To expect to pay childminder minimum wage

[SMarie123]

Hello all,

I have had a very heated debate with a colleague and I would like to get an impartial view.

We do the same job in the same company, she looks after Asian clients and I USA. There is one day a week everyone in the department does 9-5. We don't need too much childcare given that DH's both do 9-5. , I have a lovely childminder who I pay a bit above average because she is amazing and flexible and loving. My colleague uses family, which I understand comes with its own challenges.

In the past she has used my childminder to plug some childcare gaps, which is fine for all parties. She does complain that I pay too much but she gets in with it. Anyway her mum is going in for an operation and she wants my childminder to take her Dd with my 3 DC (one is in school but I still pay a levy because the childminder will always pick her up if she is sick and doesn't charge more for holidays)

I said we would have to talk about logistics and pay before we spoke to the childminder. she said ok but I knew it wasn't going to go well .... it transpires she doesn't want to pay more for the childminder taking on 25% more children. She wants to split the hourly rate I pay and pay 25% if that, is that not outrageous? I made the point that in a work capacity you wouldn't opt to take more projects for the same money if you had a choice.

What do people think? I think it is too complicated already so I have to get out of it.

Like a PP has said, this is nothing to do with you.

Your childminder/nanny/neighbour/whatever she is, is entitled to set her own rates and conditions of work.

Nanny.

Still, your colleague is up her own arse, tell her to sort her own childcare.

Agreed with PP’s - it’s not really for you and your friend to decide what your nanny will accept. You need to ask her and let her and your friend sort it out. If I was the nanny I would probably say no as your friend sounds like a PITA

I wouldn’t upset a wonderful childminder to entertain a tight colleague. Let her find her own childcare and the road to reality.

Her rate goes up for extra child. Maybe not by a third though. Don't you need to ask her?

Is the nanny your employee, are you employing her legally and deducting tax etc?

Or is this an under the table/cash in hand arrangement?

I think, in your situation, I would have a chat with the nanny. I’d explain what cf is proposing and my own dislike of this plan. I would then ask her to write a letter to cf explaining that she is happy to add her dc to the group and will be charging x amount per hour for this extra child. Cf can then either sign up for that or not. I know that’s not how nannying works but from cf’s pov this is more a cm than nanny situation.

What's in this for (a) you and (b) the nanny.

It sounds like she wants your nanny to have her children (meaning your dc get less attention) but it doesn't sound like there's much financial incentive for you to do that and you've hit the inconvenience of having their kid at your house (making mess and eating food etc).

And she wants your nanny to do it for no extra cost.

I would just tell her it doesn't work for your nanny so you can't help her anymore. If she's got the nanny's number tell the nanny that you don't want her looking after this woman's kid anymore when she's looking after yours.

She's a CF, so nip it in the bud now.

If you employ your nanny then surely you can say no I don’t want her to take on other children.

You don't have a childminder. You have a nanny. Whom you should be covering tax and NI for.

I'm an ex nanny. I ended up doing an arrangement similar to this, where their friends child would be dropped at my place of work a couple of days a week. I was paid an additional amount by the second family.

She's taking the piss. Your nanny will have an additional workload. She should be suitably compensated.

I wouldn't offer my colleagues the services of someone who looked after my kids, and I certainly wouldn't presume to negotiate payment. She needs to organize her own childcare especially if she's being stingy. How does your nanny feel when you (her employer) tells her to look after random kids sometimes? How do your kids feel, being thrown together with random kids?

She doesn't live in but she comes to my house. That makes her a nanny right? To be honest this relationship never caused me much of a headache, i have known this woman since I was a child (She is a close friend of my mother). Not that I intentionally moved to the same road as her, that was just luck and happened years before dc.

She only does 3 hours a day for me because I work 2-10. My dd goes to after school (it is more engaging for her) and DH gets her on the way home. I have compared the rate and benefits I pay and they are above average. I am happy with that because I think you have to pay a premium for awkward hours.

