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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

Oh, no - another "Is this salary reasonable for a central London nanny" thread ... but I need your help!

61 replies

LittleOneMum · 07/02/2011 09:57

My nanny has been with us for 2.5 years. Prior to that she had 2 years experience. In the time she has been with us, we have put her up from £450 net per week to £475 and then to £500 net. On Friday she asked for an increase to £550.
This seems outrageously high to me, but maybe I am horribly behind the times. Can you help? I'm in central London. She looks after my DS (3 - at school every morning) and DD (9 months). She says she needs the increase because the new job (i.e. having 2 to look after, I just went back from maternity leave) is very much more tiring and full on. She says she needs to employ a cleaner at home as she is so tired.

A 20% increase in salary in 2.5 years seems a lot to me but I do not want to pay her less than she is entitled to. Help please?

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Original poster
LittleOneMum · 07/02/2011 10:19

I think you must have misread me. She does do things which are connected to my DCs - she cooks for them, and generally tidies/organises and things. I generally do laundry.

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Strix · 07/02/2011 10:16

Did I read that right? Did you just say she does not do children's laundry, cook for children, generally tidying/organising for children?

Original poster
LittleOneMum · 07/02/2011 10:14

and Bonsoir you are right, it is tiring. I've just had 9 months of it at home and I still do weekends of course and it is tiring.

Oh should have said that I don't work on a Friday and always do the school run that day, and also try to take DS to school at least one other morning a week to make life easier (and because I like it!)

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Original poster
LittleOneMum · 07/02/2011 10:13

I think you are right Strix I have been a bit lax about having a particular time when we talk about increases. She had her last pay rise 1 year ago now.

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Original poster
LittleOneMum · 07/02/2011 10:11

She has no 'chores' per se, save for things which are connected to my 2 DCs, for example, cooking lunch. She also tidies up a bit before I get home. I do all the laundry etc, she is not expected to do any household chores at all.
No 'errands' but I do give her money to shop for ingredients if she wants to make particular dishes (she is a vegetarian and cooks wholly veggie) so sometimes she shops for ingredients I may not have thought of, if that makes sense! She has full access to the car, she does not use it for errands I don't think - everything is very local and can be done on foot (including school run).

She's a great nanny overall, i should have made that clear!

OP posts:
Strix · 07/02/2011 10:09

Nannies' rates are not normally determined by the number of children they look after. And, quite frankly, two is not very many. As an aemployer, what I would accept, is that there may be jobs she can't spend as much time on as when she only had one. For example, there might be a frozen pizza night in place of non stop Annabel Karmel recipes. (But I would still expect some veg to make its way onto the pizza!)

I think it is customary to get about a 5% raise annually in most jobs. So, I'd say her next raise is due about the time your younger one heads into full time school. I would suggest a formal contract/performance review every 6 or 12 months, and schedule the first contract review for 12 months after her last raise.

Bonsoir · 07/02/2011 10:09

When my DD was three and at school mornings only, I was permanently knackered - and I didn't have a baby to look after. I think it's a very tough time, when little ones start school - a lot of mothers had new babies at that point around me, and everyone seemed incredibly tired.

Bonsoir · 07/02/2011 10:06

What errands and chores does she do aside from the school run? Does she do errands on foot or by car?

Original poster
LittleOneMum · 07/02/2011 10:04

She works 5 days a week. 9.5 hours. It is quite a lot, I know. Perks? She has a contractual right to 6 weeks holiday but we give her about 12. That might not be a 'perk' as such. She has a car.
I just want to be fair to her.

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Bonsoir · 07/02/2011 10:04

How many hours is she working per day/week?

dinkystinky · 07/02/2011 10:02

How many hours a day does she work?

I agree that a rise to £550 a week sounds high, especially as your eldest is not at home for the full day. Does she get any other perks? Perhaps you could offer to pay an amount equivalent to what she pays her cleaner if you so wished (so she's not out of pocket).