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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Live in Nanny

49 replies

curiousscot · 30/04/2019 17:08

I am a live in nanny in the south of England. The agreement was 5 definite hours per day with a possible 6th hour per day, 5 days per week.
The work includes dressing the children for school in the morning and taking them to school. Fetching them in the afternoon, arranging lunch, homework, activities and then dinner and bath, until 7pm.
It includes house duties of washing, drying, folding and packing away of the household laundry.
It has become clear, although it was never discussed that the work also includes emptying refuse bins, garden refuse bins on refuse days, dishes, running errands for the lady of the house when required.
The laundry alone takes far longer than the possible additional 6th hour per day.
When kids are sick, they stay home under my care for the full day.
Some additional hours over weekends have been asked for from time to time as well.
My query is, is £110 per week, a reasonable rate of pay?
Whether I've looked after the children all day when sick or weekend hours, the weekly rate of pay remains totally unchanged.

OP posts:
pinkyredrose · 30/04/2019 17:10

That's slave labour! I'd leave asap.

BlueSkiesLies · 30/04/2019 17:12

Are you an au pair? That is what you pay an AP not a nanny!

bratzilla · 30/04/2019 17:15

You’re being paid £110 a week?

pinkcardi · 30/04/2019 17:17

Our nanny was £10/hr net and that was on the cheap side. She did 40hrs a week and we would absolutely discuss any extra hours with her, and if she agreed, she was obviously paid for her extra time.

Your arrangement sounds like au-pair pay but for mother's help type work.

A nanny is solely there for the children, so their laundry and cooking, but not the general household. A mothers help does childcare and some light house tasks and errands, au-pair is shorter childcare whilst usually also studying English.

Sounds like you need to sit down with your family and explain that al extra hours need to be paid properly.

squeaver · 30/04/2019 17:25

Based on your user name, you're not an au pair.

So you're being paid under £6000 a year. Live in or not, that's unacceptable. Do you realise how small an amount of money that is?

Have a look on some nanny agency sites and see what you should be earning e.g. here it says £300 - 500 a week.

Your employers are taking advantage. Look for another job.

Original poster
curiousscot · 30/04/2019 17:28

I am actually being paid £100 per week and was wondering if asking for £110 would be unreasonable.

I also do grocery shopping and pick up and take to stations/airports when required at well.
I think I need to review this thoroughly as I am battling to exist on this wage.
Thank you so much for your comments.

OP posts:
pinkcardi · 30/04/2019 17:37

How did this arrangement come about? Were you abroad and hired via an au-pair agency? They are really taking advantage of you. £100 a week for 35hrs minimum?!?

I do think you need to urgently talk to the host family/your employer, they must be aware that they are really pushing boundaries and being very unfair. If things don't resolve can you leave quickly, do you have somewhere to go?

If you are in London I'd imagine you would be able to find more work very quickly. Particularly if you are a confident driver and your English is excellent (assuming you aren't a UK national, apologies if this is incorrect)

Russell19 · 30/04/2019 17:40

So even if you were just doing 25 hours, which you sound like you're doing more , you're getting paid £4 an hour. Why did you agree to that in the first place?!

lastqueenofscotland · 30/04/2019 17:45

That’s slave wages.
Fuck that. Oh and report the fuck out of them for paying that low.

EbbandTheWanderingHearts · 30/04/2019 17:51

Hell no! That's a shit wage! You're being totally taken advantage of. Have a look on nannyjob for comparable jobs to get an idea of what's around. Is this your first nanny job?

PotteringAlong · 30/04/2019 17:52

£100 a week?!

Minimum wage is £8.21 an hour.

Even with your rent you’re being grossly underpaid. And if they want you to look after sick children they pay you at least minimum wage on top of what you usually get.

LeukaeLucky · 30/04/2019 17:52

I had a live in nanny / housekeeper while I was at hospital. She was looking after the children before and after school and at night time and looked after the house. She was a junior nanny and I had to pay 80 pounds per day (via agency after NI and fees)

Dvg · 30/04/2019 17:54

£110 isnt a Nanny wage its just slightly above an Au pair wage,

Where i live in south england Live in Nannys charge between £7-£10 per hour so with the minimum 25 hours a week you do.. that would be £250 weekly.

LaCastafiore · 30/04/2019 17:55

That's ridiculous.

An au-pair gets pocket money in exchange for room and board, because they are inexperienced, coming from overseas on a short stay and need to learn the language and it's a brilliant system.

A nanny is an employee who gets a salary, way above the minimum wage, and some happen to live-in.

In London, a live-in nanny with more than three years of professional experience earns between £300 and £450 net per week. However, this is dependent on family requirements and the nanny’s experience. 24-hour live-in nannies usually receive salaries of over £500 net per week.

Live-in nannies working abroad command higher salaries of £550 to £950 net per week - again, this depends on the requirements of your family.

LazyFace · 30/04/2019 17:57

I agree with other, this is more of an aupair wage. For an au-pair that seems fine but I'd talk to the parents about the actual hours.

habibihabibi · 30/04/2019 18:02

When I did a short nanny gig between jobs, I was paid £250 pw and did childcare only. Also it was 20 years ago !

Please tell me your food, phone and toiletries are paid for ?

Tobebythesea · 30/04/2019 18:03

You are being grossly underpaid and are being taken serious advantage of. Based on minimum wage you should be paid at least £250 a week and more when the children are ill and at weekends. Time to review!

letsgohooray · 30/04/2019 18:03

How did you end up in this job? Are you from another country? You have been terribly taken advantage of. Base things on an annual or hourly wage then multiply. Are you an experoienced and/or qualified nanny? MINIMUM for a live in nanny should be £10 an hour. Even cleaners get more and that is way less skilled.

Unless that is you are an au pair. They are on much lower rates and £100-£120 depending on region is not unusual. BUT au pairs are supposed to do 'light housework' and supervised childcare only

Tobebythesea · 30/04/2019 18:04

Are they contributing to your pension?

MyDcAreMarvel · 30/04/2019 18:06

Au pairs do unsupervised childcare , just not babies.

QueenBeex · 30/04/2019 18:16

either tell her you want a decent pay rise asap or tell her she needs a new nanny because you're leaving

EnglishRose13 · 30/04/2019 18:16

How long have you been working for them?

JellyBellyyyyyyyyy · 30/04/2019 18:24

Working as an au pair a few years ago in Italy, I worked around 20 hours a week and received 120 euros a week for it.

I also had my phone and travel card paid for.

You're being taken for granted hugely if you're a nanny rather than an au pair. You're being employed for well below minimum wage which as far as I'm aware is illegal.

Even if you're actually an au pair, you're working too many hours and doing far too much.

Don't try and negotiate a pay rise unless it's minimum wage or above - start planning if you can, and find a job where you're appreciated and valued instead of exploited.

Yura · 30/04/2019 18:32

£100 per week would be barely acceptable if they would pay literally every bill (food, phone, ....) in your life plus work clothes ....

Inniu · 30/04/2019 18:32

Are they paying you cash in hand or are Income Tax and National Insurance being applied?