Anonymous
02/14/2014 08:44
Subject: Paying nanny for snow day
We have a snow policy that when the government closes, I'm off with pay.
I technically could have gone in yesterday, but it would have taken me hours. It took me over half hour to shovel myself out of the house.
I'm just always confused if it's not safe for parents to go to work, why is it safe for the nanny to come in?
I technically could have gone in yesterday, but it would have taken me hours. It took me over half hour to shovel myself out of the house.
I'm just always confused if it's not safe for parents to go to work, why is it safe for the nanny to come in?
Anonymous
02/14/2014 05:25
Subject: Paying nanny for snow day
Anonymous wrote:OP, it is not okay to pressure your nanny to drive, but it is okay to have a snow policy that aligns her interests with your interest in being able to work. As a salaried employee, you likely need to either work from home on a snow day or make up the hours/workload at some point to make sure you meet deliverables, etc. Although I'm sure many nannies will disagree, I find it unreasonable that you would be expected to pay her for the snow day that she didn't work, and then pay her overtime at time and a half to cover the extra hours that you'll probably need to make up because you were unable to work today. Nannies love to say that they shouldn't be nickled and dimed because the snow wasn't their fault. It wasn't yours either, and yet your nanny would probably have no problem "nickling and diming" you for the extra hours you need to catch up after a snow day.
Here's our snow policy: Nanny always has the option of staying overnight before, during, or after a major snow. In this case, she did just that. Had she not elected to do that, she would not have been required to come in but would have been required to either make up the hours in the next couple of weeks or use one of her 15 days of paid leave. We give 15 days unspecified leave (5 of which may be taken in half-day increments) instead of the usual 10 days vacation and 3-5 sick days specifically to accommodate situations like this and also to create a disincentive to the mentality that says it is okay to take "mental health days" to ensure that paid sick days don't "go to waste." Our nanny is super dependable and not one to call in sick lightly, so we want to reward her for that by ensuring she can take any unneeded sick/snow/personal emergency days as extra vacation.
You don't have to pay OT for the extra hours in the same week, for example she had 8 hours off on Thursday, you could ask for a couple of extra hours today, and pay them at straight time.
Nannies, stop agreeing to making up these hours over the course of weeks. You are hourly workers and you don't have to do that. Your employers cannot legally bank hours beyond the same work week, without paying for them. If a parent used daycare, they wouldn't suddenly get a bunch of freebie hours because of a snow day.
Anonymous
02/14/2014 03:13
Subject: Paying nanny for snow day
OP, it is not okay to pressure your nanny to drive, but it is okay to have a snow policy that aligns her interests with your interest in being able to work. As a salaried employee, you likely need to either work from home on a snow day or make up the hours/workload at some point to make sure you meet deliverables, etc. Although I'm sure many nannies will disagree, I find it unreasonable that you would be expected to pay her for the snow day that she didn't work, and then pay her overtime at time and a half to cover the extra hours that you'll probably need to make up because you were unable to work today. Nannies love to say that they shouldn't be nickled and dimed because the snow wasn't their fault. It wasn't yours either, and yet your nanny would probably have no problem "nickling and diming" you for the extra hours you need to catch up after a snow day.
Here's our snow policy: Nanny always has the option of staying overnight before, during, or after a major snow. In this case, she did just that. Had she not elected to do that, she would not have been required to come in but would have been required to either make up the hours in the next couple of weeks or use one of her 15 days of paid leave. We give 15 days unspecified leave (5 of which may be taken in half-day increments) instead of the usual 10 days vacation and 3-5 sick days specifically to accommodate situations like this and also to create a disincentive to the mentality that says it is okay to take "mental health days" to ensure that paid sick days don't "go to waste." Our nanny is super dependable and not one to call in sick lightly, so we want to reward her for that by ensuring she can take any unneeded sick/snow/personal emergency days as extra vacation.
Here's our snow policy: Nanny always has the option of staying overnight before, during, or after a major snow. In this case, she did just that. Had she not elected to do that, she would not have been required to come in but would have been required to either make up the hours in the next couple of weeks or use one of her 15 days of paid leave. We give 15 days unspecified leave (5 of which may be taken in half-day increments) instead of the usual 10 days vacation and 3-5 sick days specifically to accommodate situations like this and also to create a disincentive to the mentality that says it is okay to take "mental health days" to ensure that paid sick days don't "go to waste." Our nanny is super dependable and not one to call in sick lightly, so we want to reward her for that by ensuring she can take any unneeded sick/snow/personal emergency days as extra vacation.
Anonymous
02/14/2014 01:22
Subject: Paying nanny for snow day
Agree, you shouldn't nickel and dime your nanny, and pay her for the snow day. Many roads were bad and it's unreasonable to even consider she should come out in this weather today. We just plowed through my parents' driveway in Bethesda at 10pm tonight...they had been blocked in all day. Give her the benefit of the doubt...if the government is closed, there's probably a good reason. That said, no need to get nasty here people. You can be a salaried nanny...however the position cannot be exempt from overtime pay, if you want to be legal.
