I'm having an unanticipated childcare problem and will need care four days a week for a 20-month old for several weeks (likely about 6 weeks). I haven't used a nanny before (daycare, family, etc.). How should I set this up? I'd prefer to pay by the week with an understanding of the minimum number of weeks and agreement on how to handle additional weeks. Do I need to handle health care, taxes, etc.? Thanks in advance! |
Hi there! Once you find a nanny, there are 2 thresholds to keep in mind. The first one is $1,000 in a quarter (3 month period) - Once this amount is paid to the employee, you are required to contribute to unemployment insurance which is a required tax for household employers. The other one is $1,900 throughout the current tax year - Once this amount is met, the employee is required to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes from all wages paid; You as the employer are required to match Social Security and Medicare, as well as unemployment insurance; Additionally, you'd be required to provide them with a W-2, and you'd be required to file a Schedule H as a household employer. A W-3 Wage transmittal and W-2 copy would also need to be filed to the Social Security Administration accordingly. Typically, health care is not something you are required to offer, but some states do require household employers to provide it to their domestic workers. I hope this helps! |
If you go through an agency you can have all the coverage you need, and switch up caregivers before you hit the threshold for needing to pay taxes. Then you just pay a flat hourly rate (plus any relevant fees to the agency) and you're done.
I use metroparentrelief for this kind of thing and have been very happy with them. |
Please tell me that the nannies you use know that you are switching?! |
I am needind to work for 6 weeks how can I contact you? I have experience, I am legal, have my own car, bilingual, how can i reach you? email? |
The agency manages this and yes, it's all upfront. Why on earth is every single thing here an opportunity for someone to attack??? It really makes it tough to respond helpfully when you know you will just be fodder for someone's venom. (Well, that's a horribly muddled analogy but you know what I mean.) |
If the nannies know that it's only for a week, I have no issue with this. However, I interviewed for a family who had a similar situation, and I interviewed for the full six weeks. However, the family decided to break it up and then got upset when I turned down just one week. As long as everything's upfront, I don't see an issue. But I have to wonder why you want want 6 different nannies with your child rather than 1. |
No, you have to find a fight in everything. IF one wishes to avoid paying taxes for short term childcare, then one option is to change providers. The number of changes depends on the duration of care and the rates paid. You are making assumptions about any and all variables just to pick a fight. |
No, I wasn't making assumptions, I was basing my response on what actually happened with me. It made no sense to me that the family elected to have 6 nannies in 6 weeks, and I refused solely on the grounds that I was to be number 5 and didn't want to deal with the charge's issues with turnover. |
Thanks, helpful PPs!! Much appreciated. |
I am in this situation of unexpectedly not having childcare as well and I also have never used a nanny. I will need care for my infant (all day) and 3 yo (after school) for 18 weeks. My 3 yo needs stability so switching nannies multiple times won't work for us. What advice would you have for setting something up in my case? It sounds like I'll be on the hook for unemployment, SS, and medicare, which I expected. What would be expected for PTO and sick leave for an 18 week period that includes Christmas but not Thanksgiving? Am I likely to find someone on my own that wants such a short term job? Would I have better luck going through an agency? Is there anything else I should be thinking about? |
As long as you're upfront about the duration, I know I would consider your position. 18/52=34.6%, so you could prorate as 1-3 combined PTO/sick days, and make sure that the nanny knows there is a small bonus if she doesn't use them (in addition to paying them out at termination). You might want to check into worker's comp, just in case. |