What is the right price per hour to pay a nanny in London

I agree, it is like comparing apples and oranges. I have done both jobs! I was just commenting on the discussion comparing a teachers salary to that of a nannies one earlier on in this thread!

But then they're similar to temporary nannies or maternity nannies.

A pension scheme and sick pay are big perks of being in continuous permanent employment. It's not really possible to compare a supply teacher to a permanent nanny. You need to compare perm teachers to perm nannies and supply teachers to temp nannies. Perm nannies don't get pensions and most contracts state SSP only. There are a whole host of other reasons why it's unfair to compare teachers to nannies though!

there are a LOT of teachers out there who do not get pension options or sick pay! They work on a day to day contract (AKA Supply teachers) and as such, if they are off sick, they get nothing. They also do not get paid for the half and end of term holidays, meaning they have to make their money stretch a lot longer, as there may be a whole month (such as August) where they are not getting any income!

Good news that you were able to sort out the contract Boffinmum, even though it was at the last minute!

BTW the agency apologised and the contract came in the end - just in time!

Melissa, the thing is, nanny work depends on being wanted by individual families, whereas teaching may bring in less money but is steadier, with more career options, and comes with things like pensions and good sick pay.

That having been said, I think there is a real problem with this gross/net thing in terms of nanny salaries, because consequentially some of the demands I see reported on here are wholly unrealistic, and play on people's natural insecurities about their children. I don't like this manipulation of families and women and think it's a bit ugly and greedy.

Of course the best nannies are more committed and wordly than this, and this is the type posting on here.

I have found the earlier debate on here about teachers very interesting!

I am one, in a primary school, and certainly work at least 50 hours a week during term time (about 35 hours of directed time and the rest is meetings, marking, planning, prep et...) obviously do not do the same number of hours out of term time, but there is still all the plannig, prep, marking, report cards etc that has to be done then too!

And I certainly do not make anywhere close to £34000!! (I am in the GLA) In fact, I am not even in the 30's, or anywhere close! And I come with years of experience, along with three degrees and a specialisation! Perhaps I am in the wrong profession?!

Boffinmum, hope you get your sit. sorted, as it sounds intensly frustrating. Can the agency not help out more than they are?

well I know but I feel that if she goes, she goes. At least it won't be in the next month (she has promised to give a full month's notice once she has found something else) and with being on mat leave I will manage with a few hours a week "mothers' help" rather than a full time nanny - hopefully some friends' nannies might be interested in a few hours here and there...

hotcross - glad you had a chat

maybe i am being cynical here - but maybe she did have a look about and reliesed that she has a good job with you, paid well and tbh couldnt find any better

i know you are about to pop but i would feel a bit uneasy if i were you, as sounds like your nanny may decide to go if she found a better paid job!!

I have noted the replies to my post, thanks very much. I had a chat with the nanny today and she said that she hadn't really looked yet and wasn't feeling in that much of a rush . Good - I'm not in a rush for her to leave, esp seeing as I am now 40+1 with DC3!

We have paid her the £1ph increase we said we were happy to do notwithstanding that she turned down some extra hours. Hopefully she will think that it's not worth the upheaval etc...

She says she is pro bf, which is very reassuring. Indeed I asked her about that at interview.

I am really really hoping that 22 years of mainly indifferent or even shit childcare at times, I finally end up with something reliable which will allow me to draw breath and get on with the rest of my life a bit. I am soooooo tired of all this!!!

Great news. Now to hope that your nanny won't mind using EBM - I'm sure she won't.

yah

Glad it's all coming together finally BoffinMum! I hope it all works out for you despite the rocky start

Halleluia!! The contract came about an hour ago (posted last night, but we'll gloss over that) and seems OK, so I have signed it and I am sending it back later today.

We reckon she will be a good nanny for us but just that she's simply not used to applying for and getting jobs in the Big Wide World. Let's hope that's all it was, anyway. Agency have apologised for not pushing things a bit harder as well.

Thanks for all emails and support, btw. Much appreciated. xx

oh no boffin ((HUGS)) tho very un mn like

will email you

does sound to me that she is having cold feet - to take 5 weeks to sign

i would invite her over if you still want her, thrash out the contract, then edit/add what you both agree on and print off 2 copies and both sign that night

if she doesnt/wont do this then i feel she doesnt want the job

hotcrossbuns+1 - yes all nannys would like a payrise but if you offered a £1 more an hour and she prob does at least 40hrs a week (4 x 10hr days) then thats a HUGE payrise imho - let alone her wanting nearly another £2 an hr - so £80ish a week plus you have tax and Ni on top of that

more fool your nanny to leave a good job where i assume she was happy to go and have to find another, and very unlikely she will get £10phn

good luck with your search

Yep, the money thing is something to worry about! I'm really not that expensive but you could definitely find girls who'll work for cheaper - and a nanny is a big expense.

She will be live-in hence babysitting.

Limonchick, I know what you mean. I have got on very well with this nanny and don't want to seem difficult but I am feeling a bit messed around tbh. It has just crept on and on, this whole thing. I am very nervous about the whole nanny thing anyway and I needed professionalism, not faffing about.

BTW I bet your family are doubtful about whether they can really afford you. Just a vibe.

Agency have emailed back saying they will sort things out tomorrow if contract doesn't arrive.

So is she just quibbling about Holidays and Babysitting? 6 Weeks holiday inclusive of BH's is fine - doubt many jobs would be offering 6 weeks plus BH.
Babysitting in my view is only appliciable if it is a Live-In job - for Live-Out jobs any babysitting is extra. That's just my opinion on that of course.
I think you are right to give a deadline. Contracts can be sent digitally after all - then officially signed (in ink) at a later point.

I don't want to feel like I keep nagging about the contract though - and ruin the relationship before they've had a chance to see how great I am

Sign and seal ASAP from my POV. You don't have a leg to stand on without the contract signed if the employer starts turning funny. Don't know why she isn't signing, Boffinmum. Hope you get it sorted soon, but definitely start looking for replacements even if only to give the agency a kick up the backside.

As a nanny I'm starting to get really paranoid about this because I'm going solely temp (eeek!) for 4 months and I'm worried I'll accept a job and the parents will screw me around.

29 is far too old to be getting cold feet! I too would be concerned that she is talking to another family and is playing for time with you.

I was a bit worried that my new employers were doing the same - I think I've come to the conclusion now that they're just very scatty/disorganised. Which doesn't fill me with confidence either tbh!

BoffinMum - I'm looking for live in, so can be almost anywhere!

I agree. I can understand nerves at the start of a career but after 10 years in the biz she should be able to commit without too much faffing around. Hope you find someone else soon.

DH reckons she is scared and has got that 'top diving board' feeling. I think there's something in what he says, but tbh at 29 you should be able to bite the bullet imo.

Not in East Anglia, are you, limonchick???

Boffinmum, I find it very odd and unprofessional of her too - I would cut your losses and find someone else. I am in the opposite position at the moment of trying to sort out a contract with my new employers. Despite agreeing on everything about 4 weeks ago, we still haven't signed contracts. Unfortunately I'm not in a position to cut my losses and look for someone else.