Anonymous
02/13/2014 22:40
Subject: Paying nanny for snow day
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Also, to the one who called me a troll (nice), what do you mean it's illegal to pay nannies on a salary? we pay her for 40 hours based on a per hour rate we agreed to. if she works more than that, she gets overtime. what is the illegal part?
Then your nanny is hourly bit salaried. Salaried positions pay rate sane regardless of hours worked and don't get overtime.
IRS says household workers, which includes nannies, must be hourly workers.
The key difference, OP, is that if she works more than 40 hours, you must pay OT.
which OP says she does
Anonymous
02/13/2014 22:23
Subject: Paying nanny for snow day
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Also, to the one who called me a troll (nice), what do you mean it's illegal to pay nannies on a salary? we pay her for 40 hours based on a per hour rate we agreed to. if she works more than that, she gets overtime. what is the illegal part?
Then your nanny is hourly bit salaried. Salaried positions pay rate sane regardless of hours worked and don't get overtime.
IRS says household workers, which includes nannies, must be hourly workers.
The key difference, OP, is that if she works more than 40 hours, you must pay OT.
Anonymous
02/13/2014 21:11
Subject: Paying nanny for snow day
Anonymous wrote:Also, to the one who called me a troll (nice), what do you mean it's illegal to pay nannies on a salary? we pay her for 40 hours based on a per hour rate we agreed to. if she works more than that, she gets overtime. what is the illegal part?
Then your nanny is hourly bit salaried. Salaried positions pay rate sane regardless of hours worked and don't get overtime.
IRS says household workers, which includes nannies, must be hourly workers.
Anonymous
02/13/2014 20:56
Subject: Paying nanny for snow day
Also, to the one who called me a troll (nice), what do you mean it's illegal to pay nannies on a salary? we pay her for 40 hours based on a per hour rate we agreed to. if she works more than that, she gets overtime. what is the illegal part?
Anonymous
02/13/2014 20:53
Subject: Paying nanny for snow day
OP here. thanks. Nastiness notwithstanding, there is some helpful advice here that i will take. why are people so mean here? isn't the point of a forum to ask questions about something you need some help with?
Anonymous
02/13/2014 20:04
Subject: Paying nanny for snow day
What is your snow day policy? If you don't have one, decide on one and put it in a contract.
Main roads were eventually ok. Side roads still have not been plowed. It took a couple of hours to dig my car out of the snow today. Getting around was not easy for most people.
Think about how you would want to be treated if you were in her shoes. Get a snow policy and put it in place for the future.
Main roads were eventually ok. Side roads still have not been plowed. It took a couple of hours to dig my car out of the snow today. Getting around was not easy for most people.
Think about how you would want to be treated if you were in her shoes. Get a snow policy and put it in place for the future.
Anonymous
02/13/2014 17:57
Subject: Paying nanny for snow day
I think you're a troll, but I'll play:
Nannies cannot legally be salaried employees. They are required to be hourly employees.
The roads were not okay. I don't know where you are, but roads near me were not plowed until nearly noon.
It's one day. Pay her. I'd be so resentful if my boss didn't pay me for today. You can bet I'd stop being available to come in early/work late, and I'd start looking for a new job. Someone who would nickel and dime over something like this....wow.
Nannies cannot legally be salaried employees. They are required to be hourly employees.
The roads were not okay. I don't know where you are, but roads near me were not plowed until nearly noon.
It's one day. Pay her. I'd be so resentful if my boss didn't pay me for today. You can bet I'd stop being available to come in early/work late, and I'd start looking for a new job. Someone who would nickel and dime over something like this....wow.
Anonymous
02/13/2014 17:28
Subject: Paying nanny for snow day
She is salaried. You are salaried.
Did you get paid for today?
Did you get paid for today?
Anonymous
02/13/2014 17:05
Subject: Paying nanny for snow day
Yes, if you paying her is flexible, then her showing up should be flexible too. If you had to go to work, then yes, if she could have made it, she should have come. But, if you are staying home, you tell her to stay home too. Our roads got cleared but that does not mean they are clear everywhere.
Anonymous
02/13/2014 16:57
Subject: Paying nanny for snow day
Wow. Just wow
Anonymous
02/13/2014 16:55
Subject: Paying nanny for snow day
our nanny is on a weekly salary. she didn't come to work today because of the snow, even though i think the roads were eventually ok. Do we need to pay her for the full day that she didn't show up? it doesn't seem like there's any incentive to try to show up if not. I wouldn't force the issue if the roads were clearly not safe or problematic, but people were moving around today. thoughts?