Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

To ask for your advice in how much to pay her?

48 replies

Sapph1e · 11/01/2015 16:56

I posted in Chat but it didn't yield anything.

I'm a newly SP of two girls and I've recently decided to employ someone to help with school runs, dog walking, etc.
I've found a lovely girl who is happy to be flexible, my problem is that I have no idea how much to pay her. We're going to be roughly looking at 3 hours a day. But she has half an hour travel time.

Does anyone have any experience??

OP posts:

MrsTawdry · 11/01/2015 18:40

How old is she and are you in London? If she's 18 and you're not in London then I would pay 7 an hour. In London 12.

flowery · 11/01/2015 18:45

If you look on nannyjob.co.uk you can search specifically for Mothers Help jobs in your region to see what people are paying for similar work.

I'm sure you wouldn't, but don't be tempted to bypass employing her properly will you?

BallsforEarrings · 11/01/2015 19:16

If I were you I would ask her to go self-employed and then pay her the higher hourly rate to compensate - it will still work out cheaper than the costs involved in actually employing her!

flowery · 11/01/2015 19:21

"If I were you I would ask her to go self-employed and then pay her the higher hourly rate to compensate - it will still work out cheaper than the costs involved in actually employing her!"

Doesn't work like that. Employment status isn't something either employer or employee gets to choose. It is what it is, like it or not, and is based on the nature of the relationship between the parties, not on the preferences of eithe.

BallsforEarrings · 11/01/2015 19:23

Oh yes of course you are right flowery I was forgetting she will be in every day and probably only working for the OP, yes she will be deemed an employee then whatever they want to do!

BallsforEarrings · 11/01/2015 19:24

Unless she works for other families as well that would be a way around it??

joanne1947 · 11/01/2015 19:25

There is some information on www.livingwage.org.uk/calculation but remember that this is what she should end up with every week. If you are not paying over holidays etc and sick days it needs to be higher to cover that and tax and NI.

Tinks42 · 11/01/2015 19:27

£10 an hour is the going rate at the moment.

Asking her to go self-employed for this? really?

BallsforEarrings · 11/01/2015 19:31

Tinks42 I was just thinking of the OP having to go through the ballache of payroll, wage slips statutory holiday pay (which has to be paid at the time of the holiday and cannot be 'rolled up' into the general hourly rate plus sick pay which can be reclaimed from the government.

All this would be avoided by the lady having self employed status and all she would have to do is submit her yearly income tax return and pay her taxes - so much easier for all concerned but not allowed I don't think!

OutragedFromLeeds · 11/01/2015 19:32

This could be self-employed. It depends on what the op means by 'flexible'. If it's going to change every week and it will depend on the availability of the nanny then she could be self-employed. If the OP is setting the hours, then she'll have to be an employee.

NoLongerJustAShopGirl · 11/01/2015 19:32

that is not a great job though is it - a split shift with half an hour travel to the job - so what? 30 min travel then 1hr 30 then 30 min travel, then a few hours at home and 30 min travel 1hr 30 then 30 min travel - 2 hours spent travelling for 3 hours work?

would not plan on her being around for too long...

BallsforEarrings · 11/01/2015 19:38

If the lady could get another similar job for the in-between hours that would be perfect - then she would be self-employed AND fill the time between shifts!!

Ooh I've got all involved in this - forgive me OP I'm trying to be a problem solver!

flowery · 11/01/2015 19:46

No, two jobs doesn't equal self employed. Lots of people have two jobs.

Having several clients is one of many different factors that HMRC/an employment tribunal would use to determine whether someone is employed or not. If the woman has to work the hours the OP requires, has to do the work herself rather than be able to send a replacement, has to perform the tasks in the way the OP wants, works regular hours rather than ad hoc/very infrequent hours, these are all among the factors that would indicate employment.

Nature of the relationship is the key. If the reality of the relationship between the OP and this woman would look like employment to an external eye, then it probably is.

fromparistoberlin73 · 11/01/2015 19:49

Agree with the 10-12 voters

BallsforEarrings · 11/01/2015 19:49

flowery you are right! Looks like she will have to employ - unless she uses an agency but then she cannot have the chosen lady!

Tinks42 · 11/01/2015 19:50

Look, does it matter what happens to the £10 an hour once it exchanges hands, its the other persons responsibility, whether they declare it or not.

BallsforEarrings · 11/01/2015 19:53

Only if they are self-employed is it their responsibility Tinks it is not legal to employ someone and not meet all your obligations as set out by the government! It is the employer's responsibility and we have established the lady cannot be self-employed in this case - it won't wash with HMRC!

holeinmyheart · 11/01/2015 20:06

£6.50 is the recommended minimum wage and just above that is what I would pay, until a probationary period has been completed satisfactorily.

If you start initially with a low wage it can always be increased. A high wage can never be reduced unless you would like them to spit in the soup !

If the post has never employed anyone before, then there really needs to be a trial period. This gives both sides a face saving get out clause.

I have employed a lot of people and it is not an easy as you might think. All of them without exception did things that irritated me , and however nice they appeared at first, your home and children are NOT theirs.

Don't get me wrong, I loved some of the Au-pairs we had and recently stayed with one of my favourites in Germany.
However, they need clear instructions and initially if you aren't sure exactly what to expect, you can get it wrong.
This post is hoping for a long term employee, so needs to get it right.

flowery · 11/01/2015 20:46

"Look, does it matter what happens to the £10 an hour once it exchanges hands, its the other persons responsibility, whether they declare it or not."

Just think of the chaos if that was the case! No employer in the country would bother running a payroll!

BallsforEarrings · 11/01/2015 21:00

It would be lovely if that were the case tinks but flowery's right it's illegal!

I say it would be lovely but, thinking about it, it wouldn't be lovely in the long run when nobody paid their employee's taxes or NI or met their statutory obligations, it would actually be anarchy! The NHS is in bad enough shape as it is without more tax shirkers!

Tinks42 · 14/01/2015 18:53

Oh pack it up.

What's paying someone £10 an hour for a few hours a day got to do with the NHS for christ sake. If the powers that be in the NHS made sure people that aren't entitled to it didnt get it the NHS would be in a much better state.

If the bigwigs declared ALL their spending and didnt use accountants that know how to "legally" dodge paying their way then once again the country would be in a much better state.

So I'd get off my high-horse if I were you.

DoJo · 14/01/2015 19:04

But it would be the OP and the person she is employing who would get into trouble when it was discover, Tinks, not companies legally avoiding tax or their accountants.

Tinks42 · 14/01/2015 19:06

When it was discovered? Unless the OP has spies/enemies watching her every move I hardly think that anyone cares.

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread