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Original poster

HOW MUCH!!!?????

36 replies

WishICouldGiveUpWork · 19/09/2006 16:33

I am currently looking for a live in nanny and have tried all the ususal routes,avoiding where possible,agencies.

I had a response today from a girl on GreatAupair and she was demanding a salary of £500+(net) a week!!!!!

That grosses up to over £39k a year with all accomodation,food and a car provided I am absolutely staggered.I don't earn that much net so I don't think I will be contacting her....

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Uwila · 26/09/2006 21:40

Oh, write her back and tell her you hired someoneone else and that it's a pity because you are having to pay them £600, and ask why she is charging so little? That'll wind her up.

Original poster
WishICouldGiveUpWork · 26/09/2006 09:16

Just realised I changed her Nationality for her.

She is still sending the same email demanding £500 per week-she obviously doesn't keep track of the jobs she is applying for...

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Original poster
WishICouldGiveUpWork · 22/09/2006 21:47

Well....always one for a dare-I rang the Romanian's £500 per week net's employer last night!

Won't bore yoou with the whole trascript but he was a pompous twat and very condascending....unitl I mentioned the two other jobs she appeared to be doing whislt working "full time" for him.Until that point he was very complementary about her.
So,a complete chancer/flake and even if I had a spare £500 a week,would not be givng her a call.

SO the hunt continues althoug still really like one we saw last week....

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jura · 21/09/2006 22:10

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Original poster
WishICouldGiveUpWork · 21/09/2006 20:44

Oooooooh Jura-was it you I spoke to?

No-it wasn't! Fortunately the lady I spoke to answered my questions very directly and was very clear about the issues she had with her nanny-fortunately.
Quite shocking for me as we really liked the girl in question and would probably have offered her the job immediately-thank God I ckecked her references as the issues highlighted were not ones which would have shown up at interview.

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jura · 21/09/2006 14:44

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Uwila · 21/09/2006 14:19

Got any local nurseries with a parking lot? Print your ad and stick it on their windows. Some of them are bound to work their, and might be interested in leaving (nurseries typically have relatively high turnover of staff). Or, do your friends use a nursery?

Or, you might even give greataupair a try. But, you will have to weed out lots of underqualified "au pairs". However, some "au pairs" do have childcare qualifications and might be a good fit for you. Most of them will definitely be looking for live-in.

Hamandcheese · 21/09/2006 13:58

with regard to finding nursery nurses ... I had good results from an advert in the localish newspaper (cost £50) and super results (at this time of year) from calling the local college childcare course director and asking whether they had any students from the last few years whom they would recommend / suggest: they would probably want live-out, though: do you really need live-in? most of the newly qualified nursery nurses are inexperienced and not really used to looking after themselves, but I met a couple of really good people who had just finished but had got some great experience working before their course / weekends / holidays. HTH

Original poster
WishICouldGiveUpWork · 21/09/2006 13:50

No,no thread-too traumatised by the whole thing and trying to convince work I was still working despite having a 17mt terrorist swinging my office chair round,babbling very loudly whenever I had the temerity to pick up a phone,feeding foam fimbles into the printer etc etc...

Have tried NJ-saw three girls-one I really liked got blown out of the water when I checked her references (thank God I persevered-took over a week to get hold of the woman).One really on the ball and would do the job wel but probably not a great fit with us as a family and one we liked but haven't heard from......

Getting desperate now as sooner or later as work is definitely suffering.

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Uwila · 21/09/2006 13:29

Oh no. Did you have a thread? I must have missed it. Or forgotten.

So, you have given nannyjob and gumtree a try? And good results?

Original poster
WishICouldGiveUpWork · 21/09/2006 13:11

Hmmmm-would have agreed with you wholeheartedly until recently and had I not had a nightmare Canadian for a week who had to go and now I am nannyless

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hana · 21/09/2006 11:37

awww that's Canadians for you. Nice people!

Uwila · 21/09/2006 11:34

And I dare you!!! Ask her current salary... PLEASE.

Uwila · 21/09/2006 11:34

Oh, and Canadians are lovely. My nanny is Canadian and she spent this morning killing the wasps that I shyed away from. There were about 20 of them. She has now arranged a wasp exterminator to come round this afternoon... and agreed to babysit tonight at the last minute (only asked her about an hour ago). She's lovely.

