Employing a nanny - advice please

[AmberBrown]

My two DCs are currently in full time nursery but due to our moving house, we are looking to employ a nanny. I have sifted through a zillion threads about nannies on mumsnet and have gathered loads of valuable information, but still have a few questions. I would be grateful if anyone has any answers. I think we have found the right person and we have agreed on pay/conditions in very general terms, but more specifically:

• if we take her on on a year's contract (have been honest and said it might be a year but it might be longer) do we need to pay any kind of redundancy at the end of it?
• she is going to work term time only. I will pay her for 39 weeks plus 5 weeks holiday. Is it reasonable to expect that she doesn't take holidays during term time? Or not?
• She is fully registered and 'checked' officially. On checking references myself, is phoning previous employers enough? Perhaps overthinking things, but isn't this easy to 'cheat' on, ie just get a pal to answer the phone? Now I am going with instincts here and don't think for a minute she would do this, but I am just the over cautious type.
• we have chatted about discipline, food, activities, driving, first aid and general duties. Have I missed any definite areas to ensure we are compatible?

Many thanks. I have a really good feeling about the lady we have met with, but it's obviously a juge thing to hand over your kids to a relative unknown...

- if we take her on on a year's contract (have been honest and said it might be a year but it might be longer) do we need to pay any kind of redundancy at the end of it?

No. Only if you keep her on so she works at least two years, and it is only a week (or a week and a half for older employees) a year then.

- she is going to work term time only. I will pay her for 39 weeks plus 5 weeks holiday. Is it reasonable to expect that she doesn't take holidays during term time?

Yes. But you will find a bit of flexibility on both sides is in everyone's interest, so if she has a good reason to want a particular day or two off in term time you should listen.

- She is fully registered and 'checked' officially. On checking references myself, is phoning previous employers enough?

Probably, but if you are not absolutely confident after the phone calls and checking directory enquiries for the number (and if ex-directory checking the area code makes sense), write to them to check the person you are speaking to is the person at the address.

Perhaps overthinking things, but isn't this easy to 'cheat' on, ie just get a pal to answer the phone? Now I am going with instincts here and don't think for a minute she would do this, but I am just the over cautious type.

See above.

- we have chatted about discipline, food, activities, driving, first aid and general duties. Have I missed any definite areas to ensure we are compatible?

The most important thing is that she is "compatible" with your children. Have you seen her interacting with them?

I agree with Mr A's response. As an employer you have a right to approve (or not) specific hliday requests. But, if you are too rigid you are unlikely to have a happy working reltionshi.

But....

I'm slightly confused by the question. If she only works term time, then surely she has to take her holiday then because of course that's what holiday is: time you don't go to your normal working hours/days.

I suppose you could add other days to the official working time and then specify those are her holidays.

In the past I have had a job which was term time. Taking my holidays during the school holidays was not a problem to me, so I was fine with that condition.
However things do happen, so I did have a day off during term time to attend a funeral. Compassionate leave perhaps, though can be taken as annual leave.

How would pay be done? Pay is for 44 weeks. Would that be split over the full year? What if someone leaves the job part way through a year? Make sure you keep track of days worked, so you can calculate the pay should someone leave mid way through a year.

Compatiability - do you have a similar schooling when young? Are your views on education similar? Some nannies were private school educated and may have been to univeristy, or done other higher level education. Whilst it may make no difference, if you and your nanny have a similar accademic history, then maybe your views on educating children sill be similar.

How does she get on with your children?

Thanks the advice. We have discussed salary and she is very happy to go with what i had planned of paying her for 44 weeks but over 12 equal monthly salaries. The odd day off here and there for things like weddings and funerals would be totally fine.
The holiday thing does confuse me, but essentially it means she gets 13 weeks holiday and five of them are paid. We are just asking that as far as possible she takes them when I am off. And she was happy with that.
Having another meeting weekend after next so any other advice very welcome. Thanks.

I cm now, but have been a nanny in the past and I would have been happy to work term time only with no holidays and then to have fine weeks of the school hols paid for. I had a very similar contract to that when I worked at a preschool and it worked fine for me. She may be able to get a school holiday job if she wanted too?