Anonymous wrote: It's not exactly a "bonus" around the holidays if you are negotiating how much you will get in the contract negotiation phase.

I disagree. I know many companies that give a specified amount yearly and they let their employees know of this. It is still a bonus, even if part of a contract. Bonus just means outside of their normal pay, not that it has to be determined by how well you have worked and gone above and beyond etc.

A bonus is showing appreciation of what an employee does. Show your appreciation with the gift that is the perfect size and color: CASH.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never discussed bonuses during the interview process in 11 years of nannying. That's not something you negotiate or put into a contract. A bonus is given when you have EARNED it. The majority of families I've worked for have given me 1-2 weeks pay as my holiday bonus, plus additional paid time off.

Actually, there are many people that do put bonuses/raises into the contract. Usually it refers to a holiday bonus that they give to their employees each year, that they will give an x amount of raise at the year mark after review, and then make conditions on other raises and bonuses that will depend on employees actions (if she does well above the usual amount of effort etc she will get x bonus).

This can be an incentive to the employee to keep doing their best and go above and beyond. They know that they will be appreciated for their efforts and get extra for it. Far too often people go above and beyond and get nothing for it, not even a thank you, and so the parents that put this into their contracts are smart as they will get employees that will be happy and keep working hard everyday. Then if you don't get a bonus you have no one to blame but yourself.

Raises- I've seen put into contracts, including my own, but not bonuses. It's not exactly a "bonus" around the holidays if you are negotiating how much you will get in the contract negotiation phase. I always go above and beyond at each and every position I've held and don't feel the need to have a $$ incentive/bonus written into a contract when every family has always given me a very generous bonus to show their appreciation for how dedicated I am.

Contracts also don't mean diddly squat if you end up working for a really crappy family who agrees in a contract that you will get a raise every 3 months until the 1 year mark and then a yearly raise moving forward. At the 3 month mark, I reminded them of our agreement. At the 4 month mark, I gave notice and walked away. Instead of the agreed 2 week severance, I got 1 week. Just goes to show that you can have contracts, do things the proper way, and still get screwed.

At the one year mark, and every year following, that is the time to do a review, give a raise and/or additional benefits, and adjust the contract if needed. A holiday bonus is typically separate. While a holiday bonus is not standard, it is common. I spend money on my charges throughout the year, and it is nice to have that appreciated with a cash bonus at the end of the year.

Anonymous wrote:I've never discussed bonuses during the interview process in 11 years of nannying. That's not something you negotiate or put into a contract. A bonus is given when you have EARNED it. The majority of families I've worked for have given me 1-2 weeks pay as my holiday bonus, plus additional paid time off.

Actually, there are many people that do put bonuses/raises into the contract. Usually it refers to a holiday bonus that they give to their employees each year, that they will give an x amount of raise at the year mark after review, and then make conditions on other raises and bonuses that will depend on employees actions (if she does well above the usual amount of effort etc she will get x bonus).

This can be an incentive to the employee to keep doing their best and go above and beyond. They know that they will be appreciated for their efforts and get extra for it. Far too often people go above and beyond and get nothing for it, not even a thank you, and so the parents that put this into their contracts are smart as they will get employees that will be happy and keep working hard everyday. Then if you don't get a bonus you have no one to blame but yourself.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never discussed bonuses during the interview process in 11 years of nannying. That's not something you negotiate or put into a contract. A bonus is given when you have EARNED it. The majority of families I've worked for have given me 1-2 weeks pay as my holiday bonus, plus additional paid time off.

In many industries it's common to negotiate bonuses in advance. They may be performance related, but certainly not always. Just look at IRS employees demanding their bonuses, inspite of ripping us off blind with unbelievable waste of our hard earned tax money.

OP, anything you'd like to give your nanny is perfectly acceptable and appreciated, as long as she feels that you've gone out of your way to show your recognition of her hard work. Hopefully you've hired an outstanding nanny who works hard with your child.

MB here. For holiday we gave 1 week pay as bonus for a job well done and then a gift card to store as a more informal present. For yearly bonus we did 5%. (I had asked what the norm was on a different thread and it seemed like 3-5 percent was what most families did).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In 10+ years of nannying I have always received a bonus. Anywhere from $250 to 2 weeks pay. At my newest position, I didn't receive a thing! I love this family, and they always tell me how appreciative of me they are. But in all honesty it hurt not to get a bonus. I know they have the money, they multi-billionaires.

Wow. Unbelievable.

She is paid for her time, and while it would be nice to get bonus (=EXTRA) compensation, it is not UNBELIEVABLE that a nanny would be paid "only" the amount agreed to in the contract.