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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

WWYD if you knew your nanny was job hunting

25 replies

lobsters · 30/07/2010 13:45

We've been having various discussions with our nanny about hours and pay recently (at her instigation). I've found out today she is definitely job hunting. The reason being she needs to earn/ thinks she should earn more than we can afford to pay her.

WWYD? Keep her and say nothing? Give smaller pay rise and hope it works? Start interviewing new nannies just in case?

Really unsure what to do for the best. Part of this is coming from her wanting to do 4 days a week, but being unwilling to lose 20% of her salary. I've been looking at other options to allow her to do 4 days week, but am not going to pay her 95% (or more of her salary) to do 80% of the hours.

I know 4 days a week nannies tend to earn proporionately may, but this is because the employer has to pay for the flexibility, if the employee wants it surely your pay should just be pro-rata-ed (or whatever the word is)

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Rockbird · 30/07/2010 13:47

Depends on how much you want to keep her and how much you can afford to pay her. If she feels she could get more elsewhere then she is justified in looking just as anyone else would. It's up to you whether you want to let her go without a fight.

Rockbird · 30/07/2010 13:49

Sorry that sounded snippy and it wasn't meant to be Talk to her and find out exactly what she wants, then talk to your DH/P to see if you want to/can accommodate her. I don't think there's much else you can do.

MoonUnitAlpha · 30/07/2010 13:53

You're going to need a new nanny at some point - depends how quickly she finds a new job. I wouldn't be desperate to keep her, sounds like you need different things. What is her notice period?

Strix · 30/07/2010 14:01

I would start looking around to get a feel for the current market. I would not give the nanny a raise. 80% of her hours equals 80% of her pay. Pretty arrogant to expect otherwise.

There are plenty of fab nannies on the market. You are probably in a better position than she is.

But, before I told her I knew she was looking, I would be tempted to have a bit of fun and approach her about my fictitious job (under a fictitious name of course) and see what she has to say about her current employer.

Rockbird · 30/07/2010 14:04

Why, because she's daring to look elsewhere? How is it arrogant to want better pay? She (presumably) asked, was told no and is now looking elsewhere. Big deal.

Original poster

lobsters · 30/07/2010 14:11

It's not arrogant to want a more money, and she's well within her rights to look elsewhere, I didn't say she wasn't. I'm asking for advice on what I should do to look after our position and DD, who is central in all this. We haven't said no, we've said we're working through the numbers, but to be honest in the current environment to ask for a 20% reduction in hours and then a pay rise so she would end up earning more than she currently does (in absolute terms) does feel a little cheeky, especially in the current economic environment.

OP posts:

Laquitar · 30/07/2010 14:13

It depends what you pay her.
80% of average for your area pay or 80% of under pay wage?

Rockbird · 30/07/2010 14:27

Wasn't aimed at you lobsters, was responding to Strix who said it was arrogant and that she'd wind her up a bit before she left.

Original poster

lobsters · 30/07/2010 14:39

Rockbird - apologies, I wouldn't wind her up. It's not fair and not professional on either on us

OP posts:

HarrietTheSpy · 30/07/2010 14:39

Let me get this straight. She wants to reduce her hours but get paid the same. Huh? I would let her go. This doesn't sound like a situation that's going to end happily for either of you.

HarrietTheSpy · 30/07/2010 14:41

btw didn't mean let her go as in sack her, but not try hard to keep her.

Strix · 30/07/2010 14:52

I think one has to think an awful lot of herself if she thinks her pay should not reduced proportional to her hours. I see a lot of advice on this board about how one can go ahead and ask and there's nothing to lose. But, I think that is bad advice. If you ask your employer for something outrageous, like a 25% pay increase (which is what a 20% reduction in hours for same pay equals) then that is beyond cheeky... I think it's arrogant.

I got a 3% pay rise this year, which frankly I wasn't expecting in the current climate.

And I was joking about the fictitious ad. Life's too short to spend my time on such things really.

I guess you need to decide whether to tell her you know she is looking for another job or just wait for her to give notice.

Blondeshavemorefun · 30/07/2010 16:25

lol at strix's fun

if i have got you right lobster, you havent had this nanny for that long, and there were a few issues with her/job/cooking? (i think)

are you paying the average rate for your area?

so nanny wants more money but less hours tell her to take a running jump

i would def have a look just incase

EColi · 30/07/2010 18:14

I would start keeping an eye open for replacements but not offer anything to induce her to stay. My dc have had a variety of carers over the years and they found it easier to adapt to each new one than I did! If you are paying the going rate it is unlikely she will find a 4 day job paying a 5 day salary so she might re-adjust her expectations and stay.
I had an inexperienced nanny with own child who complained to me that her 15+ yr experience,Nneb, full time without own child friend earnt 25% more...I didn't offer an increase and after she rang a couple of agencies with no job offers she stayed with us and we heard no more about it.

