Sure, take the job and start networking ASAP so you'll have other options if you aren't happy.

Anonymous wrote:What's the living situation like? a basement apartment with bedroom, full bath, full kitchen, and living space is a lot different than a room and bathroom with shared everything else.
Do they have an overnight visitor policy? Do they have an alcohol policy? (Sounds silly, but I saw many places on CL that said absolutely no overnight guests and/or no alcohol). Sorry, if I want a glass of wine at the end of a night....i'm going to have one!

It is a bedroom on a separate level and private bath. All other space in the house is shared. They said that they were open to overnight guests, but the alcohol thing is not an issue since I don't drink so I did not ask about that.

I am really just looking for a way to move to the DC area. I think I will be able to explore a little more what I am looking at once I am in that area. It sounds like this is on the low end but not totally unreasonable, so I think I will probably take it for this school year. Then next summer when all of the summer nanny jobs open up I can look for something that is better paying and can interview in person because I will be in the area.

I have six years of nanny experience as well as multiple experiences, experience ranging from newborns through 10-year-old kids, and I have been with each family for at least a year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is you can't factor in $800/month for room and board. I can't imagine anybody would be willing to pay $800/month to live with their boss. I would much rather (and do) live with a bunch of roommates for equal or lower rent and have the freedom that goes along with that.

Exactly!

Totally agree! never, never, never again will I be a live-in!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While you can subtract room and board, its a different tax process which is a PITA. If you are subtracting room and board, it is not pre tax for the nanny so it needs to subtracted after you subtract her employee portion from gross and the amount you receive for the rent is taxable income for you.

If you don't subtract a specific amount, it simply is part of the overall package and you pay above minimum wage its much easier. I would suggest offering minimum wage 8.25 which would be 247.50 a week or $990 for a four week month. Live in positions in DC are around minimum wage - maybe $12 per hour tops.

The economics of a live in position are different than a live out position. In a live in position, the fewer hours, the pay is still low because the live in still receives the full benefit of the room and board just spread across fewer hours. Its also more attract to someone who is looking to finish a degree, needs to take classes, and need to avoid paying rent and other living expenses.

Your $12/hr is crazy and you know it. Kids waking you up every weekend is not a benefit for most hired help. Now, if they're offering a separate cottage on their McLean estate, that's different. McLean is the place where you can find that.

Funny how you haven't meet the woman, or even seen her resume, and you think you can pinpoint appropriate wage. Thank goodness most employers aren't as reckless as you are.

met

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While you can subtract room and board, its a different tax process which is a PITA. If you are subtracting room and board, it is not pre tax for the nanny so it needs to subtracted after you subtract her employee portion from gross and the amount you receive for the rent is taxable income for you.

If you don't subtract a specific amount, it simply is part of the overall package and you pay above minimum wage its much easier. I would suggest offering minimum wage 8.25 which would be 247.50 a week or $990 for a four week month. Live in positions in DC are around minimum wage - maybe $12 per hour tops.

The economics of a live in position are different than a live out position. In a live in position, the fewer hours, the pay is still low because the live in still receives the full benefit of the room and board just spread across fewer hours. Its also more attract to someone who is looking to finish a degree, needs to take classes, and need to avoid paying rent and other living expenses.

Your $12/hr is crazy and you know it. Kids waking you up every weekend is not a benefit for most hired help. Now, if they're offering a separate cottage on their McLean estate, that's different. McLean is the place where you can find that.

Funny how you haven't meet the woman, or even seen her resume, and you think you can pinpoint appropriate wage. Thank goodness most employers aren't as reckless as you are.

Umm...daycare workers often have far more experience than nannies. NAEYC daycares requires lead teachers to have degrees and assistants to have CDA certifications. This is way more than most nannies.

OP is likely to find a young nanny or student if she lives close to a university. Agree that she shouldn't try to do the subtracting room and board route . She should pay minimum wage but no more than $10 per hour.

Anonymous wrote:Live-in job. Split schedule (paid for morning routine and afternoon routine, have school hours off). 30 hrs per week; 25 with kids and 5 doing errands and cooking. Kids laundry, weekly grocery shopping, family dinners 5 nights a week, kid-related housekeeping. Two kids, both preschool-aged. Drive using my car with reimbursment of $40 per week (more than I will spend on gas). Live-in with room, board, and two week vacation (one of their choosing, one of mine) and 5 days sick leave. Pay is $900 per month.

Well, 30 hours/week x 4.3 week per month is 129 hours a month, so you'd be paying her $6.98/hour, which is less than minimum wage.

And I am not getting into the "room and board" mess, because if you actually value it, you wind up with IRS insanity. And being a LI isn't that great of a benefit if you don't earn enough to pay your other bills.

You might find a person who has little to no nanny experience (like a daycare worker looking for a place to live and wanting to work fewer hours) to take this job, but I doubt any knowledgeable and experienced nanny would apply to be a nanny/errand runner/cook for less than minimum wage. $10/hour without messing with room and board calculations, or $15/hour with a 40% R&B deduction might net you better applicants.

If you can up the amount of money you can afford to cover an au pair, you might try that route. If you can't afford that (about 25K/year including placement fees and other costs), you need to be prepared to have a lot of turnover, since the novices you hire will look to move on as soon as they realize they're making so much less than their peers.

Good luck!

What's the living situation like? a basement apartment with bedroom, full bath, full kitchen, and living space is a lot different than a room and bathroom with shared everything else.
Do they have an overnight visitor policy? Do they have an alcohol policy? (Sounds silly, but I saw many places on CL that said absolutely no overnight guests and/or no alcohol). Sorry, if I want a glass of wine at the end of a night....i'm going to have one!

You'll likely be living in a nice house. The $600/month rentals on CL are probably run down apartments, in not as nice areas. I say take the job, you'll have plenty of free time to pick up other work or study, whatever you have planned.

We get it, 12:20, you aren't interested in a live in position.