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Original poster

Getting a nanny for the first time

61 replies

1dilemma · 14/04/2007 22:21

OK wise mumsnetters we may be doing this and I would appreciate advice about the things I have to take into account.
I know we need a contract is there any thing people wished they had included that isn't standard?
I know we will need to contact our insurer about employers liability insurance
I know we need to discuss a float/kitty and what it can be spent on
I know we need to discuss holidays (I think it is usual to do half hers and half ours) She will want (I think) different weeks from us if we could cope with this would it be unreasonable to pay her for hers and suggest she takes ours as unpaid? (oh and I was working on 20 days a year is this reasonable? plus BH of course)
What is protocol about us coming home late or needing her to start a bit early (this would be very occasional and of the order of 10/15 minutes) do we have to pay more?
We would prob use a nanny tax type service any one know any good ones?
Thanks for any advice

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Original poster
1dilemma · 14/04/2007 23:00

no 20 plus bank holidays. I really want to be a good employer (hence I'm trying to let her have all the holiday she wants) to be mean doesn't fit with the way I'm trying to live AND I'm trusting her with my most valuable 'things'
She wants 2 weeks July I want 2 weeks before November hence all paid leave for her used up in 4 months again what if she leaves in Dec?

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NurseyJo · 14/04/2007 22:57

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NurseyJo · 14/04/2007 22:56

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NurseyJo · 14/04/2007 22:53

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Original poster
1dilemma · 14/04/2007 22:52

I will be off to look at nannypaye/nanny tax I saw kiwioz will do it for about 130 pounds and it says you get 250 back from IR!!!Re car and seats and mileage I'm kind of hoping she wont want to drive too much (inner London so no real need most of the time)who pays parking tickets?

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Original poster
1dilemma · 14/04/2007 22:50

Thanks all
Kaloo20 I think I have found one without an agency then I wonder if I am mad to do so.
I think I will be more specific re the holiday. New nanny, she hinted that she wants time off in July we don't (last year with no children at school so don't want school hols) but I want time of in Sept for first week of school. So would it be fair if I pay her for half her time off and half mine then we both take the other half unpaid (otherwise we will have exhausted paid leave for her about 3 months into the job not wise methinks suppose she then leaves does she have to pay us back?)

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Millarkie · 14/04/2007 22:46

Oh and car seats! If nanny is using her car/nanny car then you need to provide car seats and show him/her how to fit them..if possible try not to have to move seats from car to car, it gets really irritating (believe me) and can be dangerous as it increases the likelihood of a seat not being fitted properly.

Millarkie · 14/04/2007 22:43
  1. Contract - I used a standard one I downloaded from nannyjob.co.uk - didn't wish I had anything else in it, but do wish I had been more explicit in the job description - I did a little booklet about my children, what they liked to eat, places to take them, their routines etc but was a bit to easygoing so nanny thought it was acceptable to take the children to her parents to watch videos, to give them McD's milkshakes (although she knew not to feed them burgers), and to invite her boyfriend around during working hours (for a few mins she says but I would rather she kept her working hours for work).
  2. You could also ask your nanny if he/she would take out liability insurance (eg. michael morton) and if you are lovely you could offer to pay for it. We found that employers liability was included in our house insurance but that since she had a key we were no longer covered for any theft which did not include a break-in.
  3. Def discuss the amount of float -whether or not you need evidence (receipts) of what was spent, and PETROL money - that can really add up! 4)We did 20 days hols plus bank hols - nanny tried to take days when we were also away, but also would take days off with very little notice. If I were to employ a long term nanny again I would go for the 'we choose 10 days, you choose 10 days' and insist on blocks of 5 days at a time..BUT if we take more than these days off, nanny gets paid (as she is still available for work) - this is standard in my experience. 5)We had a bit in the contract to say that if we needed nanny to work outside normal contracted hours and She agreed then she would be paid extra..I was very very occasionally late home due to delayed train and she normally was fine with this as I texted her as soon as I could and because several times a week she got to leave early as we made sure the contracted hours had some time in case of delay (you can use this to chat to nanny and get a rundown of the day) 6)I use nannypaye - Graham is great and it's cheaper than nannytax.

Other things I would think about are:
Sick leave/pay - some only offer SSP (so no pay for first 3 days and then legal min), but I offered full pay for first 3 days then SSP - nanny then took 2 seperate days off 'sick' because she was 'tired'...so next time I would go along with the no-pay gang and then pay up anyway if I felt nanny was genuine.
Talking to nanny - Make time in your schedule to regularly talk to your nanny, sounds dim but it's so easy to get tied up with racing to get to work and nanny racing to get home, but otherwise little things build up on both sides. If you can't build time to talk into your day put it in your contract/job description that you will have a meeting once a month to discuss things...even if all you discuss is how happy you all are

Original poster
1dilemma · 14/04/2007 22:41

Thanks nannyjo
I just thought a way round the 10 days my choice 10 days yours (at least for this year) would be OK you have your 10 days paid but I want my 10 and I want not to pay you(iyswim) that way she gets the days of her chioce and I get mine the alternative would be for me to insist on the usual and then we would both be grumpy. I do take your point I'm guessing from your name you're a nanny wouild you buy that arrangement? Or would you rather loose choice over half your holiday?

OP posts:
Kaloo20 · 14/04/2007 22:31

Be warned agency fees are expensive

NurseyJo · 14/04/2007 22:27

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