Honest compensation question
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Anonymous
How much of an automatic income reduction do you anticipate with each new job position, OP? |
Anonymous
I'm not OP but I moved here a year ago and took a big pay cut to take a job that is exactly the same as my previous position. I'm a physician and had been at my job for 5 years so I had 5 years more experience than I had when I took my first job. But starting salaries are starting salaries for a physician regardless of how much experience you have and regardless of what you were making before so I took the pay cut. My husband's current job where he has been for a year is very far from where we live but if he were to look for a new job he would also have to take a pay cut because again, starting salaries are what they are. For people in some fields, if they change jobs it's because they are moving on to a higher position and therefore receive a higher salary. If people are making a lateral move simply because their position ended (as nanny positions unfortunately do) they sometimes have to take a pay cut when they start over at a new place. That's how the world works. |
Anonymous
That's how the world works as long as you're earning a living wage. I don't know a doctor who can't afford a roof and something to eat every day. If your nanny can't, there's a problem. Agreed? |
Anonymous
No, because this is an anonymous forum so you can't find any correlation when you have no idea who is responding. 
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Anonymous
No one suggested nannies shouldn't earn a living wage. I was responding to the PP who seemed to think no one ever takes a pay cut when they start a new job. The point is if you are a nanny for 20 years and got a raise every year you don't continue where you left off when you start a new job. Say you started at $18/hr and were with a family for 5 years so now you were making $23/hr. maybe after 5 years experience you can start off at $20/hr not at $23. Your salary doesn't just keep going up everytime you have a new job. |
Anonymous
| Sorry, but I don't take a dip in my earning unless I'm cutting back on my hours or responsibilies. That would be plain stupid and everyone knows it. |
nannydebsays
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OP knows her budget. She cannot pay more than $16/hour for a nanny. Therefore, OP needs to break that amount down into her share of taxes and other employer costs and then take the remainder, figure out the hourly rate, take a little off the top for a future raise, and then advertise the job and see what sort of people apply.
At that point, OP will have to decide whether she is comfortable leaving her baby with one of the candidates interested in the job, or if she prefers to SAH and live as economically as possible. It's not rocket science. If what you can afford to pay means having a poor quality caregiver, then you need to seek out other options, like SAH. |
Anonymous
| But what usually happens is parents prefer to settle for an affordable neglectful care provider, rather than one of them do their own childcare. Astounding. |
Anonymous
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If OP is also the person who had the share fall apart in a previous thread, I think I have to echo the posters who think she is part of the problem.
She wants a nanny or daycare with impeccable credentials, and while she says there's no driving or housework, I have to wonder if that means she has very specific expectations of how the nanny will spend her day. The "no driving" makes me wonder if her list of activities the nanny can do is very circumscribed, which might also turn off experienced nannies. To a certain extent, I wonder if OP wants to fail at this search, and prove there is no possible affordable option for her. Then she can stay home, or absolve herself of any guilt if DC isn't a Nobel prize winner or something. Whatever choice you make, OP, realize that thousands of families have to make do with exactly the same set of options you have, and we make the decisions we have to make: less-experienced nanny, daycare further away or not quite as well-appointed, whatever we decide is the best we can manage. But we do find care! It is not impossible. As long as the kids are cared for safely, some of the bells and whistles have to be negotiable if you don't have an infinite budget. |
Anonymous
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Op here. Sorry, was taking care of the baby.
No I haven't posted before and I don't know what bells and whistles come with nanny care - no driving required means no picking up or taking my kid anywhere. Everything near me is walkable. that's why we live here. Story times, museums, parks are all a few blocks away so there is no need to drive to an activity. I don't know what credentials there are - there is no nanny credentialing department that I know about (maybe there is?). I interviewed someone with no infant experience today so we will see if she is interested. Yes many people do less with less. I don't care if my child wins a Nobel or goes to Harvard. I just need him to be safe and happy. Ie well cared for. He doesn't need 20 classes a week and a nanny who only speaks to him in a foreign language for him to be happy and healthy. Hopefully I'll find someone. I don't want to fail because I have to work like so many other moms. |
Anonymous
| It sounds like you've adjusted your expectations to align with your offer (in your OP you asked if nannies with 5-8 years experience could command $18-$21/hr and the consensus was that they can) and are interviewing less experienced nannies. You will certainly find someone! Please don't let your earlier difficulties lead you to jump on the first nanny who's interested; if you are interviewing from the pool of nannies you can afford (0-2 years experience IMO) you will have choices! No need to rush into a commitment, talk to at least a few interested candidates with less experience (or no infant experience) and see how they compare to each other so you can pick the best fit for your family. |
Anonymous
| Op here. Are there any local resources for basic nanny training? Like would it be worth if she wanted to take an infant care class it something is there a good resource for that? |
nannydebsays
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OP, you'd probably be well served to seek out a nanny from within the daycare world. Those ladies will have childcare experience, will earn more as a nanny than they do as a daycare worker, and you might find a great fit there.
I'd suggest you look for books on finding, hiring, and keeping a nanny so that you are on top of issues that need to be addressed, like work agreements, legal pay, OT, benefits, and so forth. |
Anonymous
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For newborns, there's this (from another thread): http://www.alexandria-school.com/about_us
There's also the Marland childcare school: http://www.carecourses.com/PublicPages/States_Maryland.aspx |
Anonymous
| Do you mean $16 per hour plus taxes (net) or do you mean $16 per hour and take taxes out of that (gross) |