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Original poster

ADVICE PLEASE, how much should we pay our nannie?

40 replies

BBeau · 01/01/2009 14:57

Hello, i dont know if anyone could advise on this - we have 3 children, a 2 year old and 6 month old twins. I want to go back to work 2 days a week but also want a nannie full - time (5 days a week at 8 hours a day). We have someone in mind who has already been working with us as a student so i know her and shes great. She is currently training and qualifies in May/June, she is doing her Chache diploma in childcare (i think this is the replacement NNEB). She is nearly 19 years old so has had no previous work experience with children (only family). She wouldnt be left all week with all 3 of them (my 2 year old goes to nursery a couple of sessions a week) and i will be home 3 days although i may need to pop out obviously shopping etc. To put all 3 of them into nursery for 2 full days a week is £700 a month so obviously this is out of the question, we have absolutely no family help so we are in desperate need of some sort of help at home. A nanny seems our only option. We live in Norh Essex so obvioulsy we dont earn a great wage so cant afford to pay her loads but want to keep her. Can anyone shed any light onto the minimum we could pay her. Obviously she would get her food here etc. I dont think many people have nannies in this area but then there are not many people in my situation with 3 young ones so close together. Thank you

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Blondeshavemorefun · 04/01/2009 17:52

17years ago when i started nannying, i earnt £1.67 an hr - so dont think you can take it on wage iykwim ( and looked after 4mth and 5yr sc for 11hrs a day)

Bonnycat · 04/01/2009 15:52

Not on her own though.I know OP plans to be around some of the time but i cant help thinking its a heck of a lot of responsibility for a fiver an hour.

juneybean · 04/01/2009 14:27

In a nursery she'd have more than 3 kids to look after for £4.77 gross.

frannikin · 04/01/2009 13:05

But the "going rate" depends on the nanny, surely?

I wouldn't expect the rate for a nanny with 10+years experience simply because all nannies in my area had 10+ years experience and therefore all earning more so the local "going rate" was higher. With no previous experience I would be counting myself lucky to get a sole-charge nanny job at all if there are other available nannies in the area.

llareggub · 04/01/2009 12:07

It doesn't really matter what we all think.

Offer her the job as you described it, with the salary you can realistically afford. She can then make a decision based on her current circumstances, career aspirations and the local job market. As an earlier poster said, she can get a better paid job in a year or so, so you are giving her valuable experience.

Worth a shot, I think.

nbee84 · 04/01/2009 12:07

juneybean If the going rate for a nanny job in your area is £7-£8 net per hour but you pay your 17 year old newly qualified, but not much experience nanny £5 gross because you can and she accepts it because she likes you, wants the experience and there aren't many nanny jobs around then that is exploiting them.

Bonnycat · 04/01/2009 11:41

£5 per hour gross?? to look after a two year old and 6 month old twins?!!!
Would you do it? Im damned sure i wouldnt,newly qualified or not.

juneybean · 03/01/2009 23:05

I'm not sure how paying someone at the minimum wage is exploiting them? It's the minimum wage set by the government.

She has no experience and it's her first job, not all nanny jobs need to be quoted net.

£5 gross would be more than enough I think.

wellbalanced · 03/01/2009 19:10

I did this in one of my jobs, it was for a hi profile celeb (thats what they called themselves not me!)
I was paid a set amount each week-which was quite low. I got paid same amount if did 0 hours or 50hrs, when was in 10hours a day, 5 days a week i did feel like a slave but then some days/weeks i didnt go in at all. I think it worked out fair in end (was temp contract)
Hope you can keep her...

Original poster
BBeau · 03/01/2009 16:36

Hi, yes that does sound like a good idea. I had actually thought about something like that - obviously on the days i would need to work i would need her all day but definately on the other days she could do that if needed. If i had nothing on it wouldnt even matter if she changed her hours to suit herself or anything like that would be fine. Like you say though it would be hard to put that into a contract. I am seeing her next week so will talk to her and definately let you know that outcome!

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navyeyelasH · 02/01/2009 21:04

Can you do something like - pay her £763.20 a month (so pay for 8 hours a day 5 days a week at min wage) and basically use her when you need her; so some weeks she might do all 40 hours but another week she might only do 25 ett. All depending on what you have on. This might be attractive to her as she will be effectively being paid for not being there, but you are safe because you know she is there as and when you need her.

At the end of the day if her only other option is working in a nursery at min wage then I can't see why she wouldn't take the job with you. I certainly would go with you rather than the nursery - she will get heaps of experience which will set her up for the rest of her career! But I would want some flexibility in my week (as in BBeau, is it ok if I have Monday morning off as I'm going away for the week and a late start Monday would be great assuming you have nothing on etc), would expect extra money for babysitting, and where possible (ie> when you have no plans yourself) I would like a shorter day.

Just ask her and let us know how you get on! I'm not sure my idea would work for everyone but I would be happy with it. Could be a bugger to contract though!

Blondeshavemorefun · 02/01/2009 16:29

you sounds lovely, and sure whichever nanny you get, the children will love her as well, and you sound like a lovely employer!!

