OP, our nanny's regular weeks was 50 hours and we paid overtime for hours worked over 40. However, we paid straight time for holidays and for vacation time, and specified that in the contract ahead of time -- our view was that you get time and a half for hours over the "normal" workweek. Greater compensation for those hours because they are greater wear and tear and inconvenience.

But our doing so did cause problems -- no matter how many times we explained it, our nanny didn't understand why she was making less those weeks. In my view, it made sense: she was working less, and was not working more than a "normal" workweek. But she complained, and I ended up just paying the time and a half anyway. If I had to do it again, I'd pay the time and one half out of the box, even though it is not required.

We pay $22 hourly for 50 hours as well (i.e. 40+10), for 3 kids. 7 days her choice, 8 days our choice, plus 5 personal days. She ends up with more time off but without advance notice, i.e. she's on call until the morning of our trip if we're going away, in case our plans change. This past year, she has taken her 7 days and 2 sick days, and we've given her 4 weeks' notice for the 8 days of our choice. On top of that, she has had another three full weeks off (not together), but that came as an unexpected bonus and is not in the contract. For all of those, we have paid the 50 hours. Hope this helps.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - I have been a nanny for 12 years and I guarantee you that most of employers don't do time and half, but instead a salary.

In your case, you are paying overtime so the right thing to do is to pay the 40 hours when you are on vacation. Overtime is for hours worked after 40. Guaranteed hours would be the first 40.

This is a great salary/hour rate and with 4 weeks paid vacations, believe me - you will have plenty of great candidates and no..nobody will be leaving this job because you are not paying the overtime while your nanny is on vacation.

Some answers on this forum are just embarrassing! A lot of crazy nannies here. I always found my employers through this website so I hope they don't scare the good bosses away. Geez...

Nannies, BY LAW, are hourly employees. You and your employers are breaking the law. Your post, after 12 years of being a nanny, is embarrassing.

And to OP -- do you expect your nanny to be available to you 50 hours each week or only 40 and the remaining 10 at mutual agreement? If you need your nanny to be available to you for 50 hours each week then you need to guarantee her 50 hours each week -- so you pay her for 50 hours when you go on vacation.

Agree with the bolded completely. When you reserve someone's time, you pay whether you use it or not. As a nanny, if I can't use the hours to make money because you reserved my time with an expectation that I'd be available to you for 50 hours each week, I expect to be paid. PP can be embarrassed all she wants, but she is being taken advantage of and her employers are breaking the law. Nannies cannot be salaried, but you are asking her to set aside a regular amount of time. For that her paycheck should reflect that reservation.

Anonymous wrote:OP - I have been a nanny for 12 years and I guarantee you that most of employers don't do time and half, but instead a salary.

In your case, you are paying overtime so the right thing to do is to pay the 40 hours when you are on vacation. Overtime is for hours worked after 40. Guaranteed hours would be the first 40.

This is a great salary/hour rate and with 4 weeks paid vacations, believe me - you will have plenty of great candidates and no..nobody will be leaving this job because you are not paying the overtime while your nanny is on vacation.

Some answers on this forum are just embarrassing! A lot of crazy nannies here. I always found my employers through this website so I hope they don't scare the good bosses away. Geez...

Nannies, BY LAW, are hourly employees. You and your employers are breaking the law. Your post, after 12 years of being a nanny, is embarrassing.

And to OP -- do you expect your nanny to be available to you 50 hours each week or only 40 and the remaining 10 at mutual agreement? If you need your nanny to be available to you for 50 hours each week then you need to guarantee her 50 hours each week -- so you pay her for 50 hours when you go on vacation.

OP - I have been a nanny for 12 years and I guarantee you that most of employers don't do time and half, but instead a salary.

In your case, you are paying overtime so the right thing to do is to pay the 40 hours when you are on vacation. Overtime is for hours worked after 40. Guaranteed hours would be the first 40.

This is a great salary/hour rate and with 4 weeks paid vacations, believe me - you will have plenty of great candidates and no..nobody will be leaving this job because you are not paying the overtime while your nanny is on vacation.

Some answers on this forum are just embarrassing! A lot of crazy nannies here. I always found my employers through this website so I hope they don't scare the good bosses away. Geez...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should put in your contract that you will guarantee she will be paid for all the vacations you take, and will be paid 50 hours for TWO weeks of vacation, and any FURTHER vacations YOU take will be paid at 40 hours a week UNLESS you ask her to house/pet sit in which case you will pay the 50 hours a week.

You going to risk losing a good nanny for ten hours? Come on, guaranteed hours are guaranteed hours. Don't be cheap.

This is the setup I've had with my nanny and she's going on year six.

I think I would also write in 10 vacation days, five her choice, five your choice. Your anticipated 4 weeks of vacation already covers the "your choice" week, but the two weeks.of vacation is more standard and will lead to fewer ridiculous conversations about what you meant.

Anonymous wrote:I think you should put in your contract that you will guarantee she will be paid for all the vacations you take, and will be paid 50 hours for TWO weeks of vacation, and any FURTHER vacations YOU take will be paid at 40 hours a week UNLESS you ask her to house/pet sit in which case you will pay the 50 hours a week.

You going to risk losing a good nanny for ten hours? Come on, guaranteed hours are guaranteed hours. Don't be cheap.

You pay all guaranteed hours (50).

You should plan to pay her the same each and every week. I'm telling you as a nanny, I would not accept an offer that would have me losing money because you chose to go on vacation. Yes legally OT is for hours worked, but the whole point of guaranteed hours is to ensure that my paycheck is stable. If I'm going to lose money every time you go away, and that's completely at your discretion, that benefits no one but you.

If you are working guaranteed hours (most nannies require this) then you pay the same 50 hour rate for all weeks of the year - whether it is her vacation, your vacation or what. That is what guaranteed means.

She shouldn't be paid less when you go away, or when she takes vacation.

I think you should put in your contract that you will guarantee she will be paid for all the vacations you take, and will be paid 50 hours for TWO weeks of vacation, and any FURTHER vacations YOU take will be paid at 40 hours a week UNLESS you ask her to house/pet sit in which case you will pay the 50 hours a week.

We are about to give an offer to our first nanny. I want to make sure I am doing this correctly, any input is great appreciated.
Here is our offer
She will be working 50 hrs a week, 40 at $22/hr and and 10 at time and a half.
5 Vacation Days, 5 Personal Days. All Federal Holidays off
My family and I take about 4 weeks per year for vacation, we will be paying her when we are on vacation. My question is do I pay the nanny for 50hrs on those weeks as well? Or would I just pay her as if she worked 40hrs those weeks?
Do most people track hours, or gaurantee a certain amount per week regardless of what she acutally works?