobody can see you. That's why we don't tell our nanny.
So instead of being upfront about the fact that you will nanny cam, you choose to hide that fact because you apparently believe the person you hired is a potential abuser.. I am trying to wrap my head around that logic.
You don't trust the person you hired.
So you chose to break trust with that person at the time she was hired by installing a secret nanny cam.
And you expect to one day see proof that you were right to film your nanny in secret when you watch her abusing your child.
Wow. Just...wow.
I hope you have every room (including bathrooms) cammed from every possible angle, and that when nanny discovers you are filming her at all times, even when she has the expectation of privacy, she sues you for all you have.
In my somewhat limited experience, daycare workers earn around $10/hour or less, but they tend to get REALLY good benefits if they are FT. And those benefits often include health/vision/dental insurance, just FYI.
So whatever offer you make (For an approximate idea of what "the norm" might be, check out care's salary calculator. It trends low, but it's the best tool there is.) keep in mind that she may get good enough benefits that she will be loath to give those up just for more $$.
So whatever offer you make (For an approximate idea of what "the norm" might be, check out care's salary calculator. It trends low, but it's the best tool there is.) keep in mind that she may get good enough benefits that she will be loath to give those up just for more $$.
"We want you to know that we may, at any time, choose to use a nanny cam."
When you get to the point of writing up a work agreement:
Employers reserve the right to use a nanny cam at any point during the employment of the above named nanny.
When you get to the point of writing up a work agreement:
Employers reserve the right to use a nanny cam at any point during the employment of the above named nanny.
Anonymous wrote: Man, there are a lot of insecure women on this board. (Or their husband proved to be a bunch of sleazy horn dogs. )Either way, it's really sad! Sheesh!
It's also often the case that nannies will choose not to work for "single" dads, especially in a LI situation, which maybe the direction OP goes if all she can afford is $200/week.
However, OP, legally you have to pay at least minimum wage for a nanny, LI or LO. And paying "Nanny Taxes" should be done as well.
Guessing that you're looking at 36 hours a week, with a 6 day work week, minimum wage = $261/week. Could even a LI nanny pay her bills on that wage? I'm pretty sure the answer to that is no.
So either you're looking at an AP (if you can find one for just 6 months) at around $24K/year, or you're looking for 2 college students willing to split the shift and who will likely expect "babysitting" rates of $12 - $15/hour (approximately $500/week), or you're looking for a grandma type retiree to LI who will likely also expect more than minimum wage, or you are looking for a nanny, who will likely want about $600/week.
Good luck to you!
Anonymous wrote:nannydebsays wrote:Anonymous wrote:Thanks, all. $16/17 sounds doable and we could guarantee 40 hours a week to be worked M-Th (Fridays off.)
Are there any other expenses I'm not factoring in? I think we'd want to give a birthday and holiday bonus (how much is typical?) Are there any other expenses? I would not have the nanny driving the kids around so I don't think fuel $ would be necessary.
Thanks for the info re health insurance not being very common.
Since you say you'll be paying legally, add about 10% to the weekly pay to cover your share of taxes/expenses, plus the cost of a nanny payroll company. So $16/hour gross for 40 hours = $640/week, add $64 for taxes.
If nanny does eventually drive kids around, the standard is to use IRS reimbursement, currently 56,5 cents per mile.
As far as B'day and Holiday bonuses (and yearly retention bonuses) the "standard" is that there is no standard.I get 1 week for B'day, 2 weeks for holiday/retention. Some get more, some get less. IMO, nannies should never expect bonuses, because some families can't afford them, some just don't give them, etc. It's a fabulous gesture, but if it's not in your budget...
Horrible advice.. I've never heard of someone adding any extra $64 to take cares of taxes. The whole reason the nanny is getting paid $16 per hour is because taxes are taken out and will actually lower her to around $14-$15 per hour. Also, never heard of a birthday bonus. Ever.
Employers who pay legally are wise to add 10% or so ON TOP OF the nanny's weekly wages to cover the EMPLOYER'S share of employment taxes. This allows EMPLOYERS to more accurately calculate the real cost of having a nanny.
And I do get a "birthday bonus", but I ask my employers to use that money to pay for me to attend a national nanny educational conference each year. It's a win win for everyone, but if I wasn't interested in attending a conference, I would just get the cash. I agree that my employers are unusual in this.
I'm likely just not seeing where the OP (aka the nanny) has stated SHE (aka the nanny) has kids. I only see her complaining that her MB doesn't let her (aka the nanny) leave before her (aka the nanny) shift is over.
Can any of the PP's paste in a quote from OP where she says SHE has her own kids?
Can any of the PP's paste in a quote from OP where she says SHE has her own kids?
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