Original poster

lobsters · 30/07/2010 19:58

Blondes - she's been with us almost a year now (time flies and all that.....) we are paying average to slightly bottom end of that, but when we hired her the market was dead, and she was struggling to get a nanny job for various reason. We have had some issues with her, she's good but not irreplacable.

I'm kind of going with ecoli's strategy i think. I think she'll struggle to find what she wants outside.

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CornishNanny · 31/07/2010 01:28

Hi, I'm new, but have a very good nanny friend in a similar situ to your nannies' 'lobsters'. She is a nanny, live in 7am-7pm Mon-Fri + occasional saturday morns. She told me she was looking around for better pay as down in Cornwall the pay is low, some au-pairs in London get better pay than qualified nannies.

She sat down with her family, mum/dad, 2 children aged 7 and 5. She told them that she wanted a payrise eventhough from this coming september she wouldn't have the youngest at home during the day [was at school 5mornings]. Meaning she would be doing less work and wanted a payrise, talk about cheeky. She then told them she was going to be looking for a new job if they didn't offer her a raise. Too few jobs down here has meant she is now on job seekers as they gave her her notice after they couldn't agree and she happily left, but is now regretting it.

I think you should look around and get a feel for the current market Lobsters, I, myself am searching for my first live in nanny job, which is proving challenging as i have 4 years of nursery experience as a college/uni student and 4months sole charge... there are too many nannies and few jobs ... I'm sure she'll probably back down after finding the market isn't what she expected or risk ending up like my silly friend.

CornishNanny · 31/07/2010 01:30

*should say, was a nanny...

Blondeshavemorefun · 31/07/2010 09:23

i thought so lobsters, and you have one dc as well if i remember correctly

so in under a year, she wants to drop her days/hours and have more money [hhm]

alarm bells are ringing

i would really consider at least looking for a new nanny .......

trainsetter · 31/07/2010 19:44

In your situation I would start looking for another nanny. Ask her to justify why she thinks she should get paid more than she does now to do less hours. Should be interesting..

Strix · 31/07/2010 21:23

Lobsters, if you want a live-in I have a fab one on offer.

Original poster

lobsters · 01/08/2010 21:17

Thanks for the offer, Strix, unfortunately no room for a live in.

We have had justifications for the pay/ hours issue, they are weak and not relevant. We'll see how this week goes. The message is very clearly she's not getting fewer hours and the same money. Will have to see how it pans out, but in the mean time i have been keeping an eye on nannyjob

We have one DD, she is full of energy, has an unerring self belief that she rules the world, but is utterly charming and no harder work than any other 18 month old

OP posts:

ViveLaFrak · 02/08/2010 09:25

Are you in London? Whereabouts if so? I know of a couple of nannies looking for live out. Don't know them personally - as in I've never met them - but they're probably on nannyjob anyway!

Strix · 02/08/2010 12:04

One 18 month old is an easy nanny job. Lots of nannies juggle a toddler plus two or three syblings.

Blondeshavemorefun · 02/08/2010 17:47

i juggle a toddler, 2 siblings and a nutty horse monster dog

weegiemum · 02/08/2010 18:09

We did this with our nanny - but it was at our instigation because we wanted to keep her.

She had worked with us for a year, with dd1 (school full time, age 6), ds (nursery 8.30 - 11.30, age 4) and dd2 (full time at home, age 2.)

After a year and 6 weeks, ds went f/t at school and dd2 was in nursery mornings, so we changed her hours (no increase in pay, but no decrease either) to starting at 11.30 when dd2 came out of nursery. This was because she was a fabulous nanny and we didn't want too much change for the children. But it was our choice not hers, and she was able to make up the change of no pay rise by getting a morning job with children who had to be looked after 7-9 am due to our fabulous reference.

We told her at Christmas of that year (4 months into the new arrangements) that her job would become redundant the following August when dd2 started school - she started looking and got a new job in the April - as I was a student we managed to cover the hours etc after she left with help from a couple of friends.

I kind of think that you will do pretty much anything to get/keep a fantastic nanny. She certainly had no bother getting another job (though I was a bit by the phone call with the mother who didn't give her a job after my reference because she thought fab nanny was "too overweight" - she was a perfectly normal weight and the Scottish Ladies Surfing Champion at the time!!!!)

Fab nanny is still in contact with us - sees the children regularly, takes them away camping sometimes!!!!

But - this is cos she was so good.

I wouldn't be doing it with yours, her sense of entitlement is awfuL!

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