Original poster
WishICouldGiveUpWork · 21/09/2006 10:41

Fishy....shall I ring her current employers and ask....dare me?

NannyNick-it seems these days that there is little difference between live-in or live-out salaries.You seem to be tremendous value!

I know a lot of people have nannies when they have two or more children and it works out sometimes cheaper than a nursery but I only have one and know that a nanny is a better option for her,plus my work hours are never 9-5.

Uwila-I hear good things of Oz and Kiwi nannies but not sure any want to work outside London and other than an agency not sure where to find them-have put adverts in all ususal online places.

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nannynick · 21/09/2006 07:22

It's amazing what some people will try to get paid.
As a live-out nanny, I'm on less than 15k gross. Ok, so I don't work 48 weeks a year, but even so, think net hourly equivilent is around £7 per hour (for 3 children), so no why near £500 a week!

arfishymeau · 21/09/2006 04:22

OMG she's already in the UK?! I would love to know what she's currently being paid.

Original poster
WishICouldGiveUpWork · 20/09/2006 21:27

Nah...wouldn't worry about it....we all knew what you meant!

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Uwila · 20/09/2006 20:57

Oh damn. I should read more carefully. I was thinking of the high salary request when I said English or German and not geography ignorance.

Oh I'm bound to be in trouble now.

Uwila · 20/09/2006 20:56

I don't think it's because she's Czech. Would have sooner guessed English or German. Have you tried Aussie or New Zealand? I hear good things about them. Never hired one myself though so can't really say.

Original poster
WishICouldGiveUpWork · 20/09/2006 20:43

So pleased at the response to this-was beginning to think I was either a tight-arsed idiot or had been living on another planet for a year and something bizarre had happened to nanny salaries.

Don't know why I am mentioning it but she happens to be Czech-maybe this is why her geography isn't too hot Uwila
She also says in her letter her employers are happy to be contacted for references-complete with phone number-am SO tempted to call,just to see what they are paying her currently andwhat she does for it!

WakeUp.... wow,with that experience you deserve the salary-just wish I was able to afford someone as experienced as you.As it is,we are offering just what you suggest for a live in for one child,fully expensed car for sole use and nursery duties only...

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wakeupandsmellthecoffee · 20/09/2006 20:10

FFS I am a nanny with 23years yes 23 years experience and I would only expect to get 350 to 400 pounds a week for sole charge and I would expect those to be 12 hour days as well and thats in the Surrey area (more expensive) so a live in i would expect 200 to 250 max a week .

Uwila · 20/09/2006 14:38

You could write her back and recommend she keep the job she has.

Oh, tell her to sign up for a course in geography where she might learn the the only country she listed is Switzerland. The UAE is the country of which Abu Dhabi and Dubai are a part.

Of course if it was me, I'd just write her back and say "You are a pompous twit."

Oh I'm going to be in really big trouble for this post, but I'm in a really good mood today and I just don't care.

Original poster
WishICouldGiveUpWork · 20/09/2006 14:06

Well here is most of the actual letter she sent me....

My name is XXXXXX XXXXXXX, 28 yeas old, single, I have been working as a nanny almost six years, I am an experienced nanny with checkable references, clean international driving licence and currently employed as a sole charge, full time, live in nanny.
My current job is in Sevenoaks, Kent and I?m available to start with a new job in the end of October 2006.

I?m looking for a sole charge, full time live in permanent position in U.K., preferably London area, Kent or Surrey, also I would be very interested to work in overseas countries like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Switzerland?

I?m happy to work long hours and over six days a week and baby sittings too, but I am looking for a good salary of £500+ per week.

Please find my CV and photo as attachment.

Admittedly quite a bit of experience although when you go through the CV it isn't really 6 yrs and she isn't a nanny in my book but she certainly knows what she wants!

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arfishymeau · 20/09/2006 02:00

LOL! She's read that the streets of London are paved with gold. She might well think that's normal. I had no idea what to offer when recruiting an Australian nanny, wages are so different here.

I love greataupair, have you searched yourself or are you just waiting for them to come to you?

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