Would you apply for this job?

[NJE]

www.gumtree.com/p/jobs/full-time-live-in-travelling-nanny-required/79266645

I wouldn't. I don't really know what to say... It makes me really angry. Working nearly 70h a week over six days while the day off is a week day?

Why does it make you angry? I work in the aviation industry, where we can be away from home for days at a time, working night after night, early mornings, weekends, bank holidays, etc. I have worked 70hrs in 6 days, crossing 8 time zones, and my day off was a weekday. I knew what I was getting into when I joined the industry and I don't think the employer you have highlighted here as tried to pretty the job up and hide the hours at all. If someone applies at least they will know what they are applying for.

In my industry, the long hours we work are apparently not enough. I'm not happy about the goalposts being moved, especially when people's lives are at stake. I would never expect to work a nanny for such hours, but clearly there are plenty of people in the world who think it is acceptable to squeeze until the pips squeak. If you don't want the job, don't apply for it. But there's no need to get stressed about it. If noone applies, they will get the message!

I also don't understand why it makes you angry, the advert states exactly what they want and says only apply if you can do it, they are very clear. It may suit someone which isn't you obviously so don't worry about it.

Theses are the kind of jobs I loved as a nanny! Parents working away a lot, nice house to live in, nice car to drive, lots of travel.....those were the days......................

It's a low wage (roughly just over £5 an hour) and I think that asking for somebody very qualified is a bit rough on that wage! Otherwise it seems that they've at least been honest, a lot of employers aren't whn they're advertising for jobs like that!

I understand where NJE is coming from. Although they are very straight about what they want the wage is pathetic, especially as they want experience, multi lingual and qualified They are asking you to look after their children not their dogs!

OP

to answer your question, no way would i apply for that job.

Not paying enough for those hours IMO. (even if net, as many jobs are advertised as), not nearly enough to have me.... and i do meet the criteria (except i dont speak spanish) and i dont do cleaning and ironing.

The job sounds fine to me.

The wage does not.

the wage is, in effect, considerably more than £5/hour - accomodation and car is provided. (and on those hours you won't have much time to spend your £350., If I was a young nanny and (crucially) I liked the family, and fancied a few months in Spain, I'd consider it.

hatwoman...

agree the job is more than £5 / hour....

myself and many other expeianced nannies i know (and they DO require someone with experiance) charge £10+ per hour

There are plenty of nanny jobs about requiring less hours, over 5 days (with 2 weekend days off per week) AND in your own country, and with car & wonderful accomodation paying more than £350 / week

A couple friend of mine live 10 months a year on yacht - the chap is the skipper and his girlfriend is the cook/cleaner. They are totally at the mercy of the family that own the yacht - he'll call them in, say Greek waters and tell them to sail immediately to Corsica or wherever. And if the family entertain then my friends stay up as long as the guests do and still have to be up cleaning at the crack of dawn. All for around the same as this job pays. BUT. For those 10 months they don't spend a penny of their own money and so end up with around £40,000 each year sitting untouched in their joint account. They now own a string of small apartments in France which they let out. So, on the same salary as this role, my friends have effectively financed a very wealthy retirement plan for themselves over the course of 10 years - something I've yet to do over 20.....

Being 'staff' - which is what this nanny job would be, similar to my friends - is not for some, and nor is the thought of having your own life dictated to by someone else, but there's many that would think this was a great job.

see what you are saying squiffy....
(i have even nannied with my nanny family spending up to a month at a time with them, with them on their yacht)
BUT they are still under-paying.

Yes nannies have little expenses oppertunities to spend money, but many other live in nannies with very few expenses still get paid more for less work, and many get a lot paid much more than this family are offering

Like everyone else, good job, poor salary.

2 years experience is not that much and they might take an ex MH as it says similar role to nanny. They basically mean not NQ.

Spanish is an advantage but that could be v basic, maybe GCSE level and able to improve.

Cleaning/ironing is 'an advantage', so they might compromise on it.

Someone who sees travel as a perk and is looking for their second job to move up the ladder would do it as it would be a good job to have on a CV even if the salary is a little low for 6 days. With that experience under your belt (4 years nannying: 2 previously, 2 with them, 6 days care, NB-preschooler, live in, overseas and travel) you're into the £600+ market next time.

I don't think the salary is 'a little low'. I think it's a joke. It's caring for a newborn and a 1 year old, not exactly easy...if it were a school aged child and a pre-schooler...maybe.

I also think the 'doesn't have time to spend it' is a very odd argument...if the wage is unfair, the wage is unfair. Asking someone to work so many hours they have no chance of a social life and no opportunity to spend the unfair wage doesn't make the wage a fair one?!

You'd be amazed what you can do in the way of a social life working 6 days a week with a couple of evenings off!

Assuming they get a 20 year old (qualified plus 2 years exp) it's still just above NMW as a gross figure, although it doesn't have to be for live in. if it's a net wage it's probably above NMW for a 21+ year old too.

This is likely to be taken by a young nanny who will take the short term financial hit, which may not be much of a hit anyway because £350 is not a bad wage. Trainee MNs working 24/6 get about that net.

Would I do it now? No because if I wanted to work 6 long days I could get higher paying jobs, and spending time with DH and DS is more important. Would I do it if I had only 2 years experience and was interested in developing my career? Absolutely. Would I have done it when I had about 4 years experience and was still single? Almost certainly. A positive reference from that job would be a career maker, and if you managed to get your Spanish to near fluency in the 4 months spent there you'd be absolutely laughing.