We have always used our nanny for babysitting, but we have also always cleared it with her way in advance (and we don't expect her to cancel other plans to sit for us). We pay her cash for babysitting so that there aren't taxes taken out of it, but it's at the OT rate ($45).

Anonymous wrote:i hate being asked to work weekend nights, particularly being asked to stay late on fridays. there's absolutely nothing i want less than to stay in an employer's house til late on a friday night instead of getting to spend time with my own friends and family. those are always the nights you get the "so sorry but we're running late. hope that's okay!" texts at 1 am when you were supposed to be relieved at 11:30. like...no, actually. it isn't okay. but what am i going to do? leave?
i used to nanny for a family afternoons/evenings and weekend days. the weekend days were long-10/11 hours. they would then make plans to go out to dinner, without asking me if i was interested in staying late. if i said i couldn't, they would say something like "Oh, our plans are nonrefundable"-as though that's my problem. needless to say, that did not last.

"Oh dear! I hope you can find someone to watch little Larla and Larlo, because you scheduled me until 5:00 pm so that is when I will be leaving! See you soon!"

i hate being asked to work weekend nights, particularly being asked to stay late on fridays. there's absolutely nothing i want less than to stay in an employer's house til late on a friday night instead of getting to spend time with my own friends and family. those are always the nights you get the "so sorry but we're running late. hope that's okay!" texts at 1 am when you were supposed to be relieved at 11:30. like...no, actually. it isn't okay. but what am i going to do? leave?
i used to nanny for a family afternoons/evenings and weekend days. the weekend days were long-10/11 hours. they would then make plans to go out to dinner, without asking me if i was interested in staying late. if i said i couldn't, they would say something like "Oh, our plans are nonrefundable"-as though that's my problem. needless to say, that did not last.

MB here.

If we have our nanny babysit she gets paid overtime rates - because that's how you do it legally.

THis is also why we virtually never use her as a babysitter. We have a couple of teenagers and a family friend who are our go-to babysitters and their hourly rate is (at most) half of the nanny's OT rate.

We find our sitters through friend or neighbor referrals.