Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be happy to go! Since she gets guaranteed hours anyway she can't lose. I would just tell her she can have the week off and get her regular pay, but that she is welcome to come and help out in exchange for bonus pay and expenses paid. Tell her to think about it a couple days and let you know. That way she has time to decide and if she truly doesn't want go she can give a good excuse so it's not awkward.

One of the conditions of guaranteed hours is being willing and able to work. Unless the contract specifies that the nanny won't travel or won't travel without extra pay or will only work at a certain location, it is reasonable to expect her to travel with you in order to work and earn her regular, guaranteed salary. Of course, all this should be discussed at the time of hiring as some nannies aren't in a position to travel b/c they have their own family obligations. We require in our contract that the nanny be available to travel with us up to three weeks a year at her regular salary plus travel and meal expenses. We don't pay a travel bonus because we regard this as part of the job, just as many professional office jobs require occasional travel and don't pay extra for it.

We recently brought nanny on a two week beach vacation with us. She earned her regular salary plus expenses plus we gave her some comp days because she was with us on weekend days and after hours when she wouldn't normally be working. Although she wasn't technically working at those times, she was staying with us in a house so it was hard for her to get away and be fully off duty. It was a positive experience for all.

You should like a crappy MB.

Oh STOP! She doesn't sound like a bad MB at all. It's in the nanny's contract so she knew what was expected before she took the job. Just because you wouldn't want to do it doesn't mean other's wouldn't. Plenty of nannies responded to OP's post that they would love to go on vacation with their NF. Some said they wouldn't want to. So then don't take a job where travel is expected. That's not a problem if that's not what you want but don't extrapolate that to ALL nannies and make this MB look like a bad employer when she is perfectly fair.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be happy to go! Since she gets guaranteed hours anyway she can't lose. I would just tell her she can have the week off and get her regular pay, but that she is welcome to come and help out in exchange for bonus pay and expenses paid. Tell her to think about it a couple days and let you know. That way she has time to decide and if she truly doesn't want go she can give a good excuse so it's not awkward.

One of the conditions of guaranteed hours is being willing and able to work. Unless the contract specifies that the nanny won't travel or won't travel without extra pay or will only work at a certain location, it is reasonable to expect her to travel with you in order to work and earn her regular, guaranteed salary. Of course, all this should be discussed at the time of hiring as some nannies aren't in a position to travel b/c they have their own family obligations. We require in our contract that the nanny be available to travel with us up to three weeks a year at her regular salary plus travel and meal expenses. We don't pay a travel bonus because we regard this as part of the job, just as many professional office jobs require occasional travel and don't pay extra for it.

We recently brought nanny on a two week beach vacation with us. She earned her regular salary plus expenses plus we gave her some comp days because she was with us on weekend days and after hours when she wouldn't normally be working. Although she wasn't technically working at those times, she was staying with us in a house so it was hard for her to get away and be fully off duty. It was a positive experience for all.

You should like a crappy MB.

Anonymous wrote:I would be happy to go! Since she gets guaranteed hours anyway she can't lose. I would just tell her she can have the week off and get her regular pay, but that she is welcome to come and help out in exchange for bonus pay and expenses paid. Tell her to think about it a couple days and let you know. That way she has time to decide and if she truly doesn't want go she can give a good excuse so it's not awkward.

One of the conditions of guaranteed hours is being willing and able to work. Unless the contract specifies that the nanny won't travel or won't travel without extra pay or will only work at a certain location, it is reasonable to expect her to travel with you in order to work and earn her regular, guaranteed salary. Of course, all this should be discussed at the time of hiring as some nannies aren't in a position to travel b/c they have their own family obligations. We require in our contract that the nanny be available to travel with us up to three weeks a year at her regular salary plus travel and meal expenses. We don't pay a travel bonus because we regard this as part of the job, just as many professional office jobs require occasional travel and don't pay extra for it.

We recently brought nanny on a two week beach vacation with us. She earned her regular salary plus expenses plus we gave her some comp days because she was with us on weekend days and after hours when she wouldn't normally be working. Although she wasn't technically working at those times, she was staying with us in a house so it was hard for her to get away and be fully off duty. It was a positive experience for all.

OP that's a great opportunity you are giving your nanny! And oferring her at least her minimum salary. My MB offered me to come on vacation with them which I was thrilled about until she says she will pay me less than my regular salary because I will be working less hours, and I am getting a free vacation and fresh air. I am thinking about declining the offer and not go.

Anonymous wrote:I would be happy to go! Since she gets guaranteed hours anyway she can't lose. I would just tell her she can have the week off and get her regular pay, but that she is welcome to come and help out in exchange for bonus pay and expenses paid. Tell her to think about it a couple days and let you know. That way she has time to decide and if she truly doesn't want go she can give a good excuse so it's not awkward.

This is a great idea! I love your phrasing. Also I just wanted to add that I usually put an area on my contract about vacations for this very reason and what I would charge for it. Just something to think about for next time.

I would be happy to go! Since she gets guaranteed hours anyway she can't lose. I would just tell her she can have the week off and get her regular pay, but that she is welcome to come and help out in exchange for bonus pay and expenses paid. Tell her to think about it a couple days and let you know. That way she has time to decide and if she truly doesn't want go she can give a good excuse so it's not awkward.

Hi Op.
As a nanny I would LOVE something like this and be overly thrilled! Doesn't hurt to ask. There is no formula for nannies. Every situation is different. Every nanny is different. Only you know your nanny. Ask her (ps. Totally jealous as it sounds like a blast!)

