Parent with flex work schedule - Rate and Arrangement Reasonable for nanny? RSS feed

post reply Forum Index » General Discussion
[Post New]02/12/2015 10:50
quote
Anonymous
We're going to start searching for a nanny for one infant. One of us has a more flexible work schedule that tends to change with the time of year. For instance, for 3 months straight work might be 5 days a week, 8 or 9 hours a day. Other times of the year there are a couple months that are slower, and work may only be 2 or 3 days a week or might involve just working from home half day here and there. We also think that these free days may become more frequent after the arrival of the baby as the desire to spend quality time with our child during formative years will change the drive to work as much since we have this luxury of doing so. We've been trying to think about ways to make this fair for all parties involved and desirable for a nanny.

Is it reasonable to pay a nanny the market rate guaranteed for 4 days a week, and if she only ends up working 1, 2, or 3 days she is still paid for all 4, and then when the nanny works 5 days she will absolutely also be paid for the fifth? In my mind this could be an appealing arrangement to a nanny as she would have random paid days off throughout the year but would never not be paid for when she is working. On the flip side, I could see someone being reluctant to take a job that doesn't guarantee five days a week of pay or has a fluctuating paycheck throughout the year. t realize that we could instead just adjust the rate and pay for 5 days a week guaranteed, but because there's no real rhyme or reason to the days off I also don't want her to get the short end of the stick if days off don't end up being as frequent as anticipated. We anticipate the nanny working 5 days a week about 75% of the year.

Is this something a good, qualified nanny would consider?
[Post New]02/12/2015 10:57
quote
Anonymous
What range do you mean be market rate? 18-20/hr?
[Post New]02/12/2015 10:58
quote
Anonymous
Yes, $18 to $20, which I've gathered from these boards is reasonable?
[Post New]02/12/2015 11:14
quote
Anonymous
definitely reasonable but I'm not sure how much of a candidate pool you'll find. I wouldn't want to miss out on $150+ the weeks that are slow. it will also be VERy difficult (if not impossible) for that person to find a job on that day off since that isn't something she can guarantee for another family. if you bump your rate up that might cover it
[Post New]02/12/2015 11:17
quote
Anonymous
OK. Thanks. What do you think a reasonable rate would be then? $24?
[Post New]02/12/2015 11:19
quote
Anonymous
I agree you need to offer better than average wages, closer to 25/hr.
[Post New]02/12/2015 11:24
quote
Anonymous
I don't think you need to bump your rate up super high OP. For a nanny only interested in working around 4 days per week, this sounds like a great position, with a lot of extra time off. $18-$20/hour is perfectly acceptable. I'm a nanny with a lot of other things I'd like to be able to do, and I'd jump at a position like this!
[Post New]02/12/2015 11:32
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I don't think you need to bump your rate up super high OP. For a nanny only interested in working around 4 days per week, this sounds like a great position, with a lot of extra time off. $18-$20/hour is perfectly acceptable. I'm a nanny with a lot of other things I'd like to be able to do, and I'd jump at a position like this!

Not op, but do u know anyone good who'd be interested in this?
[Post New]02/12/2015 11:34
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't think you need to bump your rate up super high OP. For a nanny only interested in working around 4 days per week, this sounds like a great position, with a lot of extra time off. $18-$20/hour is perfectly acceptable. I'm a nanny with a lot of other things I'd like to be able to do, and I'd jump at a position like this!

Not op, but do u know anyone good who'd be interested in this?


I'd definitely be interested. If the guaranteed hours and rate worked out to something liveable, I'd love the extra time off. I'm an online student and a business owner in addition to being a nanny, so could use random days off here and there.
[Post New]02/12/2015 11:45
quote
Anonymous
OP here. Curious how big the pool of interested nannies would be. It sounds like for at least one it's extremely desirable, but I also want to make sure we have options. Any other experienced nannies for whom this type of arrangement would be of interest?
[Post New]02/12/2015 11:53
quote
Anonymous
If you need 5 day per week 75% of the year, I think you're better off paying $18 an hour and guaranteeing 40 hours a week vs paying a higher rate for only 4 days, but wanting nanny to reserve that day.

