Page 9 | AIBU Nanny Travel costs

LaceyBetty · 02/02/2021 11:16

@C8H10N4O2

£14 is not cheap

For someone trained and experienced to take sole charge of your children?

Its depressing how little we value caring/childcare roles. Any handyman or gardener will charge substantially more than that for minor work at the lower end of the relevant skills range.

Funny how its always women's work which is valued so little.

I said specifically it is not cheap for someone only dropping off and collecting older children, didn't I? Hardly needs to be a "trained and experienced" nanny. And yes, I am perfectly happy to allow someone without years of experience and training, but whose references I have checked, to do this with my older children (perhaps others are not). That is really the only way to find someone willing to do this type of split shift work.

I had a full-time nanny when my two children were babies, and that is, of course, a very different kettle of fish. Let's get some perspective. Again, do think travel costs should be paid though.

SpongeBobJudgeyPants · 02/02/2021 11:20

@C8H10N4O2

£14 is not cheap

For someone trained and experienced to take sole charge of your children?

Its depressing how little we value caring/childcare roles. Any handyman or gardener will charge substantially more than that for minor work at the lower end of the relevant skills range.

Funny how its always women's work which is valued so little.

This. And it's more of a shame when women are exploiting other women in this way. Choosing not to claim expenses is up to you OP, but I would imagine your salary is greater than the nanny's. Anyway, it's not the point. You should pay. What you choose to do re your own travelling at work has no bearing on this. 'I don't do it, so no-one else should' is not a logical or valid argument.

Bahhhhhumbug · 02/02/2021 11:26

Its a shame you don't bother claiming travel expenses because you find them hard work . Very simple, travel to and from work base is not classed as an allowable expense for tax purposes. But if your main work place then sends you to other offices or to visit clients or get materials etc then you can claim back that mileage (45p a mile I think it currently is if you do 'simplified expenses' or can claim your literal petrol/vehicle expenses whichever is best for you)

Building trade/sub contractors a little different, (trades where traditionally people have to travel all over the place to where the work is) and there's a '24 month rule' meaning if you're based in one place on one contract for less than 24 months then it's classed as a 'temporary workplace' and you can claim to and from your workplace as well as any other journeys you are sent for work purposes from your main workplace.
DH in the building trade and I've done his tax returns for last few years, had little experience but found everything I need to know on the HMRC site ,very helpful and easy to follow.
Wrt your nanny situation I think you should pay her travel back to your area . I see your point that she is near home and is only coming back for her bike but otoh she travels to your area to get your DC on her own steam - or pedal power even ! So she's saving you a train fare for that journey . Just as an aside I always find that return tickets are only pennies more than a single so would it be cheaper to just buy her a return and not use the travel card at all in the morning.

Dastardlythefriendlymutt · 02/02/2021 11:44

@OllyBJolly

Funnily enough, paying a childminder is acceptable

My friends who childmind tell me differently - it's seen as an optional extra by a lot of families if they have had other expenses. "Had to get the car service, I'll pay twice next month" is not uncommon.

We don't value childcare.

That is appalling and the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

Dastardlythefriendlymutt · 02/02/2021 11:48

Posted too early. Surely the most precious people are our children and by extension those taking care of our children. It makes no sense to me to treat them poorly or leave them out of pocket for helping you out.

I thought people tended to be as generous as they can afford to be with childcare not trying to save on this or that bit.

It's just the decent thing to do. Don't you get a tiny niggling thought at the back of your mind that they may not give their best to your children because they aren't being paid properly?

Bettydot · 02/02/2021 11:54

I wouldn’t expect you to cover her travel costs to get to your house / the train station (depending on where she starts work), which would be considered to be her base of work but you would need to cover her travel costs to school and back to where she started work so she can collect her bike / car as this is travel that is part of her job and therefore is at your expense. Where as travel to and from her usual starting place of work is her responsibility.

RestingPandaFace · 02/02/2021 12:09

@intheshedyes

HoppingPavlova

What?

