nannydebsays
Post 03/26/2014 14:38     Subject: Hiring a professional nanny
Anonymous wrote:
nannydebsays wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We have two children and are considering a third. I've never had a nanny before, and I would need to hire one if we have a third child.

I've read posts about different compensation packages, and I've seen posts about nannies who are educated commanding a larger salary. How much are we talking about, fully loaded (taxes, health care)? $60K, $70K, $80K, or more?


How old are your children, OP, and how old might they be if you have a third child?


OP here. The kids are 6 and 1. We hope to have a third in the next year or two, in which case they would possibly be 8, 3, and an infant.

The Arlington poster, for example, sounds as though she has a great arrangement. I would be happy with a situation in which I felt my kids were well-cared for, ideally with enriching activities and a nanny who engaged them. I'm sorry to dig up a tired trope, but I hate seeing nannies or any caregiver ignoring the kids at the park while the caregiver is on the phone. I would need a driver and of course someone who has proper documentation to work. We wouldn't need more than 50 hours per week.

What I'm getting at is that I want a great nanny (who doesn't), and DH and I would be willing to pay for someone who does an outstanding job. I've seen posts - I should probably dig up the threads - in which parents or nannies have said that nannies who are highly qualified career nannies can command a high salary. I'm hoping to attract someone who is energetic and enthusiastic about nannying, and we can afford to pay more for a nanny who brings a lot to the table. I'm wondering how much we should expect to pay


While I can tell you what "salary" (aka guaranteed weekly rate) I'd ask for, I don't know what you can specifically expect to pay. I have 20+ years of experience, have cared for infants to 10 year olds, and I'd be seeking $20+/hour plus OT, or $1100+ per week. If, upon meeting your family, I found out elements were in play that would make the job more difficult, I'd raise my starting point for negotiations.

I'd suggest taking a few steps to clarify the following:

1) What is your annual childcare budget? How much can you afford to pay a nanny, pay your share of taxes and a nanny tax company, and how much time and/or money can you devote to your search?

2) What is the job description? Do you want a nanny who can multi-task efficiently when she has all 3 kids, and can also be very focused on just the infant when they are 1:1? Will nanny need to help with homework, will she be responsible for carpooling, how much (if any) purchasing authority will she have regarding the kids needs? Will she be expected to run errands, grocery shop, do any household tasks related to the kids like their laundry (Kid related tasks are generally the nanny's responsibility.) What benefits will you offer beyond the standard 15 days PTO? What makes your job stand out from the rest?

3) How would you describe your ideal nanny? Do you want a motivated self-starter who can step in and take charge easily? Do you want someone who will look to you for guidance, or someone that you can trust to make minor decisions? Old? Young? In-between? College educated?

Once you've got those things set down on paper, you'll have a firm idea of your budget, your wants, and your needs, and you'll be better prepared to start looking.

Also, unless you want to avoid paying any agency fees and feel comfortable doing reference and background checks on your own, I'd consider using agencies for your search. Reputable agencies will be able to send you candidates that match your requirements. Before you "hire" an agency, ask for referrals and ask around in your area to see what people say about that agency.

Good luck!
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2014 13:07     Subject: Hiring a professional nanny
It's a shame you are such a foolish snob, 9:58, because the PP you're mocking gave you some very good information in her post.

Anonymous
Post 03/26/2014 09:58     Subject: Hiring a professional nanny
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The PP is exactly right. By law (FLSA), even the best, most experienced, college-educated nannies are not true ("learned") professionals. If they were, they could be paid a salary instead of an hourly wage and they would be exempt from overtime.

Some people use the term "professional" nanny to refer to a "career" nanny, meaning someone with several years of experience. Of course, strictly speaking, anyone who gets paid to work in a particular field is a professional in that field.

I think nannies and nanny-employers alike would benefit from a legal system that recognized nannying as an early childhood education specialty with a formal education requirement and a licensure requirement. However, and sadly, Congress just doesn't see nannying as skilled labor.