Original poster
BBeau · 02/01/2009 16:08

Its fine, i think good nannies are worth their weight in gold and if i had the money i would pay her what she asked for because we like her that much and my children love her and ask for her all the time which is the main thing really and why it would be such a shame to lose her especially as it takes me ages to trust someone in the first place. If it means having her just 3 days a week but paying her more then i would happily do it just as long as she can find another job for the remainder of the week in the same area (which in this area i recon would be really hard - unless it was like a shop or something or something completely different to child care). All i can say is that if she does come to work for us then she would be treated with love and respect from us all - but i understand you cant live on that so we will see what she says. I'll just have to win Euro millions tonight i recon .

OP posts:
Blondeshavemorefun · 02/01/2009 16:05

it would be great if your student could do the job, you know her, she knows the kids etc, BUT if you really cant afford to have her 5 days, esp as you only wwrk 2, i think you would be better off finding a 3 day nanny, if she wont accept 3 days

purepurple · 02/01/2009 15:43

good luck with that, I do tend to judge people a bit and can be quite a pain, I know

Original poster
BBeau · 02/01/2009 15:19

Unfortunately she would not commit to a 2 or 3 day a week which is why i am trying my hardest to offer something full time in the hope she will stay but its definately an option for me. I think some people here are missing the point (purepurple), its not a case of exploiting anyone - for starters she is an adult and perfectly capable of making her own decisions, if she thought that whatever i was offering her was not enough then she does not have to except does she, secondly, all i wanted is some advice - thats what these boards are for arnt they? I have never hired anyone before let alone a nanny, so i have no idea how much they earn, i have been in the same job and only job for 12 years now so i dont even know what anyone is offering these days. What i do know is that there are a lot of people losing there jobs at the moment so whatever the case im sure she would be happy of a job offer, whether she chooses to except or not is entirely up to her and i can assure you i dont expect anyone to be my slave. Its also not a case of just going shopping - things like doctors appointments etc can get tricky when your trying to bring the whole family along! But of cause 3 days a week would also be great so definately an option! It would just mean having to find someone new unfortunately. Thanks again though for advice, i will have re-think and juggle and perhaps offer her something with a few less hours, i can only try i guess.

OP posts:
Blondeshavemorefun · 02/01/2009 14:35

do you really need her 5 days - completley understand that you want a bit of mummy free time, esp with 3 so young and close - much easier to shoe food shop with out them - so could you have her 3 days,pay her 6gross and then she could try and find another job

maybe you have a friend who would like amummy free day once a week?

i think it would be the perfect 1st job, she gets exp of baby twins and older child, i was 18 and sole charge nanny to 5yr and 4mth baby 11hrs a day 5 days a week, so think she would be capable at 19, and the hours are much shorter

LIZS · 02/01/2009 11:24

I'd agree a nannyshare may be your best bet.

ThingOne · 02/01/2009 11:20

I think you probably need to reduce her hours and pay her a bit more than a fiver. She is young but that does not mean she can't do the job well. I agree that £8 is probably a bit steep for a first job post qualification.

Have you thought about advertising to see if you can get a nanny share? Maybe she could work with you three and a half days at a decent rate and someone else might want some help a few days? And don't go out for shopping - do it on-line.

Purepure, I don't think you can guarantee you won't get exploited in a nursery. I don't have enough money to pay my nannies what I would like (I am ill) but I treat them far better than they would be in a nursery. Exploitation is not just about money. I've had some temporary nannies who have been treated like shit in nurseries. And paid only the minimum wage unless fully qualified. As in £4.77 and not even £5 for that age. And hours are not flexible.

purepurple · 02/01/2009 11:06

of course! silly me, but that would mean she couldn't be on hand for all those emergency days that seem to crop up, there won't be any flexibility with her hours

AtheneNoctua · 02/01/2009 11:00

Was thinking she might get another job for the other 3 days.

purepurple · 02/01/2009 10:51

but how is she going to afford to live on 2 days pay?

AtheneNoctua · 02/01/2009 10:41

In all honesty, form what you have typed, I think the only way you can afford a nanny is if you get a live-in. Or you reduce the hours considerably. I think you said you were going back to work 2 days a week. Why don't you just hire her for two full days?

I have a full time live-in nanny (who incidentally is 19 and is fab so I don't think age in itself is a problem here). But, I could not afford to have her full time if I wasn't working full time.

purepurple · 02/01/2009 10:31

if this was my daughter I would prefer her to find work in a nursery where she is not going to get exploited. Yes the wages are crap but al least no one will expect her to work 40+ hours a week and then be at their beck and call for extra babysitting duties for friends etc. When is she supposed to have a social life? nanny/ mother's help/ mother's slave, all sounds a bit like you are taking advantage to me

pickcherries · 01/01/2009 20:18

i'm just about to qualify in june 2 too dipolma in childcare i've been a mothers help in the evenings for 15months annd get 5.50 net an hour but this is in london! i personally dont think 5 pound gross would be acceptable! but thats only me! and i also get 6 pound net for babysitting many different families! (i do also have lot of experience through youinger cousins etc and summer work in a day nursery based in the baby room!)

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