Anonymous
Post 01/29/2016 09:37     Subject: Asking nanny to report on how time is used
Anonymous wrote:OP, I am in the same situation and recently asked the nanny to log how she spends her time when the kids are not at home. She just wasn't getting through the basic tasks we agreed upon, but I was seeing lots of evidence that she was spending time transacting personal business and doing personal errands. So far she has ignored my request. I plan to repeat it, but have begun looking to replace her.

Your chances of success will increase only if you stop expecting a "nanny" (as you say,) to do your housecleaning.

Let's be honest. Your needs are housekeeper/sitter.
Anonymous
Post 01/29/2016 00:40     Subject: Asking nanny to report on how time is used
OP, I am in the same situation and recently asked the nanny to log how she spends her time when the kids are not at home. She just wasn't getting through the basic tasks we agreed upon, but I was seeing lots of evidence that she was spending time transacting personal business and doing personal errands. So far she has ignored my request. I plan to repeat it, but have begun looking to replace her.
Anonymous
Post 01/28/2016 09:57     Subject: Asking nanny to report on how time is used
Anonymous wrote:OP do not listen to ^^ I have a nanny that despite the fact she is paid very very well she wouldn't perform her duties as per the agreement until she got word that we were looking to replace her. It was a little to late because by then I had reduced her hours from 40 to 32. I leave the house one hour later cos the nanny was always late, and I get home an hour earlier to take over the duties the nanny doesn't want to do which is basically to leave the kitchen the way she found it in the morning. Cutting down those 8 hours really hurt her but I am sure that is lesson learnt. If she decides to quit and find another job I would say good riddance. I got to a point where if this doesn't not work out I am ready for a clean start. Good luck OP.


OP here. This is about where we're at in terms of our thinking. I would prefer to replace with someone who will put in a genuine effort during the time she's here, or cut down hours. It's not complicated. Demonstrate that the hours you work bring value to your employer. I can't imagine showing up at my job and spending 1/3 of my day just not contributing.
Anonymous
Post 01/28/2016 09:54     Subject: Asking nanny to report on how time is used
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Did I miss what you're paying your lazy-assed non-worker domestic employee?


Exactly what she asked. Market compensation.

Well, that explains it, as "market" means cheap.


Market rate means nothing.
Nanny A thinks market rate is X. Nanny B thinks market rate is X+3. Nanny A and Nanny B do not agree, but neither can budge on the minimum they will accept without throwing off their budget.
Parent C thinks market rate is Y. Parent D thinks market rate is Y-4. Parent C and Parent D each have a maximum amount for childcare budgeted and can't exceed it, regardless of what anyone else pays.

Without knowing what every single nanny is paid, nobody can know what market rate is. Each nanny has a minimum hourly and/or weekly amount. Each family has a maximum weekly amount.

The reason the PP asked was to get an idea about whether you are paying enough to attract a better candidate. For a great salary and benefits, everyone will apply, including stellar nannies. As the pay and benefits decrease, professionals stop applying until you are left with only the desperate. I don't care whether you post the amount you pay or not, but all I'm hearing on this thread is that this nanny is average or worse. Given that parents hire the best candidate from the pool (could be best overall or best fit for their family), I suspect you are paying less than most professional nannies who require.


That's ridiculous. Of course there is such thing as market rate. Nanny A may think market rate is $45/hr. Nanny B may think it's $48/hr. Those are clearly not within the range of "market rates". They would have great difficulty finding jobs. Likewise, Parent C may think market rate is $9/hr. Parent D may think it's $5/hr. Again, neither is likely to be successful in finding what they're looking for. There is most certainly a generally accepted rate of pay, adjusted for certain variables, that is the market rate. In this generally accepted range that is market rate, you have a pool of candidates and a pool of employers that are likely to meet one another's expectations. To say there is no such thing as market rate is just ignorant.
Anonymous
Post 01/28/2016 00:28     Subject: Asking nanny to report on how time is used
Anonymous wrote:OP do not listen to ^^ I have a nanny that despite the fact she is paid very very well she wouldn't perform her duties as per the agreement until she got word that we were looking to replace her. It was a little to late because by then I had reduced her hours from 40 to 32. I leave the house one hour later cos the nanny was always late, and I get home an hour earlier to take over the duties the nanny doesn't want to do which is basically to leave the kitchen the way she found it in the morning. Cutting down those 8 hours really hurt her but I am sure that is lesson learnt. If she decides to quit and find another job I would say good riddance. I got to a point where if this doesn't not work out I am ready for a clean start. Good luck OP.