Nannies are designated hourly employees to prevent abuses you fool. It has nothing to do with being a professional. I do agree that this industry could certainly do with more regulation, but because nannies are employed by single employers, the government has neither the care or the resources to police individual household employers. Because of that, it is best for nannies to remain hourly employers. If they weren't none of the MBs on this board would be paying anywhere near a fair wage. You all already do everything you can to skirt the FLSA and OT. Nannies would be on the call essentially 24/7, making little more than you pay for daycare; $15-$25k/year.


Um, no. You're just wrong. Read the FLSA. The fact that nannies are classed as non-exempt, hourly workers has nothing to do with the fact that they work for single employers and everything to do with the fact that nannying is presumed not to require discretion, judgment or advanced knowledge in a specific field gained through a prolonged course of specialized academic training. Teachers are considered "learned professionals" because there is an education requirement to enter the trade, and thus, they are exempt from FLSA overtime rules. Nannies are not. Read the FLSA.

The idea that nannies would be abused but for their non-exempt, hourly worker status reveals the extent to which this country--including YOU--devalues childcare providers by treating them as unskilled or at best low-skilled workers. If nannies were true professionals with an education and licensure requirement, they would not be statutorily entitled to overtime pay at time and a half the base rate, but there would be fewer professional nannies to go around, and that would cause pay to increase and work conditions to improve without protectionism from the Department of Labor. In the long run, professional nannies would likely get paid more because parents would know that the title means something. An underclass of paraprofessionals would probably also emerge to fill the need for less qualified, less expensive care, but these people would not be entitled to market themselves as professional nannies.

But make no mistake: The fact that nannies are hourly workers is a direct result of the fact that nannying has no educational barriers to entry and is, therefore, nannies are classified by law as per se non-professionals. This systematic devaluation is even more explicit under US immigration law where (at least last time I checked) even a nanny with a two-year degree from an accredited nanny program is classed as an unskilled domestic servant or "child monitor" for immigration purposes.

Instead of attacking other posters for pointing out that the emperor in this case has no clothes on, y'all should really start lobbying to change the structure and legal status of your trade.


I'm sorry I simply can't take anything you said seriously, given that you actually typed out the word "y'all" while trying to insult me. All I'm seeing now is "I'm a buffoon".
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2014 09:48     Subject: Hiring a professional nanny
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My established hourly rates start at 25/hr for one child.

Families who hire me say they want my proven ability to appropriately manage any situation that may arise. Anything. I can also solve virtually any parenting dilemma (so far). Of course not every parent will like my solutions, but they are successful, both in the short term and longterm. There needs to be an overall agreement of goals and methods. We are a team.


Well, good for you. However, I would never pay this amount for one child, unless my child had dramatic special needs or my situation was so uniquely demanding that no one wanted the job. And I don't need you to solve parenting dilemmas other than the one for which I'm hiring you - which is childcare while I'm working.

The OP should not, in any way, be led to think that $25/hr for one child is necessary or typical.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2014 04:30     Subject: Hiring a professional nanny
Just look at our government sponsored au pair program. Those poor young people with their broken English, don't even have a hotline to report their abuse here.

If cheap sitters are such a desperate need, why rock the boat?
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2014 01:39     Subject: Hiring a professional nanny
PP again. Meant to say "But make no mistake: The fact that nannies are hourly workers is a direct result of the fact that nannying has no educational barriers to entry and, therefore, nannies are classified by law as per se non-professionals."
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2014 01:36     Subject: Hiring a professional nanny
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The PP is exactly right. By law (FLSA), even the best, most experienced, college-educated nannies are not true ("learned") professionals. If they were, they could be paid a salary instead of an hourly wage and they would be exempt from overtime.

Some people use the term "professional" nanny to refer to a "career" nanny, meaning someone with several years of experience. Of course, strictly speaking, anyone who gets paid to work in a particular field is a professional in that field.

