AIBU to think £17.50/hr is too much to pay a nanny in London

[JugglingChaotically]

We are looking for a flexible nanny to work less hours in term time (34 hours over 4 days) and full time in holidays (40 hours over 4 days) and found a lovely local nanny but she has asked for £17.50 gross an hour.
AIBU to think that it is too much? We live in West London/ Surrey borders and had offered £13/hour.

I'm not a nanny but presume the higher rate may be to compensate for the flexibility?

What would you be offering if you were paying for 40 hours over 4 days during term time but they only worked 34? The changing of the hours I feel is messy and may be why they are wanting a higher salary.

Are the 4 days fixed, or variable - ie, it will always be Mon-Thur or something like that, or would it change on a regular basis?

How far out of London are you... near the M25, or are you meaning nearer, such as in a London Borough (like Richmond)?

We pay a lot less than that to our nanny who works 40hrs a week for our 12 mo twins, also in SW London/Surrey border. £13 /hour seems about right to me.

Ours hours are 10 to 630 term time and 8 to 630 in the school holidays ( which are long as the children are at private schools with holidays that don't always overlap. Term time is one child only as the others are at boarding school. All work is Monday to Thursday only.
I was truly shocked.

And we are in Richmond.
We offered to average out salary so the same amount is paid consistently over the year. Not sure what else to do. Perhaps just 40hrs/ week over 4 days but surely not at £17.50/hr.

Im a Nanny and I think it's a bit too much... I think £13 would be right. How many kids do you have?

To the nanny that means 2 hours less income for x number of weeks per year (36 weeks perhaps as private school but could be less than that as holidays don't always overlap?). So therefore they want more money for the hours they do work.

£17.50 an hour sounds high to me. Any other applicants?
Could you offer £13 an hour, paid for 40 hours a week, though some weeks they may work less than 40 hours, to attract some other applicants who want the same income each month?

She can ask what she likes and you can offer what you like but if the numbers don't work then she'd not the right one for you.

Im a Nanny and I think it's a bit too much... I think £13 would be right. Where are you looking for said nanny?

cross posted there a bit... averaging out salary over the year can be messy.

Get rid of the flexibility element, just call it 40 hours over 4 days but pay the salary you want to pay.

Keep looking for other nannies, many will want a 4 day a week job I expect. I love working 4 days a week (I'm near the M25 in Surrey, and I don't get near £13, yet alone £17.50)

Sorry, double post...

I suspect she has started with a daily rate expectation and worked backwards. Even so £150 a day (£150/8.5 is £148.75) is a bit steep even in Richmond, and you'ld normally get 11 hour daus for that. Drop the hourly thing, its confusing the issue and an extra 1.5 hours a day unpaid is no real benefit to most people.

What would she say to £120 a day?

It's 22 weeks holidays, 32 weeks term time (plus overtime on Monday to Thursday to be paid extra if worked) so 40hrs would be £520 gross. Would this be better?

Nanny nick, I was offering same income each month. £390 net/£486 gross. Focusing on gross though as they may have another role on the Friday and this the tax code be shared.

Wow. I'd love a job like that...
Worked for a family for 3 years looking after 2 and got £10... Not a penny more and didn't get paid when they went away...

£486 Gross a week, so £25,341 a year.

£520 Gross a week, £27,114 a year.

So nearly £2000 more salary, so yes that may be of interest to nannies, if you are not getting enough applicants at the £25k salary mark.

Why overtime Mon-Thur, Are you expecting there to be any overtime? Train may be delayed on occasion perhaps but it shouldn't happen often, so overtime I don't feel should be a factor. It's not something someone deciding to take the job would factor in, least I would not.

Mr A, was your £120 a day net?

Nanny nick, yes. My husband will travel - not often but in clumps and then it's 12 hour days.

BBM , thanks. We are giving 4 weeks hols , stats etc.

While the nanny may be lovely, if you don't want to pay the salary she want's then it's not going to work. Have you got other people applying? Someone just as lovely may be applying who want's the salary you have on offer. Have you included salary in adverts?

Nanny nick, thanks. I don't want to pay or offer an unreasonable salary but think the gap is too much.
I haven't put the salary in the ads but did make it clear when interviewing.

I will do so now and advertise at 520 gross (just over £10/hr net) for 40 hr week Monday to Thursday.
Thanks.

Maybe a bit steep but many charge more for part time.

London average is say £10 net ( £13 ish gross average), so I think £15 gross for part time is reasonable

Ouch. That's steep and it's not as if major part time hours or 7.30/9 and 3.30/6 so not sure why so high

But she is quite in her mind to want that and up to you if you pay that

Your wage I feel is fair tho what duties do you expect for that if all are at school / ie housework?

Mr A, was your £120 a day net?

No, net is meaningless.

Op I'm in your neck of the woods and the most I and my friends have paid a nanny is £11 gross per hour. That includes a couple of people whose nanny worked across 4 days doing 40ish hours.

£17.50 is outrageous! Find someone else. There's plenty of people looking for work in Richmond at the moment.

I might have had some sympathy if she were looking after newborn twins or 3 under-fives, or something, but IMVHO she is absolutely taking the piss.

I have never heard of this kind of rate for what is really very standard hours. Even 8 to 6.30 is a breeze (I have had my nannies do some 6am starts, and some 9pm finishes as part of their duties). For your neck of the woods I'd say £13 gross would be absolute tops.

If the one at home is no longer a baby, you could get an au pair couple living in to do all your childcare and your cleaning and your gardening and other chores, and you'd still have £300 left over each week. Then in the holidays there'd be a boy to play footie and rugby with the boys, and a girl to take your DDs shopping. That's what I'd be weighing it up against, if it were me....