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Paid childcare

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

paying transport for live-out nanny

7 replies

bebeduck · 20/01/2012 22:51

We have a new live-out nanny part-time 2 days a week who is in fact a student with a bit of childcare experience, but she has a contract etc and all is above board

At interview / when offered the job we explained that we would pay for transport for her to take dd to school & back. We are in London where travel from our house to school is between zones 2-4. She has a travelcard. She said she didn't need the cost to be paid when offered the job as she has a travelcard.

Now 3 weeks in, she has asked for the cost of travel to be paid, but on checking we realised it was more than the single Oyster fare she wanted, but in fact an additional zone on her travelcard. By paying that we are paying double and we are in effect covering the cost of her going to work.
She has also announced that she is soon moving to central London (zone 1) and seems to be expecting us to pay to add zones 2-4 to her weekly zone 1 travelcard. She said the travelcard was the 'professional' way things were worked out. I've never heard this before but then this is the first time we're having someone doing the school run.

She only takes dd to school once a week (about £6) and is basically saying she is expecting us to pay for a weekly travelcard (about £12.60).

Are we being tight? We feel she is trying to get free transport to work.

She only started 3 weeks ago and already we're not very happy with some of the stuff she is (not) doing -- as little cooking as possible when she has plenty of time to prepare, wet sheets after dd's accident left lying on the floor in the bathroom, bed not changed after same accident as she said she couldn't find them (having been shown where things were and said sheets v. easily found in dd's cupboard that evening), only putting on one strap in the pushchair as otherwise it's 'too tight' for dd while on the train. We have tried to be tactful as we realise she's not a pro, but for transport we feel she might be pushing her luck.

Opinions would be most welcome! Thanks so much in advance

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
BornToShopForcedToWork · 20/01/2012 23:13

Hi,

it sounds like your nanny is taking the mickey out of you. Maybe the easiest way is to get a travelcard for work, that she can only use to take your DD to school. That way you are being "professional" about the oystercard and you still don't have cover her travel costs to work.

You really need to talk to her about the other things you are not happy about.

nannynick · 20/01/2012 23:43

How about a separate Oyster card for 'business' travel. That way you could get an itemised journey log of all travel done for going to/from school, on playdates, going to the museum etc.

Your nannies travel costs to/from work are not something you should be paying.

Discuss the things that you are not happy about. Things that may seem minor now will become major annoyances if left. Make lists, put signs on things, do what's needed to make sure they know where to find things. It can take a while sometimes to find where things are in a new place... what is obvious to you may not be obvious to them.

longjane · 21/01/2012 12:05

re cooking
spell it out to her what you want cooking and when and what she is do with the children while she is cooking.

show her how to use the washing machine and leave instructions

never assume she will know how to use things .

ScarfOfSexualPreference · 21/01/2012 12:06

Please, please bring these things up with her. Nannies can't read minds, she may be thinking everything is going fine!

The travel thing is odd, getting to work is my own responsibility, you should only pay if this is something you have agreed to do. I use the bus once a day to get my charges to school, I use my own PAYG Oyster and take £1.35 a day from the kitty. Work is fine with that. Though we are in Twickenham so it's very rare travel in central London is needed.

surpriseme · 21/01/2012 18:57

If it cost £6 to take dd to school could you not give the £6 to the nanny each wk. Up to her what she does then-whether she adds the rest of money herself for travel card or whether she has seperate oyster card for work and the £6 goes on that and is only used for work purposes

MilkNoSugarAndAShotofWhisky · 22/01/2012 10:03

She's taking the mick! My employers now pay half my travel as they moved house last year and it doubled my travel costs! But before that, no way would they've paid...and rightly so!

MrAnchovy · 22/01/2012 10:38

Just thought I'd mention that payments for travel to and from work (i.e. a permanent workplace - see HMRC booklet 490 for more details) should go through PAYE and have tax and NI deducted in the same way as ordinary pay. This includes payments following relocation, but there are some exceptions (e.g. occasional journeys home after 9pm) - see HMRC booklet 480.

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