Anonymous wrote:Are you are single parent, OP? If not, what do you and your spouse earn?

Btw, your nanny knows if you simply have other financial priorities, as it's typically impossible to hide your lifestyle. That includes travel.

That's irrelevant.

Only naive nannies think they know how their employers prioritize their spending or what they actually paid (or used miles, etc).
Besides, that envious attitude will sink you.

No, maybe just the first couple years and then it is the 3-5% raise to match the one you get at work.
Otherwise you price out of market fast and they just replace you or get an au pair or aftercare/cut hours but not rate.

Perhaps you can extend her certain benefits in lieu of a raise if possible.

Access to all food in the kitchen (within reason, of course.) Free magazine subscriptions using your airplane miles. Letting her go home early if you get home early and still paying her the same amount. A nice gift card every now and then to her favorite eating spot. Etc.

OP here. Thank you for your responses. My DH is a graduate student and we live in an rental apartment - we have never been on a trip or vacation since our nanny has been with us.

Yes. She does deserve a merit increase.

I don't know what to do...

Maybe a little odd-ball, but one family I know of ties their nanny's raise to theirs.

Whatever their raise amounts to percentage wise, that's what she gets. So far so good.

Have you considered just giving a flat bonus? We gave our nanny a nice one time contract renewal bonus instead of a raise, which she really liked more anyway!

Anonymous wrote:Are you are single parent, OP? If not, what do you and your spouse earn?

Btw, your nanny knows if you simply have other financial priorities, as it's typically impossible to hide your lifestyle. That includes travel.

How is anything you've said relevant? Raises are not based on the income or net worth of the employer, just as in any other business. Raises are based on COL increases (though many employers have not even given these in past years) and merit.
In NO WAY do an employers finances, or what they chose to do with their income, have any bearing on what type of raise you (think you) deserve.

No, if you're prepared to let her consider better options. Your nanny's low wages can't always pay her rent increases, no matter how much she may love you and your child.

We've given other benefits some years. Two more days of vacation, or monthly mass transit pass, gym membership, etc.

No.

You should offer a standard of living increase, I personally think, since it is a lower end wage job and I don't want my nanny to be able to buy less than she did last year. However, the economy is such that the inflation will be super low this year and it would result in a very small raise (like 5 cents.)

The other reason why your nanny should get a raise is because of merit. Do you think she deserves a merit raise? Has she gone above and beyond her call of duty? Has she proved to be worth extra money than the value she proved to you the prior year? I think your answer is no, or little.

In any case, you should not feel that raises should be in $1 dollar increments.

If your nanny feels that she should get a $1 raise every year, and you are paying a competitive rate already, then she is mistaken about her expectations. Many, if not most nannies do not get a $1 raise every year.

Also, you should be weary of asking questions about pay on this bulletin board. There are a lot of angry nannies who feel they should be paid more and provide false information.

Are you are single parent, OP? If not, what do you and your spouse earn?

Btw, your nanny knows if you simply have other financial priorities, as it's typically impossible to hide your lifestyle. That includes travel.

Could you give her more vacation time? I'd take a pay cut for more vacation time!!

I very rarely get a yearly raise

I've been with my families (in a nanny share) for 6 years now and I've gotten a 3% increase each year - which is less than a dollar. I'm paid well and really appreciate my families, as well as the fact that they have given me a raise all 6 years, even if it wasn't a dollar/year. I don't think they could afford me at $6 more an hour (not including the raises for siblings) if they had given me the 1/year. my families decided on the 3% because they knew they wanted to keep me long term and would not be able to afford the annual $1 raise.

are you saying no raise or a smaller raise to your nanny?

We have a great nanny. No argument there. And if we could afford it I would give her a raise every year as she deserves it. She asked for and was given a $1 increase on her first anniversary with us. Her second anniversary is coming up and I am not sure what to do as money is very tight for us right now.

I know our nanny is devoted to our son so I don't think she would leave if she didn't get a raise.