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Original poster

Potential Spanish nanny - some questions!

34 replies

AspirantPirate · 03/07/2012 16:17

Picking the collective mumsnet brain again!

A bit of background: we are looking for a nanny for the first time as I am starting full-time work (after 9 years as a SAHM). I will be a trainee solicitor. We have decided on a nanny for our 3 (school age) sons because we really need someone to care for them until around 7-7.30pm. We cannot have an au pair because we do not have enough room at home.

Having been interviewing people this week we have realised that prospective nanny's expectations as to salary are higher than we had expected (they are quoting net rather than gross hourly rate). We can stretch to it if we have to but it would mean that for the duration of my two year training contract I will be using up my entire salary to cover the cost of the nanny (c'est la vie - I have to do it to qualify as a solicitor, after which my salary will be much higher).

However, this morning we interviewed a young Spanish woman who has moved over here for the next two years to improve her English. She was perfect for us, she has bags of experience with school-age kids (though no nannying experience) and we really 'clicked' with her. And, without wanting to sound cynical, her salary expectations were much lower. She is not here to earn her fortune, but to improve her English, and is currently working for minimum wage in a fast food restaurant.

As I mentioned, I will be working as a solicitor and my husband is also a solicitor. It is essential for our careers that we employ someone fairly and properly. The last thing we want or need is to be accused of unfairness and exploitation, or for having made any mistakes with tax, employer's liability etc. So, questions:

  1. Is it fair to offer her the lowest 'going rate' for nannies in our area, given that she has no previous nannying experience? This would be about £8 an hour gross, giving her an increase of about 30% on her current income. We absolutely do not want to be ripping her off, but have to be realistic about what is comfortably affordable for us. Paying at this rate would mean that I would have enough left over from my salary to start paying off my (large) study loan without us actually making a loss from me being at work.
  2. Are there any extra issues attached to employing someone who is not a UK national? She is from within the EU and so would not need any permit, but would there be any difference in tax code, or employer's liability insurance, or the nanny's public liability insurance? Or anything else that we haven't even thought of? We are trying to gauge the real cost to us of employing her before we actually make an offer.

Sorry - that was long! Thanks in advance for any advice!

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BobbiFleckman · 03/07/2012 16:39

ah, i misread your 7 - 7.30 as 7am to 7.30pm

Original poster
AspirantPirate · 03/07/2012 16:38

Bobbi, I am not employing her for 12.5 hours a day, I would be employing her for 7 hours a day.

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Original poster
AspirantPirate · 03/07/2012 16:37

Novstar, thank you. She has already given us excellent letters of introduction from previous employers and voluntary organisiations she has worked for in Spain. And yes, we have every intention of being good employers in every way!

We have also considered the possibility of a future payrise, which is why we wanted to start as low as we felt was fair. Until I start working it is very difficult to know with accuracy what my take-home pay and work expenses will actually be. I want to be sure that we can afford a higher rate of pay - if we can, once I have settled into work, we will be happy to offer it to her.

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BobbiFleckman · 03/07/2012 16:36

If i'm hiring you as a newly qualified solicitor, your previous salary as a secretary in a PR firm (or whatever) is utterly irrelevant. Different jobs attract different salaries. My cleaner was a civil engineer in Poland - I don't pay her a civil engineer wage because it's not relevant to cleaning work. Looking after three children (plus your house) for 12.5 hours a day is rather more involved and demanding work than flipping burgers and should be remunerated accordingly.
If you want to hire a nanny to work extremely long hours, either you can afford it or you can't - a nanny working for nicola horlick or Xenia doesn't get paid more because they're earning megabucks, so yes, I think your (temporarily low) salary shouldn't be relevant. Your husband is also a solicitor - if your combined wages can't cover a 12.5 hour / day nanny salary then you need to look at alternatives rather than taking someone for a bit of a ride on their job.

Original poster
AspirantPirate · 03/07/2012 16:32

Previous post in response to BobbiFleckman...

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Original poster
AspirantPirate · 03/07/2012 16:32

No, because we like her the best. She will be working 12.30pm until 7pm or 7.30 pm. Sorry, that was misleading.

And her current salary is not irrelevant. Anyone looking for a new job would weigh up the offer against what they are currently receiving. And my salary is relevant because it is what will be paying hers.....

But basically what you are saying is that £8 per hour gross is not a fair rate? Because it isn't clear from your response.

OP posts:
Novstar · 03/07/2012 16:27

In greater London and have paid before £8 gross to a non-UK nanny who had 1 year's experience in an EU country. She was also very happy to be "rescued" from McD! I don't think it's an unreasonable pay, especially for full time hours that an hourly rate adds up to a decent annual amount.

You might find that after a while she starts talking to others, feels unhappy and starts asking for a payrise, but that could happen with anyone. I think you just have to pay what you can afford, and be a good employer in all other ways - time keeping, paying on time, accommodating holidays etc.

As far as I know, no special issues/liability in employing non-UK nationals.
Don't skip checking their references though, get a Spanish speaker to talk to references in Spain if necessary.

BobbiFleckman · 03/07/2012 16:23

PS her current salary in a fast food restaurant is irrelevant to what nanny pay is, as are your salary and student loans.

BobbiFleckman · 03/07/2012 16:22

have you picked this nanny because she's the cheapest? or because she's the best? if your 3 children are all school age, do you really need a 7 - 7.30 nanny or could you have a 7 - 8.30 / 3 - 7.30 nanny and pay accordingly? there are plenty of eg preschool teachers who can do additional hours to do that, or someone older who doesn't want full time work. We had an amazing temp nanny who went back home during school time so she could walk her dog. You might find you can get someone perfectly well qualified (& Ofsted registered so you can both use up your childcare voucher allowance) for less overall than this Spanish girl who you would be paying what's a pittance for a nanny salary (£8 net is pretty much the bare min round my way)