Nanny share - increased hourly rate?

[Cosmia]

Guidance desperately needed please! We have employed a nanny since March who looks after my child full time and a friend's child 1-2 days a week as well. We hired her on this basis, it was very clearly stated from the ad onwards, the interview with both mums and children etc, that this was to be a part time share for two children. The nanny has just asked for a pay increase of c.12% as she feels that she should get more for the days when she is looking after both.

I am very confused as to what to do. I'm slightly cross that she is trying to shift the goalposts on what was clearly agreed from the outset, loathe to fork out another c.£50/week and don't actually think it is that reasonable. However, she is doing a great job, both the kids really like her and without her I couldn't go to work etc etc.

FWIW she takes home £10/hour.

All advice very gratefully received.

Quite often nanny shares pay a slightly higher rate but considering she knew the score when you employed her, I think she's really cheeky asking for such a substantial raise! I would tell her no on the basis that she accepted the job under those terms and conditions but perhaps agree to a pay review next March.

Thanks Ebb, that's good advice. (Crossed fingers that she doesn't resign in a fury or lock the kids in a cupboard :-))

I agree, she knew it was a share at the start so accepted the salary then. Consider a bonus at xmas and yearly pay reviews.

For future reference, if a nanny is looking after 2 families children at the same time, it is usual to pay her approx £2 net more per hour than she would get working for just one family. So if a nanny gets £9.50 or £10 net per hour working for one family then she would get £11.50 or £12 net per hour for doing a nanny share which is then divided between the two share families in whatever proportion is felt fair. So, for example, if it was a 50/50 split, then each family would pay £5.75 net or £6 net which is a considerable saving on the £9.50 or £10 net per hour if the nanny was working just for one of them.
I don't know what you are paying but as you have not altered anything from the terms when the nanny accepted the job, it is a bit of a liberty to be asking for a rise now after just a few months in the job. I suspect she has been talking to other nannies who have told her she should be getting a higher rate for when she does the nanny share. If you like her and it is working well for both families, then hopefully you can sort something out - promising a pay review at 9 months or a year into the job might be a good solution.

As above post explained a nanny doing a share should definately be earning more than working for a single family. I'd find out if your paying the going rate for a nanny share in your area. Think you mentioned paying £10 per hour, depends where you are, but this sounds low for a nanny share to me. If your nanny has realised she's being underpaid, then she's right to bring it up. She may have been unaware at the time you agreed. I'd make sure your paying a competitive rate on your nanny share days and If your not I'd increase her pay. It may have been you were both unaware at the beginning. This shouldn't stop you from correcting it now. Having said all that; if your paying going rate, then of course she's being cheeky asking for pay rise.

She knew it was a share but did she know that she would be looking after both the children at the same time? Often nanny shares mean that days/hours are split between the two families - eg look after Family A's child from 7-1pm and look after Family B's child from 2-8 p.m. Nanny share jobs should have some extra incentive for the nanny otherwise it's more worth their while to pursue/accept a position which offers £10 an hour for a single family. That said, I would be waiting until she was six months in before any salary review.

Mimishimi ... nannyshare is when she/he looks after the children at the same time. What you described is two separate jobs. She might as well be working at the bakery for the second part of the day .... therefore it is not a share but a separate employment.

Area depending £10 take home ie nett is a tad low for a share

But

Your nanny knew the wage and accepted it so I would tell her firmly no to a Payrise at this time

She has probably been talking to other nannies and now wants more

Lovelynannytobe; I think nanny looks after op's kids full time and other family 1/2's a week, so she has kids from both families on those 1/2 days, so is a nanny share. That's how I read it anyway.

I think if she's a great nanny and you realise that you are, in fact, paying below the going rate for a nanny-share in your area, you should be trying to negotiate a fairer rate with her.

I wouldn't wait x amount of time. If she's doing a sterling job, surely you want to pay her at least the correct going rate?

What about the friend - are they prepared to pay more for their part of the share? The share is only taking place 1 to 2 days a week, so maybe nanny is wanting a rise for just the time when there are the needs of two sets of parents to juggle.

Parents budget for the costs of employing a nanny so having an increase in cost after just a few months is hard to justify. There simply may not be any money available. So regardless of how well she is performing in the job, a pay rise may be out of the question.

She took the job knowing the full details of it - presuming that none of the details have changed since interviewing for the job, then I can not see a payrise being something that should be considered at this stage. She has possibly only just completed probation, so is lucky to now be more secure in her job.

Is there more to it? Is she perhaps thinking of moving on to another job, is there some problem with how things are working, is there some problem in her home life? She may not say what the issue is but throwing money at the problem does not always solve it. Look at the what is happening - is there a reason for why she feels she should be paid more?

If she feels she should get more for the days she has the child from the other family, does that mean she feels she should get less if that child is not there? So if the total money was the same... would she want a drop in the pay for the hours working for just one family, then more for when it is two families? That would then mean she gets more when working for both families - which is her current reason for wanting a rise. However the overall total salary remains the same, as there would be a drop in salary when caring for just one family. Doubt she would like that idea!

Normal average nanny share wages in London are £12 an hour

Thanks very much to all for the advice. The other mum and I talked it through and whilst we both felt that the principle wasn't great given that the nanny did know all the facts when she started, we both feel that the kids are so happy with her (and we were inadvertently paying her below market rate) that we have upped her pay to £12/hour as per your good guidance. So far so good, happy nanny and no signs of children spending days locked under the stairs....

FWIW - I would have done exactly the same, I think you both made a great decision