I see the difference. I travel to many places due to work but do not claim back travel expenses. When I started, unsurprisingly (as people on this board have called me stupid with no common sense... thank you ) I was baffled on how it would work out. So it was easier not to claim. Reading this thread, it seems like I need to!

If I have understood correctly your Nanny comes to your house, picks up the children and takes then to school on the train, then comes back either to the station or your home and does the opposite in the afternoon.

The fairest way to do it in you Nannny’s situation would be to pay her wages and expenses from when she arrives at your house in the morning to when she returns to your house / the station after dropping them off in the morning, and then again when she arrives at your house / the station to start work until she drops the Children off at home.

She shouldn’t be out of pocket for doing her job.

BorderlineHappy · 02/02/2021 12:13

Why doesnt the nanny just get the train to work,pick up kids then stay at home.
Then do the same as reverse.

Seems like the Nanny is making work for herself.

Nohairofcourseicare · 02/02/2021 12:18

@intheshedyes

Oh bullshit you don’t claim for your own work travel expenses!

Yes Smidgen. This post tells me your it a nice person.

I don't claim travel expenses. We knew about claiming them when I started. But knowing when to calculate and when from blah blah. I found it all confusing. So didn't bother.

So you’re financially comfortable enough that you don’t need to sit and claim travel expenses. I’m not surprised your nanny needs other jobs to top up what you give her.

It’s very sad to see how little value you’ve put on the person who care for your children.

Original poster

intheshedyes · 02/02/2021 12:24

"So you’re financially comfortable enough that you don’t need to sit and claim travel expenses. I’m not surprised your nanny needs other jobs to top up what you give her"

No way comfortable.

Ha! She had those other jobs prior working for us. When we met her, she made it clear that she would not stop working for her previous clients as she has developed a bond with them and likes the flexibility

OP posts:

QueenOfCatan · 02/02/2021 12:26

@intheshedyes

"I wondered if Nanny lived very near the school but chose to ride her bike to go to work. In which case she would be riding the bike to OPs home then getting the train to school for drop off. If she had travelled to work on the train she wouldn't need to come back to the station to pick up her bike as she is already nearly home"

Yes. She lives near school but rides her bike to work.

That doesn't matter though, her work is based in your home so you factor in her travel to and from your home when doing the school run. She works out her travel to and from her home to yours. Her living close to the school is irrelevant.

C8H10N4O2 · 02/02/2021 12:27

Hardly needs to be a "trained and experienced" nanny

The OP described her as a nanny and makes it clear that the nanny does a lot more than "just pick ups and drop offs".

The OP hasn't given the age of her children but if you pay someone for childcare they have to be appropriately registered (and therefore qualfiied). if you make a mutual arrangement with a friend to swap pickups then that is an informal arrangement. Paying someone makes it formal childcare and women should be entitled to be paid properly for it.

Original poster

intheshedyes · 02/02/2021 12:27

I value her. But to point out to what another ..She does morning and after school
Drop offs only. No meal prep, no bedtimes, no dinner, no cleaning kids mess, no anything. She is essentially a "mother's helper" than a nanny.

OP posts:

ilovesooty · 02/02/2021 12:28

@CeeceeBloomingdale

Think of your home as your nanny's normal place of work. She should pay to get there once at the start of the day and once at the end of the day to get home. Everything in between is work related and should be covered, regardless of where she lives.

That's exactly what the situation is.

Original poster

intheshedyes · 02/02/2021 12:29

"The OP described her as a nanny and makes it clear that the nanny does a lot more than "just pick ups and drop offs".

I didn't say that. I said I pay her more than the usual rate because of X reasons which I do not want to disclose.

OP posts:

C8H10N4O2 · 02/02/2021 12:29

She is essentially a "mother's helper" than a nanny

But you said she normally manages after school activities and others? Or was that on your duplicate thread?

