Re: managing - depends on what she is "not great" at. If she needs to fine tune how you like things more that is fixable. If she is simply not a hard worker or self-starter...that is not really easily fixable.

You would adjust it to the amount of time she has been with you, but since you aren't impressed with her performance than just give her a small gift from the kids.

For a good but not great nanny who has been there for five months, I would give 2 days pay in cash or a gift card.

I think a week's bonus is what to give to someone who's been with you a full year AND is doing great. So it's MORE than enough for your nanny. If I were you I'd give something like a $25 Starbucks card while looking for a new, better nanny.

Anonymous wrote:A bonus is for showing your appreciation for an exceptional job. It doesn't seem as if that's what you feel she has done, so why give a bonus at all? I'm a nanny by the way. I do however, firmly believe that a good but not great nanny deserves honest feedback if you are unsatisfied, and to be given the opportunity to improve. If she is essentially good and there are simple fixes that would improve things, that's a much better route than getting into the quick fire-rehire habit some parents get into.

+1

Please talk to your nanny if she is good-not-great about the things you'd like to see more/less of. Think of all the things your managers have guided you through over the years as you developed your skills - thank goodness they didn't just fire you and hire someone else as soon as they realized you weren't excelling! If you've already tried to manage her into a better performance with no luck, please disregard this comment.

And yes, a bonus is for a strong performance - a nanny who's made your family life easier, enriched your children's lives, one you trust and depend on. If your nanny is not meeting those targets, a week's pay would be misleading. You shouldn't give nothing, but consider a Christmas gift (or much smaller bonus) as more appropriate for a merely-adequate employee.

I agree with PP. why give a bonus if she didn't earn one by doing an exceptional job?

A bonus is for showing your appreciation for an exceptional job. It doesn't seem as if that's what you feel she has done, so why give a bonus at all? I'm a nanny by the way. I do however, firmly believe that a good but not great nanny deserves honest feedback if you are unsatisfied, and to be given the opportunity to improve. If she is essentially good and there are simple fixes that would improve things, that's a much better route than getting into the quick fire-rehire habit some parents get into.

Nanny has been with us since Aug 1. We don't anticipate keeping her for a year -- she's good but not great so we are working on other options. Is 1 week's bonus ok? If yes, would the answer be different if we were going to keep her?