$18 an hour X 40 hrs per week X 52 weeks= $37,440
vs.
$20 an hour X 32 hrs per week X 52 weeks= $33,260
PLUS
39 (one day, 75% of weeks)X 8 hrs per day X $20 per hour=$6,240

A lower rate with an unspecified but likely frequent number of PTO is likely more appealing and also may be cheaper
[Post New]02/12/2015 12:03
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:If you need 5 day per week 75% of the year, I think you're better off paying $18 an hour and guaranteeing 40 hours a week vs paying a higher rate for only 4 days, but wanting nanny to reserve that day.

$18 an hour X 40 hrs per week X 52 weeks= $37,440
vs.
$20 an hour X 32 hrs per week X 52 weeks= $33,260
PLUS
39 (one day, 75% of weeks)X 8 hrs per day X $20 per hour=$6,240

A lower rate with an unspecified but likely frequent number of PTO is likely more appealing and also may be cheaper


Very good point!
[Post New]02/12/2015 12:33
quote
Anonymous
If you need 5 day per week 75% of the year, I think you're better off paying $18 an hour and guaranteeing 40 hours a week vs paying a higher rate for only 4 days, but wanting nanny to reserve that day.

$18 an hour X 40 hrs per week X 52 weeks= $37,440
vs.
$20 an hour X 32 hrs per week X 52 weeks= $33,260
PLUS
39 (one day, 75% of weeks)X 8 hrs per day X $20 per hour=$6,240

A lower rate with an unspecified but likely frequent number of PTO is likely more appealing and also may be cheaper


Very good point!


+1
[Post New]02/12/2015 12:39
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't think you need to bump your rate up super high OP. For a nanny only interested in working around 4 days per week, this sounds like a great position, with a lot of extra time off. $18-$20/hour is perfectly acceptable. I'm a nanny with a lot of other things I'd like to be able to do, and I'd jump at a position like this!

Not op, but do u know anyone good who'd be interested in this?


I'd definitely be interested. If the guaranteed hours and rate worked out to something liveable, I'd love the extra time off. I'm an online student and a business owner in addition to being a nanny, so could use random days off here and there.

Not OP but where do you live and what sort of liveable rate do you need?
[Post New]02/12/2015 15:19
quote
nannydebsays

Member Offline
Anonymous wrote:If you need 5 day per week 75% of the year, I think you're better off paying $18 an hour and guaranteeing 40 hours a week vs paying a higher rate for only 4 days, but wanting nanny to reserve that day.

$18 an hour X 40 hrs per week X 52 weeks= $37,440
vs.
$20 an hour X 32 hrs per week X 52 weeks= $33,260
PLUS
39 (one day, 75% of weeks)X 8 hrs per day X $20 per hour=$6,240

A lower rate with an unspecified but likely frequent number of PTO is likely more appealing and also may be cheaper


I also think this would work well, especially since it sounds as if you would need nanny most weeks to work 5 days. Personally, I would prefer to be ready to work 5 8 hour days a week and get a "surprise" day off, rather than being prepared to work 4 8 hour days and 75% of the time "lose" the extra day off. One thing I would want is a predictable start/end time. IDK if you were thinking you wanted flexible timing each day, but that would be a turn-off for me to have to work MTuF 9 - 5, WTh 7 - 3, then the next week work completely different hours.

As long as you are clear that days off will be last minute, and may only happen at XYZ times of year, and as long as you outline an OT rate in case nanny goes over 40 hours, I think you'll find a good number of candidates. Good luck!
post reply Forum Index » General Discussion
Message Quick Reply
Go to: 

Search   Recent Topics   Hottest Topics