Unless you are with her and fully available at that time she has sole charge and diminishing her as a "mother's helper" is quite insulting really.

Original poster

intheshedyes · 02/02/2021 12:33

She would drop them off at after school clubs (which she hasn't as she has only been working for us for two days) and depending on time. I will pick up the kids from the clubs or she would drop them off home.

OP posts:

C8H10N4O2 · 02/02/2021 12:34

From one of your many posts:

We wanted an after school nanny for longer hours. However, because of lockdown restrictions, my kids after school activities have ceased.

So if she doesn't deal with after school activities in normal times is she just being paid to file her nails? If she isn't doing additional time why would you big up the fact that you pay for more than "just" taking children to school on the train?

There is something spectactularly unattractive in parents trivialising the value of the women who care for their children in an attempt to self justify being poor employers.

strawberriesontheNeva · 02/02/2021 12:40

@intheshedyes

Hello all,

We hired a new part time nanny who does the morning and after school runs. Two of my children need a train to get to school so pay my nanny travel costs from going to take them to school in the morning and then when she is bringing them back home.

In the mornings, my nanny rides her bike and parks her bike near our closest station. She asked me that once she drops the children to school, can she use the top up travel card, to come back to the station and pick up her bike to drive home.

AIBU to say no. I don't want to pay too much travel as it is!

Of course yabu Poor nanny , probably paid pennies already

Original poster

intheshedyes · 02/02/2021 12:41

We want to pay her more hours because I finish work late and my DC's activities finish quite late. Plus, at the moment, due to the whole working from home thing. I am flexible in my working hours. This would change once lockdown restrictions ease. But she does nothing in the house and will not! Personally, I would still like to do those things for my DC's. It's the drop off to activities and sometimes the mornings which is an issue

OP posts:

Spidey66 · 02/02/2021 12:45

If fares involve her getting to work and back, she pays. If these involve taking your kids to and from school, you pay.

SmidgenofaPigeon · 02/02/2021 12:48

How are you paying her a lot more than her usual rate as she does a lot more outside the school pick up, drop offs, but she’s only been working for you for two days? What? Is she someone who works for you in another capacity and you’ve got her to take on this too? You made it sound like you’d been paying her for some time?

It sounds dodgy, it doesn’t add up but I predict you’ll dodge it by saying the answer would be ‘outing’.

C8H10N4O2 · 02/02/2021 12:53

It sounds dodgy, it doesn’t add up but I predict you’ll dodge it by saying the answer would be ‘outing'

Well presumably the OP is a "key worker" or the kids wouldn't be in school anyway.

Priti - is that you?

ExConstance · 02/02/2021 13:00

We recruited a live in nanny when DS1 was born, it was cruicial to me we had someone kind and very reliable as I worked long and irregular hours, and I did not want to put on DH, who worked full time and was studying too. The nanny stayed with us through DS 2 arriving, her getting married and having her first child. She became our part time and holiday child minder at that stage. She was still with us when DS1 was 11, I could not have hoped for a better nanny.
I prided myself on being a really good employer, sometimes just paying a little bit extra or for nice things for her. She ironed the children's clothes and I'd sometimes iron her elaborate frilly summer dresses, nice birthday presents, nice family outings.
All this was second nature to me, I just wanted to make life good for someone doing a really important job. All the little things cost a fraction of the main pay bill each month, but make life better for the nanny. I was really pleased when she got married from our house.
Life's too short to worry about a few train fares.

LaceyBetty · 02/02/2021 13:16

Its not an employer thing, its about morals and treating people right! .
Reminds me of the thread recently where the nanny asked to leave 5m early in afternoon to save a long wait for the train and the OP genuinely asked if they should allow it!

I'm not saying it's right but a can think of loads of jobs where someone can't leave 5 minutes early.

Also remember that not all people who hire nannies are incredibly wealthy. Some need to be extremely careful when sorting out childcare as it is a huge expense and, sorry, but a nanny is an employee (albeit a very important one).