Understand that this still isn't a vacation for her as she'll be working. Make sure you know the schedule with dad and how flexible it is before you invite the daughter as some parents are not as flexible as others. I would offer, food, housing, gas/tolls if she is taking her own car, spending money, regular salary plus a $300-500+ bonus for going. Personally I would let her have the week off paid but that's just me. At 4 months, they can easily go out to dinner, etc. with you. Its far harder the older they get.

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks, this is helpful.

Yes, we would definitely pay the nanny at least the same amount as usual!! No question! She has guaranteed hours.

I'm wondering more just if the request would be weird to make, or what other factors to consider. Basically we just love our nanny and don't want to ask her to do something unreasonable or whatever. That's more my concern. PP's suggestion to broach the subject and see her views makes sense. Maybe she will be into it, maybe not, and we would respect that either way.

If you and your nanny have a good relationship with open communication there is absolutely no problem in asking. If she doesn't want to do it just be clear that she doesn't have to but don't present it apologetically or as something you think she wouldn't want. Just be matter of fact about it.

OP here, thanks, this is helpful.

Yes, we would definitely pay the nanny at least the same amount as usual!! No question! She has guaranteed hours.

I'm wondering more just if the request would be weird to make, or what other factors to consider. Basically we just love our nanny and don't want to ask her to do something unreasonable or whatever. That's more my concern. PP's suggestion to broach the subject and see her views makes sense. Maybe she will be into it, maybe not, and we would respect that either way.

Anonymous wrote:I think it is fine to offer. Does she have a guaranteed hours? If so, then I think you would have to pay something above and beyond our normal weekly pay, since she would be getting her normal weekly pay just to hang out at home and do nothing for the week. I would schedule her for fist specific hours that you plan to meet her (around the same number of hours that she normally would work), and then also pay a) all expenses related to her being there for the week (food, travel, lodging) and 2) a specific fee for the inconvenience of being away from home (this amount will depend on your relationship with her, what her normal pay is, whether she is bringing her daughter, etc.

Many nannies are open to this, and their feelings about it range from being thrilled to have what they regard as a free vacation to being annoyed that their bosses are "walking all over them" by being forced to work outside of their normal milieu. I think the best thing to do is to figure out exactly what hours you will need, exactly what kind of space she will have, what other activities will be available to her during off hours (will you be on the beach or near civilization or both?) then write up a document with all of this information and discuss it with her. Gauge her response and be open to negotiation or to her turning it down. If I were the one being asked, I would be very excited to get to spend time with my charge, whom I love, doing something exciting and fun to both of us. And I would love to be able to bring along my own child on a working vacation. But, as I said, nannies can be all over the map about this sort of thing.

Figure out what you want and what you think would be reasonable to pay for it and then ask her if she is interested.

My initial thought as a nanny is that I would want my weekly paycheck to remain unchanged. I'd certainly be willing to work the same amount of hours at different times, but I simply would not be able to afford to take home less than I normally do - even for free food and lodging for a week at the beach.

I think it is fine to offer. Does she have a guaranteed hours? If so, then I think you would have to pay something above and beyond our normal weekly pay, since she would be getting her normal weekly pay just to hang out at home and do nothing for the week. I would schedule her for fist specific hours that you plan to meet her (around the same number of hours that she normally would work), and then also pay a) all expenses related to her being there for the week (food, travel, lodging) and 2) a specific fee for the inconvenience of being away from home (this amount will depend on your relationship with her, what her normal pay is, whether she is bringing her daughter, etc.

Many nannies are open to this, and their feelings about it range from being thrilled to have what they regard as a free vacation to being annoyed that their bosses are "walking all over them" by being forced to work outside of their normal milieu. I think the best thing to do is to figure out exactly what hours you will need, exactly what kind of space she will have, what other activities will be available to her during off hours (will you be on the beach or near civilization or both?) then write up a document with all of this information and discuss it with her. Gauge her response and be open to negotiation or to her turning it down. If I were the one being asked, I would be very excited to get to spend time with my charge, whom I love, doing something exciting and fun to both of us. And I would love to be able to bring along my own child on a working vacation. But, as I said, nannies can be all over the map about this sort of thing.

Figure out what you want and what you think would be reasonable to pay for it and then ask her if she is interested.

We have a four month old son and want to do an easy beach vacation this summer (like to Rehoboth, Bethanny, etc... a quick drive). Can we invite our nanny to come with us? We would love to have someone there to babysit our son in the evenings so we could actually go out to dinner, and maybe some of the afternoons too so we could have some beach time just the two of us. Of course, we'll also want to hang out with our son a bunch just the three of us and won't need her the normal 40 hours of childcare she would be providing that week if we were at our jobs. But on the other hand, obviously she wouldn't be going home at night and she'd be around us 24/7 even though we would rent a house to hopefully give her plenty of space and privacy and a break from us, so I don't know if that would be too much to ask of a live out nanny.

Have you done this in the past? How has it worked? Do you pay your nanny overtime?

We were also thinking about offering to let her bring her 11 year old daughter with her, if she wants (the nanny is divorced, so she might prefer to just have the daughter be with her dad that week, we don't know). Our thought was that they might enjoy some time just the two of them when we are hanging out with our son, but then I don't know if the 11 year old would be super bored when the nanny did have to watch our son and my husband and I went to the beach or out to dinner or whatever. We would of course pay for groceries, meals out, etc. for everyone while traveling and would be happy to give the nanny some extra cash to treat her daughter to some fun things and activities (ice cream, arcade, souvenir shops) while there.

Basically I'm just wondering how/whether this works, and what people recommend. And I am sure this has been covered in the archives, but every time I search it brings up threads on nanny vacation pay, which is obviously not my question.

TIA!