I think nannies and nanny-employers alike would benefit from a legal system that recognized nannying as an early childhood education specialty with a formal education requirement and a licensure requirement. However, and sadly, Congress just doesn't see nannying as skilled labor.


Nannies are designated hourly employees to prevent abuses you fool. It has nothing to do with being a professional. I do agree that this industry could certainly do with more regulation, but because nannies are employed by single employers, the government has neither the care or the resources to police individual household employers. Because of that, it is best for nannies to remain hourly employers. If they weren't none of the MBs on this board would be paying anywhere near a fair wage. You all already do everything you can to skirt the FLSA and OT. Nannies would be on the call essentially 24/7, making little more than you pay for daycare; $15-$25k/year.


Um, no. You're just wrong. Read the FLSA. The fact that nannies are classed as non-exempt, hourly workers has nothing to do with the fact that they work for single employers and everything to do with the fact that nannying is presumed not to require discretion, judgment or advanced knowledge in a specific field gained through a prolonged course of specialized academic training. Teachers are considered "learned professionals" because there is an education requirement to enter the trade, and thus, they are exempt from FLSA overtime rules. Nannies are not. Read the FLSA.

The idea that nannies would be abused but for their non-exempt, hourly worker status reveals the extent to which this country--including YOU--devalues childcare providers by treating them as unskilled or at best low-skilled workers. If nannies were true professionals with an education and licensure requirement, they would not be statutorily entitled to overtime pay at time and a half the base rate, but there would be fewer professional nannies to go around, and that would cause pay to increase and work conditions to improve without protectionism from the Department of Labor. In the long run, professional nannies would likely get paid more because parents would know that the title means something. An underclass of paraprofessionals would probably also emerge to fill the need for less qualified, less expensive care, but these people would not be entitled to market themselves as professional nannies.

But make no mistake: The fact that nannies are hourly workers is a direct result of the fact that nannying has no educational barriers to entry and is, therefore, nannies are classified by law as per se non-professionals. This systematic devaluation is even more explicit under US immigration law where (at least last time I checked) even a nanny with a two-year degree from an accredited nanny program is classed as an unskilled domestic servant or "child monitor" for immigration purposes.

Instead of attacking other posters for pointing out that the emperor in this case has no clothes on, y'all should really start lobbying to change the structure and legal status of your trade.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2014 20:19     Subject: Hiring a professional nanny
Anonymous wrote:My established hourly rates start at 25/hr for one child.

Families who hire me say they want my proven ability to appropriately manage any situation that may arise. Anything. I can also solve virtually any parenting dilemma (so far). Of course not every parent will like my solutions, but they are successful, both in the short term and longterm. There needs to be an overall agreement of goals and methods. We are a team.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2014 20:02     Subject: Hiring a professional nanny
Anonymous wrote:My established hourly rates start at 25/hr for one child.


this does not mean much. if you are in DC, your rate is well above average. you should explain your background, education and experience so OP can understand why a family would pay you so much more than good nannies who make $18/hr.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2014 19:57     Subject: Hiring a professional nanny
Of course they are, 16:48. Hopefully, you go above and beyond and take on household tasks that would be worth your inflated rate.

Because, in this market, in DC, you would not be a good candidate without offering a lot of perks to a family. It's just too easy to find excellent candidates for true market rates.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2014 16:48     Subject: Hiring a professional nanny
My established hourly rates start at 25/hr for one child.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2014 14:45     Subject: Hiring a professional nanny
OP, the more you pay the more you can demand.

I would think you could have lots of qualified, competent, legal, driving, experienced, candidates in the $18-20 range. If you go up to 21 or 22/hr then you should have your absolute pick of fantastic options and be able to set your standards VERY high.

You can find perfectly qualified, good care for less than that also - but you are more likely to need to compromise on something.

I'm in Kensington and we can't afford the $20/hr level of professional, but we have found someone who we trust completely and who takes fantastic care of our kids at the $15/level (plus significant benefits).

