Help - Nanny pay increase? Yes or No? I need your views!

She is either naive or greedy.

I dont expect a raise when a new baby comes though have always had one.But I would never demand one esp when it puts her at the very high end of the pay scale.
I would maybe increase her wage to 470net a wk and say thats that.If you have another baby maybe consider 500 but she is then onto a good one

I think she's being a bit silly and naive, and clumsily trying to negotiate. There's also no reason to increase her pay so dramatically if you have another child. I'm a nanny with three charges, and I'd be on less than she is now full time (though outside London). My last job in London was with one child and I was on £400 net a week.

I got a 13% payrise this year, was very shocked, with the economic climate the way it is wouldn't have worried if I hadn't got a payrise right now, that is, if they wanted to put it off a few months to see how the credit crunch was going.

I have been a nanny for 23 years, I have never had such a large payrise. Usually around 3-5%. One job I had £1.36 a week payrise!!

I think your nanny is being greedy. I don't know how old she is but that is an amazing amount of money!! Especially with 10 weeks holiday a year and the economy the way it is. I have heard of nannies (and other employees) having to take a pay cut as the employers cannot afford to keep them on at their current wage, so many people are agreeing to this so they have a job at the end of it and (hopefully) when the climate changes they will be compensated in some way for sticking with them!

I am really gob-smacked that she want £100 a week payrise in the next year (assuming you do have another baby!) a nanny does not get to decide how much of a payrise (increase for extra charges) she gets, that is all your decision and she is rude!!

No I think 500 IS enough as it is only a 10 hour day and so you are paying more per hour than I think the going rate is for a sole charge single family job (my job is 55 hours a week so 500 - which is the bottom of my expected range to have to pay - is rather less than 10 net an hour)

VV, do you think £500 is not enough?? If it helps, she only cooks one meal a day, doesn't do laundry and the houses are only 2 streets apart.

I think a nanny share like that should command slightly more money as well because of the added complications etc of working for 2 bosses.

We live in central London and share a nanny with another family. She looks after DS, 12 months and another boy of the same age. She works from 8.30 -6.30 5 days per week and is paid £500 per week net. We did a lot of research with agencies and other families at it came out that £500 per week was really the minimum she should be paid but that this applies if they look after 1 child or 3. She was initially on £450 per week and we increased because we realised we were paying way below market rate and didn't want to lose her as she is fab and we could see how hard she was working. She has no experience as a nanny but worked for 7 years in a nursery and does a brilliant job. However, your nanny is working shorter hours and gets loads more holiday than ours so I think you are justified in paying her less.

and thats why she stayed for 4 years - she found a nice family

I should also say that my nannyb started on a LOT less, never asked for a payrise and we tended to give her bonuses instead of big rises for a good job well done. We did give her a small rise this despite the fact I got NO payrise and a bIIIIIIIIIIG reduction in my bonus.

How nice of you to say that. WE are very sad to say goodbye to our nanny of 4 years but she is leaving on a high note - she wants to come back and look after the children if we ever go away for the weekend etc etc which is lovely. She has just had enough of the long days and wants to see the world a bit.

We gave our nanny a 5% rise this year, despite both dh and I being self employed (and getting no bonus or payrise ourselves) as we want her to feel appreciated. She was thrilled and really surprised. She really DIDN'T expect it.

i will add, that my contract says payrise and not pay review,and tech they could give me 1p extra - it is still a rise

victorvictoria - i rem reading you are looking for a new nanny, and from what you have put in your previous threads, sure you will find one who appreicates you,as much as you appreicate your nanny

(waves back!)

(waves at vv again)

I am currently interviewing for a long hours, sole charge of 3 children job in central London. I expect to pay 500-550 a week for a 55 hour week, 3 children, very experienced nanny. all the agencies have told me that is reasonable and I have had no shortage of candidates.

She is waaaaaay off the mark.

i think she is taking advantage of what is clearly your good nature. This is nuts money, especially in this climate. She will realise that you want to keep her and not lose her, and is trying it on.

I think she's trying to negotiate and I imagine she has no expectation of actually getting the full £500.

most contracts have a clause implying that there will be an annual pay increase and the fair and just thing is to increase her pay somewhat. this does not have to be in the region she is asking however.

