Anonymous wrote:Legally mandated or not ( and, it's not, as there's no legal mandate to maintain the same base rate when the job is being renegotiated), of course it's s raise. It's more money per hour. That's a raise. I suppose you could argue that /more/ of a raise is appropriate, but the OT hours are effectively a very significant raise.

You really believe the namny would accept $3.00/hr less because she is now being paid OT for 10 additional hours of OT pet week? If so, you are nuts!

OP, you obviously value your nanny, and that counts for a lot. You could talk to her about other benefits that might help outweigh a smaller increase. If she is all that you say, she will definitely be throwing herself into the new job and that will mean a lot of work. Your priorities should be to make her feel valued and avoid burnout, and only she can tell you the best way to do that. Have an honest conversation about what you can afford, but think through possible fringe benefits (subsidize her transportation in some way? More PTO?) and have those on the table as well if you can.

Anonymous wrote:Does OP live inside the beltway or some other city entirely?

OP here and we live in NWDC.

Does OP live inside the beltway or some other city entirely?

You impress me, OP You are not buying into the hysteria on either side. You will find a way to all make it work, I am sure. You have the right attitude for a successful working relationship with a good nanny.

And your nanny sounds like she must be pretty wonderful, too.

All the best to you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: OUCH!!!

Do you say ouch when you get a raise? A $2.00/hr raise for a new baby is nothing. It should be $5.00 an hour raise! If you can't afford to give a decent raise for all the additional work, py ft your kids in daycare. I am not a nanny.

Oh please. oP is already overpaying her nanny for one child so that has set expectations of continued overpaying.

OP should call all the DC major agencies and get some price checks for 1,2, and 3 kids in order to get more grounded and truthful info. Btw, at $20/ hr you stop the additional dollar thing and do annual 2-4% raises or whatever % you and your spouse got.

OP here and I am not overpaying our nanny. She really is that good and gets $25 an hour at her Saturday job for one infant. I am only balking at the confluence of events - the need for ten hours overtime coverage, the new baby and the cost of preschool as well as her annual raise. I certainly would never tie her annual increase to our annual increases except in COL. She deserves her own merit increase for her work alone.

Anyway, I will talk to her. She will get a raise, of course, but she is also a very smart and compassionate woman who knows our situation. We do not own a home, we do not go on vacations and we do not have fancy cars or expensive clothes. She knows that DH just finished his doctorate and has just re-entered the workforce (which is why we need the additional ten hours now that he doesn't have the flexibility of an academic's schedule). Whatever we do for her this year we will be able to do better next year.

I do not want another nanny. I want to find a way to make everyone comfortable and happy.


Thanks everyone for your comments. Eye opening.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: OUCH!!!

Do you say ouch when you get a raise? A $2.00/hr raise for a new baby is nothing. It should be $5.00 an hour raise! If you can't afford to give a decent raise for all the additional work, py ft your kids in daycare. I am not a nanny.

Oh please. oP is already overpaying her nanny for one child so that has set expectations of continued overpaying.

OP should call all the DC major agencies and get some price checks for 1,2, and 3 kids in order to get more grounded and truthful info. Btw, at $20/ hr you stop the additional dollar thing and do annual 2-4% raises or whatever % you and your spouse got.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: OUCH!!!

Do you say ouch when you get a raise? A $2.00/hr raise for a new baby is nothing. It should be $5.00 an hour raise! If you can't afford to give a decent raise for all the additional work, py ft your kids in daycare. I am not a nanny.

Yes, put her kids in daycare and put the nanny out of work completely. Good plan.

Anonymous wrote:OP here: OUCH!!!

Do you say ouch when you get a raise? A $2.00/hr raise for a new baby is nothing. It should be $5.00 an hour raise! If you can't afford to give a decent raise for all the additional work, py ft your kids in daycare. I am not a nanny.

OT is not a raise, its more work. I'm not surprised to see a bunch of MBs trying to twist is as though it were. Go ahead and do what you're going to do. I hope you lose her.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, OT is legally mandated. But the base rate is not (as long as its above minimum wage) This is effectively a new job .... From no OT with one child to 50 hours a week with two. I'm just saying that taking the former job, adding on more for a new year, more for a new child, and then more still for OT is excessive and well above market. There's certainly a number thats going to be acceptable to both parties.

+1 And OP's nanny sounds like a good and reasonable woman.

Yes, OT is legally mandated. But the base rate is not (as long as its above minimum wage) This is effectively a new job .... From no OT with one child to 50 hours a week with two. I'm just saying that taking the former job, adding on more for a new year, more for a new child, and then more still for OT is excessive and well above market. There's certainly a number thats going to be acceptable to both parties.

Anonymous wrote:Legally mandated or not ( and, it's not, as there's no legal mandate to maintain the same base rate when the job is being renegotiated), of course it's s raise. It's more money per hour. That's a raise. I suppose you could argue that /more/ of a raise is appropriate, but the OT hours are effectively a very significant raise.

I was talking about time and a half, which she is legally obligated to pay.

Legally mandated or not ( and, it's not, as there's no legal mandate to maintain the same base rate when the job is being renegotiated), of course it's s raise. It's more money per hour. That's a raise. I suppose you could argue that /more/ of a raise is appropriate, but the OT hours are effectively a very significant raise.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: OUCH!!!

Nanny care for 2 children is very expensive. What do you feel is an appropriate amount?

Our nanny is worth a thousand dollar an hour for her wonderful and loving care for my son. It isn't about what is appropriate - it is about what we can afford. I was sort of hoping that since we were increasing her hours by 10 at 1.5 that we could get by with just a $1 raise. She will be making over 300 more a week just by the increase in hours before the raise.

She will also be doing more work. You are legally mandated to pay her overtime. That isn't a raise.

Yes, of course I understand that (OP here) but she will not need to work a second job anymore and will be earning over $5 an hour more with us even at her current rate. I understand it is not a raise but she will be earning $5 more an hour with us than at her current second job.