So it really is up to you in terms of deciding what exactly you will require of the nanny (and the more clear you are in your expectations and requirements the better) and what you are willing to pay.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2014 14:17     Subject: Hiring a professional nanny
nannydebsays wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We have two children and are considering a third. I've never had a nanny before, and I would need to hire one if we have a third child.

I've read posts about different compensation packages, and I've seen posts about nannies who are educated commanding a larger salary. How much are we talking about, fully loaded (taxes, health care)? $60K, $70K, $80K, or more?


How old are your children, OP, and how old might they be if you have a third child?


OP here. The kids are 6 and 1. We hope to have a third in the next year or two, in which case they would possibly be 8, 3, and an infant.

The Arlington poster, for example, sounds as though she has a great arrangement. I would be happy with a situation in which I felt my kids were well-cared for, ideally with enriching activities and a nanny who engaged them. I'm sorry to dig up a tired trope, but I hate seeing nannies or any caregiver ignoring the kids at the park while the caregiver is on the phone. I would need a driver and of course someone who has proper documentation to work. We wouldn't need more than 50 hours per week.

What I'm getting at is that I want a great nanny (who doesn't), and DH and I would be willing to pay for someone who does an outstanding job. I've seen posts - I should probably dig up the threads - in which parents or nannies have said that nannies who are highly qualified career nannies can command a high salary. I'm hoping to attract someone who is energetic and enthusiastic about nannying, and we can afford to pay more for a nanny who brings a lot to the table. I'm wondering how much we should expect to pay
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2014 10:13     Subject: Re:Hiring a professional nanny
The PP is exactly right. By law (FLSA), even the best, most experienced, college-educated nannies are not true ("learned") professionals. If they were, they could be paid a salary instead of an hourly wage and they would be exempt from overtime.

Some people use the term "professional" nanny to refer to a "career" nanny, meaning someone with several years of experience. Of course, strictly speaking, anyone who gets paid to work in a particular field is a professional in that field.

I think nannies and nanny-employers alike would benefit from a legal system that recognized nannying as an early childhood education specialty with a formal education requirement and a licensure requirement. However, and sadly, Congress just doesn't see nannying as skilled labor.


Nannies are designated hourly employees to prevent abuses you fool. It has nothing to do with being a professional. I do agree that this industry could certainly do with more regulation, but because nannies are employed by single employers, the government has neither the care or the resources to police individual household employers. Because of that, it is best for nannies to remain hourly employers. If they weren't none of the MBs on this board would be paying anywhere near a fair wage. You all already do everything you can to skirt the FLSA and OT. Nannies would be on the call essentially 24/7, making little more than you pay for daycare; $15-$25k/year.


Name calling and slandering employers certainly doesn't make you appear professional, nor worthy of respect. Step up your game.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2014 09:08     Subject: Hiring a professional nanny
Anonymous wrote:The PP is exactly right. By law (FLSA), even the best, most experienced, college-educated nannies are not true ("learned") professionals. If they were, they could be paid a salary instead of an hourly wage and they would be exempt from overtime.

Some people use the term "professional" nanny to refer to a "career" nanny, meaning someone with several years of experience. Of course, strictly speaking, anyone who gets paid to work in a particular field is a professional in that field.

I think nannies and nanny-employers alike would benefit from a legal system that recognized nannying as an early childhood education specialty with a formal education requirement and a licensure requirement. However, and sadly, Congress just doesn't see nannying as skilled labor.


Nannies are designated hourly employees to prevent abuses you fool. It has nothing to do with being a professional. I do agree that this industry could certainly do with more regulation, but because nannies are employed by single employers, the government has neither the care or the resources to police individual household employers. Because of that, it is best for nannies to remain hourly employers. If they weren't none of the MBs on this board would be paying anywhere near a fair wage. You all already do everything you can to skirt the FLSA and OT. Nannies would be on the call essentially 24/7, making little more than you pay for daycare; $15-$25k/year.