Anonymous
09/23/2014 09:31
Subject: Nanny accrued vacation and paid holidays question
Anonymous wrote:After 7 years of employing nannies, here's what we do:
We give nanny the same federal holidays we get. It's not all of them. We also give day after Thanksgiving because we never work that day, though I prefer not to put it in the contract and instead give it as a "bonus day" closer to the holiday.
For vacation, we hive two weeks - one our choice, one hers. I do not allow ANY paid vacation during the first 60 days, though. Vacation can accrue but not be taken during that time. Our nanny accrues vacation, but the contract says she can take the time before it is accrued, provided that if she ends employment with a negative vacation balance it will be deducted from her final check.
Even "nice" nannies will sometimes try to play you for the vacation weeks - decide they're moving, returning to school, whatever, but take vacation before giving notice. If you go with accrue method, you can mostly avoid this.
Just curious, we are hiring in the next month or so, would you still require the time to accrue so close to the holidays?
Anonymous
09/22/2014 21:57
Subject: Nanny accrued vacation and paid holidays question
Anonymous wrote:Well, it's not "playing" you if it's a benefit of their employment. You would have to pay it out anyway (in MD at least, unused, earned vacation must be paid out at the end of employment). But it definitely makes more sense for it to accrue.
I meant "playing" you if you'd award the vacation up front instead of accrual. Nanny takes 2 weeks of vacation 4 months into job, resigns right after.
Anonymous
09/22/2014 20:28
Subject: Nanny accrued vacation and paid holidays question
Well, it's not "playing" you if it's a benefit of their employment. You would have to pay it out anyway (in MD at least, unused, earned vacation must be paid out at the end of employment). But it definitely makes more sense for it to accrue.
Anonymous
09/22/2014 20:11
Subject: Nanny accrued vacation and paid holidays question
After 7 years of employing nannies, here's what we do:
We give nanny the same federal holidays we get. It's not all of them. We also give day after Thanksgiving because we never work that day, though I prefer not to put it in the contract and instead give it as a "bonus day" closer to the holiday.
For vacation, we hive two weeks - one our choice, one hers. I do not allow ANY paid vacation during the first 60 days, though. Vacation can accrue but not be taken during that time. Our nanny accrues vacation, but the contract says she can take the time before it is accrued, provided that if she ends employment with a negative vacation balance it will be deducted from her final check.
Even "nice" nannies will sometimes try to play you for the vacation weeks - decide they're moving, returning to school, whatever, but take vacation before giving notice. If you go with accrue method, you can mostly avoid this.
We give nanny the same federal holidays we get. It's not all of them. We also give day after Thanksgiving because we never work that day, though I prefer not to put it in the contract and instead give it as a "bonus day" closer to the holiday.
For vacation, we hive two weeks - one our choice, one hers. I do not allow ANY paid vacation during the first 60 days, though. Vacation can accrue but not be taken during that time. Our nanny accrues vacation, but the contract says she can take the time before it is accrued, provided that if she ends employment with a negative vacation balance it will be deducted from her final check.
Even "nice" nannies will sometimes try to play you for the vacation weeks - decide they're moving, returning to school, whatever, but take vacation before giving notice. If you go with accrue method, you can mostly avoid this.
Anonymous
09/22/2014 18:59
Subject: Nanny accrued vacation and paid holidays question
If you give all two weeks of vacation as her choice, then that should make up for the holiday issue. We only give 8 days of holidays, anyway. We don't get them all off.
Also, I strongly recommend you do not make all of her vacation available immediately. I was burned on this with my first nanny, who took all of her vacation for her second year with us right after the start of that year, and then quit. That's when I decided to make vacation accrue. What if another nanny had quite before the end of the same employment year? That would have been another two weeks of vacation owed to her, and then to the new person ...
Also, I strongly recommend you do not make all of her vacation available immediately. I was burned on this with my first nanny, who took all of her vacation for her second year with us right after the start of that year, and then quit. That's when I decided to make vacation accrue. What if another nanny had quite before the end of the same employment year? That would have been another two weeks of vacation owed to her, and then to the new person ...
