The Curse of Boff strikes again - this nanny has decided after a fortnight in post that petrol is too expensive

Oh Boff thats pants.

matesnotdates: do you live in an area where it's all part-time jobs though? That's what girls ask for down here but full time jobs are like gold dust so it isn't as expensive to the families as they're only having a day or two's care iyswim? It's still ridiculous though, especially as the girls down here take that cash in hand or self employed so trying to convince families to take you on employed is difficult even if you are asking for less net hourly!

There are accurate averages from the nannytax survey which put salaries between 21k and 35k, according to location, live in or out etc. That's gross not including NICs.

Problem is younger nannies see £x gross average and want it. They don't understand that there are nannies with lots of experience out there who warrant the top of the payscale and they just can't see why they shouldn't command the same wage. There are probably more nannies with 10+ years experience than less than 10 years experience out there and in most jobs experience gets you more money.

Parents are advertising jobs with a wage, not a salary range and per week or per hour not per annum. The set wage is probably the cause of the see-it-want-it and why nannies with little experience seem to progress so quickly. Negotiating an extra 50p per hour net might not seem like much to the nanny but it could be £5 a day, £25 a week, £1300 a year and all too often it's net.

:( boff

I was forever Mrs Martin's daughter despite the fact my mother had remarried and taken a different name.
Ah well, I never got the scorn for accidentally calling a teacher "mum" :o

And your head-in-sand scenario is proof that maths never improved a situation!

jennynanny - my dad was a teacher and I attended his school. It's just not a good look is it? You have my sympathy....

I wish you hadn't done the maths on the £8.50 an hour pay bit though (buries head in sand about outgoings).

And £8.50 a hour net?
On my previous 68 hour assumption that's £578 pw net. That's £38,206 pa (before tax) for the Nanny and a whopping £839.28 pw in total for the employer to fork out.

Good god, that's a lot of penny sweets.

Matesnotdates - My mother was a maths teacher and I attended her school. I had a very lonely up bringing with just me, a pencil and my maths books :o

JennyNanny - in AWE of your maths. Most nannies here ask £8.50 an hour when the employer pays tax and NI on top (sorry can never remember difference between gross and net). Am two hours south of London.

I've done my fair share of research in Nanny wages and it seems that the average offer (on Gumtree and agency vacancies in London) is around the £400 net a week mark for a live in. Going down to £250-£300net and up to £1000net (why, certainly, I would love to go and live with Saudi Royalty to look after their children :o. no joke. Genuinely found a royal vacancy!)
But the average working day was 8am-8pm so 12 hours, with 2 nights babysitting (lets say 4 hours per night for arguments sake) so for a 5 day week this would be 68 hours (blimey!) so....mental maths, mental maths.... this would work out to be £5.88 an hour (net) for a £400 week (£7.75ph gross).

So (before tax) this would be £27,196 pa to the nanny.
The cost for the employer would be £29,973 pa (inc. employers NI) so...a employer paying a nanny £400 a week would actually be forking out £576pw in total.

£27,196 is not a bad average wage, especially as living expenses are paid.

BOFF what kind of wages are your perspective Nannies demanding?

(Oh, and i hope everyone enjoyed my maths there. i'm here till sunday)

You sound very stressed have you tried to advertise in the local paper or gumtree.

Think it's called trying it on.

Yes people that work in nurseries all seem very young lots of nannies do this for their first job to gain experience. So they won't need as much money if they are living at home.

Ok sorry. Should have read all the thread.

Boffin You can't expect a nanny to work for that low wage. Perhaps that is why your nannies don't stay. I think an au pair would be better for you. It's a shame you can't afford to pay more but it's hardly the nannies fault they have outgoings that they need to meet too.

Hope the Skype interview went well.

PPS - have investigated nanny shortage down here. Seems less them going back to nurseries and more going up to London for half of the week, earning a higher wage but obviously having the hassle of living in and commuting. Also lots have gone abroad, to Middle East etc.

PS - has he got his shorts on yet? (rubs hands briskly on thighs Vic Reeves stylee)

Boffin - you are wise. I like the idea of nannies going freelance too.

Point is though that if you're a nanny, you're either going to have to only work for the very rich or you're going to have to accept that you're part of the ecosystem, and adapt. People simply won't be able to afford you if you charge more than they can pay.

We could argue about this all night and not come up with anything that changes the system So let's not bother eh! :)

Now... can't wait to see this new au pair