My colleague has used her before and was very happy. She wanted to piggyback on the one long day because she wanted to share the rate... I knew that anyway because I know she thinks the rate is too high. I also don't think it will be for a short time because I think her mother's recovery will take longer than stated.

So do you employ her?

It isn't worth creating an awkward situation with your nanny, this arrangement would not benefit you, it only benefits your CF work colleague. Just say no, tell her your children need the full attention of the nanny.

I pay her properly including sick pay and holiday pay. Over the years I have organised lots of nixers for my friend/ chikdminder and as of today. "Nanny". I have never got involved in the price before (other then people have asked me what I pay and been surprised how high it is- I don't know what they ended up paying though tbh I don't care).

Those have always been independent jobs and not in my house. This is different because it is in my house at the same time as my dc. I also just knew in my head something weird was going to happen with the money. I knew this "job" had a different agenda. I also knew it wasn't short term as indicated (because the op. Her mother is having us not a bounce out of bed one).

Sounds more like a nanny than childminder to me.

I think you and colleague have jumped the gun debating this between yourselves.

First, ask the nanny if she is willing to take on an extra child. She may say ‘hell, no, not that little monster again’. In which case problem solved. You need to sound her out as she may be resentful of taking on an extra ‘project’ without additional compensation. You need to talk to her first.

Also, figure out the nanny/childminder stuff. If she is a nanny, she should be earning a regular wage with possible overtime or bonuses for extra children. And you will direct her work, for example how many children.

As a childminder, she makes the decisions as to who, when and where, and, crucially, how much.

wait a minute - if your work mate want her to look after her child in your house for more than a few hours doesn't your nanny have to be registered (because its not her home - nanny is working in your home for you & that is OK)

Your colleague is a piss-taking CFer. Just tell her no, that doesn't work for us. You need to make your own arrangements. She's trying to take the piss out of both you and your nanny/minder because she's cheap.

You'd be a CF to ask your nanny to do this.

Colleagues childcare issues are not your problem to solve.

So, she should definitely pay AT LEAST a third extra to what you pay. I think it should be more though. Presumably she’s expecting her child to be cared for in YOUR home?! What about food, I don’t imagine your nanny brings this with her, she’ll prepare food you’ve bought?! So you’d have to foot the bill to feed the extra kid?! Realistically she should be paying a little more than you do, seen as it’s your home etc. I think she’s got a damn cheek to be honest!
As others have said, she’s a nanny rather than a childminder and so you’re involved as it’s your house. No way should you expect her to have the responsibility of another child and not pay more. If you were paying for three kids at a childminder you’re wound vertically be paying over minimum wage. It’s normally at least £4 per child BUT that is in their own home.

Also consider what happens in regard to insurance and liability. What happens if this child has some kind of accident in your home? There’s far more to consider than it may first seem. Different when it’s someone looking after children in their own family home, but when your house will be the setting for paid childcare for other children there will be other considerations.

I’m wondering how much you pay her! 12£ per hour am I right?

And I’d be letting colleague sort her own child care and not offend my nanny by being cheeky.

I think she doesn't get to decide and neither do you. The childminder (who she needs to contact directly about this, not via you) will tell her how much she will charge for the extra child and then she can decide whether or not she wants to take her up on it, or find alternative care.

Erm its absolutely not for her to say what someone else should get paid! She either pays the rate or goes elsewhere.
Outrageous CFery.
Why would a childminder only get minimum wage?! Its not exactly easy looking after small kids!
We pay a lot for ours and shes worth every penny.

I pay £18 ph for 3 hours, but she often does more than the 3 hours. Eg if DH comes home she stays for dinner, or she might pop in at other times and I might go to the shop. It is a loose arrangement. Once or twice a year I might take her for a spa or in the middle of last year I paid for her to go on a sushi making course just because she liked it.