Ii'm the PP you told OP to ignore. I'm sorry that you are paying such a high wage to someone who doesn't deserve it. She isn't a professional, so you might want to cut her loose and search for a professional who will abide by her contract.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 22:51     Subject: Asking nanny to report on how time is used
* I now leave ... Sorry for the typos
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 22:49     Subject: Asking nanny to report on how time is used
OP do not listen to ^^ I have a nanny that despite the fact she is paid very very well she wouldn't perform her duties as per the agreement until she got word that we were looking to replace her. It was a little to late because by then I had reduced her hours from 40 to 32. I leave the house one hour later cos the nanny was always late, and I get home an hour earlier to take over the duties the nanny doesn't want to do which is basically to leave the kitchen the way she found it in the morning. Cutting down those 8 hours really hurt her but I am sure that is lesson learnt. If she decides to quit and find another job I would say good riddance. I got to a point where if this doesn't not work out I am ready for a clean start. Good luck OP.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 21:22     Subject: Asking nanny to report on how time is used
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Did I miss what you're paying your lazy-assed non-worker domestic employee?


Exactly what she asked. Market compensation.

Well, that explains it, as "market" means cheap.


Market rate means nothing.
Nanny A thinks market rate is X. Nanny B thinks market rate is X+3. Nanny A and Nanny B do not agree, but neither can budge on the minimum they will accept without throwing off their budget.
Parent C thinks market rate is Y. Parent D thinks market rate is Y-4. Parent C and Parent D each have a maximum amount for childcare budgeted and can't exceed it, regardless of what anyone else pays.

Without knowing what every single nanny is paid, nobody can know what market rate is. Each nanny has a minimum hourly and/or weekly amount. Each family has a maximum weekly amount.

The reason the PP asked was to get an idea about whether you are paying enough to attract a better candidate. For a great salary and benefits, everyone will apply, including stellar nannies. As the pay and benefits decrease, professionals stop applying until you are left with only the desperate. I don't care whether you post the amount you pay or not, but all I'm hearing on this thread is that this nanny is average or worse. Given that parents hire the best candidate from the pool (could be best overall or best fit for their family), I suspect you are paying less than most professional nannies who require.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 20:46     Subject: Asking nanny to report on how time is used
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Did I miss what you're paying your lazy-assed non-worker domestic employee?


Exactly what she asked. Market compensation.

Well, that explains it, as "market" means cheap.


Of course it does, to you. All wages should be top wages. Which then makes those wages...market.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 20:35     Subject: Asking nanny to report on how time is used
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Did I miss what you're paying your lazy-assed non-worker domestic employee?


Exactly what she asked. Market compensation.

Well, that explains it, as "market" means cheap.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 20:33     Subject: Asking nanny to report on how time is used
Anonymous wrote:Did I miss what you're paying your lazy-assed non-worker domestic employee?


Exactly what she asked. Market compensation.
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 20:09     Subject: Asking nanny to report on how time is used
Did I miss what you're paying your lazy-assed non-worker domestic employee?
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 18:29     Subject: Asking nanny to report on how time is used
Anonymous wrote:
What is your priority, OP?


My priority is a safe and well-managed family life. I need good childcare during the hours my children are present. I am happy to employ someone for that purpose. Beyond that, if I am paying someone for hours when my children are not in her care, I need those hours to produce some benefit to my household. If they don't, it seems reasonable to reallocate those funds elsewhere.

Our current nanny is not amazing; she's adequate (we've had amazing nannies, and there is a certain cost is have been willing to bear just to retain them at full hours; that's not the current situation, though). I don't feel like it furthers anything to pay for empty hours.

Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 18:05     Subject: Asking nanny to report on how time is used

What is your priority, OP?
Anonymous
Post 01/27/2016 17:32     Subject: Asking nanny to report on how time is used
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think it is reasonable. You could also be specific with a list of things to do.


OP here. I manage A LOT in our household. Not sure I should need to lay out a list of tasks for a functional adult. I would become incredibly resentful of that in under a week. If I were managing a 16yr old, sure, but not an alleged adult.


OP you sound resentful already. It might be time to find a new nanny.


You're probably right, but I don't want to overreact and am trying to take a reasonable approach. Will be informative to see what gets written down over next couple of weeks. My kids are old enough now that I hear from them what's happening while they are home, so it will be interesting to see how much of that shifts to morning work during the time I ask her to keep track of how she spends that time.

I won't mind reducing to 30 hrs a week if it doesn't seem like well used time. I do care about allocating resources well, and if there is not a substantial benefit to my family in paying for that time, I want to reallocate resources.