Anonymous
09/22/2014 14:58
Subject: Nanny accrued vacation and paid holidays question
Anonymous wrote:You are under no obligation to offer all federal holidays, OP, in spite of what the entitled nannies here may wish.
PP is absolutely right that you are under no obligation to offer all federal holidays or any of the mentioned benefits, but you will not retain a qualified decent nanny for very long. Offer as many paid holidays as you can, 2 weeks ( 1 her choice and 1 yours), paid personal days instead of sick days and you should have many excellent candidates to choose from!
Anonymous
09/22/2014 14:38
Subject: Nanny accrued vacation and paid holidays question
You are under no obligation to offer all federal holidays, OP, in spite of what the entitled nannies here may wish.
Anonymous
09/22/2014 09:55
Subject: Nanny accrued vacation and paid holidays question
Offering the Holidays you get off is fair.
Offer at minimum 5 personal days ( she can use it when she is sick or has an appointment)
If you wish you can add time each year your nanny is with you.
2 weeks paid vacation is standard many say one week nanny's choice and one week employer's choice.
At my current position I choose the 2 weeks
my employers require I give 6 weeks notice or them to make other arrangements.
I am also paid when they go on vacation as a family.
As another person said I would offer the vacation days immediately to allow for paid holiday travel.
I would offer the sick days too. If you have hired a top notch nanny she won't abuse the time.
Offer at minimum 5 personal days ( she can use it when she is sick or has an appointment)
If you wish you can add time each year your nanny is with you.
2 weeks paid vacation is standard many say one week nanny's choice and one week employer's choice.
At my current position I choose the 2 weeks
my employers require I give 6 weeks notice or them to make other arrangements.
I am also paid when they go on vacation as a family.
As another person said I would offer the vacation days immediately to allow for paid holiday travel.
I would offer the sick days too. If you have hired a top notch nanny she won't abuse the time.
Anonymous
09/22/2014 09:45
Subject: Nanny accrued vacation and paid holidays question
My job requires that I work certain Federal Holidays I get paid time and a half for that , but I do not think that is standard.
Anonymous
09/22/2014 08:55
Subject: Nanny accrued vacation and paid holidays question
Also make sure to stipulate when vacation may be taken- it is common to have one week chosen by the family and one chosen by the nanny.
Anonymous
09/22/2014 08:51
Subject: Re:Nanny accrued vacation and paid holidays question
Agree with PP regarding additional vacation days to make up for the federal holidays. Five days sick leave is the norm, and if you cannot give all the federal holidays then it seems unwise to also reduce the number of sick days. We made vacation time available immediately because we hired so close to the holidays. If you are also hiring before the end of the year then I suggest doing the same so your nanny can take time to see her family for the holidays. If you hire at the start of the year it will make more sense to have vacation time accrue. Sick time is not accrued and we permit the nanny to take it in half day increments.
Anonymous
09/22/2014 03:19
Subject: Nanny accrued vacation and paid holidays question
It isn't standard to offer all federal holidays. If you don't get them, you can't offer them to the nanny. Your plan sounds good, OP.
I would have vacation accrue but sick days be immediately available.
I would have vacation accrue but sick days be immediately available.
Anonymous
09/21/2014 22:51
Subject: Nanny accrued vacation and paid holidays question
It is fine to only offer the holidays you actually get.
Anonymous
09/21/2014 22:19
Subject: Nanny accrued vacation and paid holidays question
Since you can't give the standard ten holidays, I thin you should make the other four vacation days. Nannies absolutely need to accrue their vacation days. Half used at their discretion, half at ours.
We only give three sick days, not five.
We only give three sick days, not five.
Anonymous
09/21/2014 22:16
Subject: Nanny accrued vacation and paid holidays question
I am in the process of hiring a nanny for the first time and will be offering paid holidays. Is it reasonable to offer 6 paid federal holidays instead of the full 10 federal holidays? We would offer Mem Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years. My husband and I both work on all the other federal holidays and would need her to work those days. Is that a reasonable request? We will also be offering 2 weeks paid vacation and 5 paid sick days.
Also, is vacation accrued for nannies or is it offered in full at the beginning of employment? We both accrue vacation in our positions as well.
Also, is vacation accrued for nannies or is it offered in full at the beginning of employment? We both accrue vacation in our positions as well.