Part time nanny wants second job - implications for us?

[KellyKettle]

She hasn't started working for us yet but we're just trying to agree terms etc.

We have agreed a gross salary for 25 hours work per week. Days to be flexible because of my job/deadlines change but over 3 days Monday - Friday.

She has got in touch today asking if I can fix my days at work so she can take a second job. I really can't but she says she needs the money and an overnight role has come up.

What are the implications if she takes a second job? Will I pay more NI/tax?

I can't afford to increase her hours or her salary, DH is taking a pay cut to retrain and my part time salary will be the main income.

The whole thing is really stressing me out.

You won't pay any more employers NI, and any extra tax will just reduce the amount she gets net from you, so it's no extra cost for you.

But sounds like you have found the wrong nanny for your needs. If you need flexibility then you need to agree upfront that she will provide that flexibility. And TBH I would run a mile from someone who fully intends to work all night and then come and look after my children.

I have a clause in my contract that says nanny can only take other jobs with my approval, just so I can avoid such problems (not that I've every refused).

Are you able to up your hours and have her housekeeping or something to remove her need to find other work?

Days to be flexible - that's where I see a potential issue. If you have not got fixed days, then how can she fit work around that, unless it's on a day that you are never going to want? Thus why she is wanting fixed working days.

As you have agreed a Gross salary... her having another job makes no difference to the total amount you pay (gross salary + Employers NI). Her taxcode may remain the same or it could change but that just means you deduct employee income tax and NI as per the new taxcode.

Oh really? I perhaps need to look at some worked examples on my PC then I am an accountant (I don't do personal tax though!).

I've told her the fixed days is a none starter so she says it's fine and I agree, I can't have her watching my DDs after a night shift.

Thanks both!

personally i think if you need her to be available for your needs exclusively between mon- fri you should pay her for that. you are basically saying she has to be available for full time hours but you are only going to pay her part time. very few people can afford to do what you are asking.

I agree with forevergreek really - but you might be lucky enough to find someone who only wants part time work and is happy to be flexible, especially if you know your rota in advance.

If you fixed your days as say Monday-Wednesday, I can't see any reason she couldn't do an overnight job say Thursday, Friday, Saturday. How would that affect your children?

I wouldn't expect somebody to be on call five days and only pay them for three, or try to tell them what they could or couldn't do with their own time.

I think you need to rethink either your requirements or your choice of nanny, and suspect you may struggle to find somebody to do what you have proposed to this one.

She only wants part time because she has a small baby and wants to bring him to work. She knew about my days and I am not able to fix them.

We are constrained by each other - she can't work additional hours because of her tax credits (I believe) so has been looking for part time, where she can take her son.

My days of work will be known months in advance so there isn't an on call role.

Sorry - I wasn't clear - she originally told me she wanted this job because she couldn't work additional hours because of tax credits.

She doesn't want to leave her son so her other job is overnight.

Sorry, that was blunt. Thanks for replying, I see what you're saying and if she doesn't want to do it then I'll just have to drive DDs to my cousins when I'm at work instead.

This doesn't make any sense! She tells you she wants limited hours/pay or she will lose tax credits, then proposes to take a nother part time job? Has it not occurred to her that it is her total income that will determine how much tax she pays and what credits she gets? Unless she is planning to work for cash in hand, in which case I would steer well clear - especially if I were an accountant.

It's not cash in hand from me and shes studying for a profession herself so I doubt her other work would be cash in hand.

I don't know how tax credit work, I've just got her word for it but she said she was limited by her tax credits which made working over x amount not worthwhile. She was looking for at least 16 hours (I think) to top up her credits.

That's why I was surprised to hear about the second job. She's got in touch to say its her dp pushing her to second job and she just wants to be with DS while he's small.

Hi there,

Blimey - I really do think you're jumping through a lot of hoops for this lady, and she hasn't even done a day's work for you yet!

Just my opinion, but it doesn't bode well for the future. You have said "I need you to do xyz hours over a variety of days" and she has agreed. Now she has said "no, I can't, and also I want to do a night job".. She is perfectly entitled to plan her own work commitments however she wants, but essentially - she's not really in line with your requirements is she?

Surely there must be some other options available for the hours you want?

bbc - what hoops is the OP jumping through exactly? I can't see a single one!

OP - not that you should of course, I just can't fathom what BBC is on about.

small baby 24/7 + 25 hrs in one job + (say) 25 hours in another job, working nights?

Um. Alarm bells ringing all over the place, here.

chipping I think I saw on another thread that the OP offered the NWOC a job, and that the NWOC told her she was hoping to have another child sooner rather than later.. the OP was asking about MAT pay etc.

Now the OP has posted that the nanny has agreed to terms, then said "no, sorry, can't do that".. before she has even started..

To me - that's a lot of red flags before a nanny has even started...

Morning!

I had a chat with her yesterday. I offered to speak to my boss and try and fix 1-2/3 days per week but said that I wasn't happy with her working a night shift then caring for DDs. She said not to fix my days, she's going to take weekend work and no nightshifts.

We've had tonnes of childcare changes since DD was born - shes been to nursery & MIL - we moved counties, found a CM who got divorced after 2 months and decided not to work anymore, my cousins for a year - that involved a lot of travel, then preschool which she hates.

She knows the nanny-to-be because we see her several times a week at groups etc and have known her for a year. I suppose I am put off the idea of DD1 getting to know someone else. DD2 is 6 months so it probably makes less difference to her.

This is why I won't have more children, I hate the return to work/childcare stuff. I find it so stressful.

Thanks everyone, we have a few months to see how things settle down. There is another nanny advertising in the next village who is looking for part-time hours and saying she can flex her days to suit so perhaps I should call her.

Ps yes, she's been open about her desire to have a large family and another baby when her DS is 3-ish. I don't have an issue with it.

The other thing is that I like her as a person and I trust her with the DDs. That's why I want this to work out.