quick question about nanny holiday arrangements

[valbona]

How do you do it? Do you pick some days and the nanny picks some days? Half and half? And do you have a certain amount of warning that she has to give before taking holiday? Would love to know what the most normal way of doing it is. Thanks!

Usually it's 50% parents choice of date, 50% nannies choice of date - I don't know what's normal in terms of notice period, I just rather assumed everyone was adult enough about it for it not to be a problem. None of us get as much leave as we'd like so it makes sense to try to book it when it suits everyone, but accept that it wont always.

Generally bank holidays off and 2 weeks your choice, 2 weeks hers. If you get more holidays than this yourself, it is worth sticking to the 2 and 2 as it gives you extra days to take off if you need to cover any nanny sick days. Any left can be used for days for yourself sans children or given to nanny as a bonus holiday - she'll appreciate this and it gives you employer bonus points It's quite usual for there to be a one month notice for holidays - though obviously some things might come up wth short notice and if you can accommodate the request then you would.

It is also ok to stipulate when holidays cannot be taken - ie term time if you are a teacher or December if you know it's a busy month for you and you wouldn't be able to request holiday from work yourself.

Legally, you can stipulate when all holiday is taken. But the above is how it is normally done.

I don't tend to plan holidays much in advance, so I am often fairly flexible about it and just take some of my holiday when my boss takes their holiday.
If I request time off, I know that my boss will try to accommodate that request if at all possible. Every now and then we send each other e-mail about holidays - that way who is having holiday when, gets tracked and also added to the shared calendar.

If I refer to contract, then 2 weeks is my choice 2 weeks my employers and the remainder is by mutual consent. I am supposed to give at least 2 months notice of taking holiday. In reality I don't think either of us refers to contract any more - it's there really in case there is ever a disagreement. I would give as much notice as possible if I were to take holiday.

Are you looking at things from the point of view as to what to write in a contract, or what to do in reality? Reality could well be different, especially once your nanny has been working for you for several years as you will trust them a huge amount more than you do initially. Things can crop up at late notice, so it can be beneficial if it's all done by mutual consent. Often I end up getting more holiday than my statutory entitlement and my boss and I are happy about that. Would you be taking more holiday than your nanny is entitled to take?

I've had a few different arrangements, one job I picked all hols providing they were in the school holidays (boss was a teacher). Most jobs I've had prefer me to take the week between Christmas a New Years off, so they can have family time or are going away. Current job has the 50/50 thing for the 4 weeks, and bank holidays as usual, but they are picking more this year because of the times they have booked to go away- I only started this year- and I'm not fussed really as I get extra bits here and there, like yesterday they went away at midday and I got to leave at 1, and I won't be needed Monday (though I must be available, not going away or anything).

I think its best to go with whatever works for you- if you prefer nanny to only have holidays in school hols, or out of school hols, put that in the contract. If you think it best that they chose all the time but can only be in blocks of 5 days max, or two weeks must be in school hols or half terms, or prefer they don't take too many Fridays off as thats a busy day at work just work that into the contract. A notice period is good, a month is usual but you could say three months if that works better. Can nanny take single days off here and there? I've had it in the past that that wasn't possible, which made trying to get to the doctors etc pretty difficult.

I don't think there is a 'normal' way of doing it as such, I've yet to have two jobs with the same stipulations!

Normally its chosen half and half.

What I always did was
10 days my choice
10 days bosses choice
8 bank hols

• the time between Xmas / New Year

also we both had to give each other a months notice for any holiday, so if they gave me less notice it didnt count.

Any holiday I wanted had to be agreed (I couldnt just dictate it, for example if bosses couldnt have that time off etc) Saying that i always gave lots of notice and never had any days off refused either.

50/50 is far and tbh most nannies i know wouldnt agree to not having any of their choice

again in my contract it says 4 weeks notice but i usually give 2/3mths as tend to book hols in jan/feb for june/sept

also a point to note is if you as the employer go over your 50% then you should still pay the nanny in full/give time off

im very lucky and get normally 10/11 weeks holiday a year as my mb/db like to spend half terms etc with their dc at their holiday home

Thank you SO much everyone for all your advice! It isn't stipulated in our contract and last year I was able to be very flexible (self-employed so don't really have holiday myself as such... ) and took holiday when it suited her. (She was always great - gave loads of notice etc etc). But next year will be a bit different so I wanted to make sure that asking her to agree on a roughly 50:50 split was reasonable - and it seems the answer is a resounding yes. Will talk it over with her - thanks again, much appreciated.