In some ways i think you have made a rod for your own back; you are not expecting her to fulfill her obligations in her contract, but you will find it difficult to cut her hours or holiday as you will need to renegotiate the entire contract now. What you need to do is pay her a little more, but expect more from her. As long as she is performing 'nursey duties' you can have her do more cleaning, tidying, ironing, food preparation etc. I work from home (running my own business)but my nanny works all the contracted hours regardless of whether I am actually working or not. I have her shop for the children's food and clothes, hear them read etc, etc.

You need to negotiate a payrise you are more comfortable with, but think about your child - if she's a good nanny and your LO has formed a bond isn't she worth hanging on to?

BLOODY HELL she wants £100 a day nett and has less then 3 years experience

she is seriously taking the piss, yes i expect and get a pay rise each year (due to what my contract says) but its generally 5% or less

and yes i earn what she wants but i have earned my way to that over 17years of sole charge nanny experience

she is asking for a salary that is suited to a much more qualified/exp nanny that she is

you have a few choices, to pay her that and she will prob expect the same next year, let alone if no 2 arrives (tho again i feel the same way as her, and I have always got a payrise when nb comes) and by end of next year she may be wanting £600 a week nett

or 2nd choice, say you are very happy with her, but you can not afford what she wants tbh you are the employer and you should decide what her pay increase is - and maybe give her £10/20 extra a week

3rd choice say firmly no, and see what she does

you could also godown the gross road, and give her a payrise but make sure it is gross and not nett

yes a good nanny is worth her weight in gold but for that salary you can get a lot more

I have never heard of a nanny asking for extra money when another child comes along!

I'm sorry but nice nanny or not I think she is being a bit of a greedy cow myself!! She sounds to me like she has a very very cushy job!! Short hours for a nanny - a ton of holiday. Ok so she might only choose 2 weeks but I know I wouldn't say no to an extra 8 weeks even if I didn't get to choose them! she is already on a great salary particularly for her experience level and to ask for an increase of £50 in the current climate is outrageous.

I think you spoil her maybe a bit too much already by not sticking to the contract and making her babysit unpaid so now she is seeing how far she can push. If you give her this raise then she will just push you further. Nannies do like to be 'kept sweet' as it were with appreciation and rewards etc but she is expecting way too much. Most average payrises are £20-£30 a week tops and no she shouldn't expect an increase for an extra child. Nannies get paid per hour/day not per child.

If I were you I would give her an increase of £25 with the understanding that you appreciate her but you are not being taken for a mug. Believe me with a job like you are offering she would be a fool to leave you!

£500 net a week for 48hrs a week - mmm nice money

I am a qualified childrens nurse and have always said if whatever reason got made redudant I would look into nannying full time and would look for a salary of £500 net a week for a 50hr week.

However I am very qualified and very experienced.

She only has 3yrs childcare experience and her salary should reflect this she should be on a salary of £350-£450 for a 48hr week so she is onto a good thing.

10wks holiday yes please - i know this is a job perk but still she is benefiting form this.

I would suggest you stick to your guns with a bonus and stick with the salary, if she doesnt want to there are lots of very experienced nannies who would snap up your job at £450 a week with 10wks annual leave.

Ask why she feels she warrants such a payrise, what has she done has she developed her skills, done any further training, provided anything in addition to her normal daily acitivities, gone the extra mile?

If you want to set your mind at rest, I would see what other nannies are getting - if you got her through an agency, I would ring them, or if you used a website, look at that. It sounds to me like you are paying at the top of the market, especially for those hours with only one child.

I assume from her 3 years nanny experience that she is pretty young? I would guess that the economic reality of what is going on has not really sunk in with her at the moment - it is bad enough for people like me who remember the last recession. I think she's being a bit naive.

I was thinking about an inflation increase for my nanny, who also started 10 months ago.

Pure greed I'm afraid. Those are amazing hours for a nanny, lots of holiday and a very generous salary especially considering her lack of experience.

Before having DS I had nearly 14 years of childcare experience and was working 7 - 7 (live out) in a 4 day Nanny share in Sw London with 3 children under 2 1/2. I was earning £11 net per hour which I considered very generous.

I know you say she's lovely and I'm sure she is but I agree with Wicked Witch that she's definitely having a laugh!