Nanny employers' expenses

[Pistachio14]

Can a nanny employer say no to covering fuel costs or is it a legal requirement?

For day trips, the parent should cover the cost of child, eg. entrance fees, but do they cover nanny fee as well?

Can you clarify fuel costs - do you mean refusing to pay for travelling from the child's home to e.g. a playgroup, a museum etc? To be honest, I'm not sure if it is a legal requirement but no reasonable parent would require a nanny to travel, say, 10 miles to a farm, using their own transport at their own cost. Bear in mind mileage is meant to cover not just fuel but also increased wear and tear on the car, increased frequency of service, possibly business insurance costs etc. Otherwise, nanny would just say no!

Similarly, if the parent wants the child to go to a theme park, then they absolutely should pay the nanny entrance fee as well. Probably not many nannies who would willingly go to Legoland if they didn't have to for work!

Are you the nanny or the employer in this case?

I don't think it's a legal requirement, but employers should cover all work related expenditure. If they don't want to do this they are unreasonable and you should not accept a job with them.

The only exception to this is where the nanny wants to do something that the parents don't want to pay for. For example, if you wanted to take the children to Legoland and the parents said no on the basis it's too expensive, you could offer to meet some of the costs in order to get consent for the trip.

Why would a nanny agree to use their own car, if you were not willing to reimburse cost or give some contribution.

If you want your child/children taken anywhere, to which they can not walk then there will be some cost for transport.

You don't have to pay 45p per mile, you could offer something less. However the nanny may refuse, as the cost of motoring is quite high, cars are costly to buy, costly to maintain, and insurance is not cheap.

I would always cover reasonable fuel costs.
I wouldn't pay if my nanny had taken my child on a trip for her benefit e.g. a shopping trip, or if she were a NWOC and they were going on a journey for the benefit of her own child. I would also have an issue if it were a very long car journey and my nanny hadn't asked first.

Yes, the employer would pay the entrance fee for the nanny and child. Again if it were a very expensive theme park, I would expect to be asked first.

One of my friends recently had an issue with her NWOC taking her one year old and her 3 year old to Legoland for the day, without asking. Obviously one year olds get very little out of Legoland....so it was for the benefit of her child. She then was presented with a receipts for the nannies entrance fee, fuel allowance and lunch out for them all.
Basically, it needs to be reasonable - luckily I've never had an issue with any of our childcare's fuel expenses.

The employer should pay for all costs during working hours - so food (often take picnics) entrance fees and mileage if using own car

in the same way that my employer wouldn't dream of making me fund my own airfare and hotel bills for a business trip, there's no question that I wouldn't pay the petrol rate for teh school run. If you manage to find a nanny who'd accept such an unreasonable term of employment, it's likely to be because she's absolutely unemployable for some other reason

My nanny doesn't drive, so not an issue for me. But if she did, of course i would cover mileage for all trips within the working day.

However, I would not want any trips that weren't for the benefit of my child, and I would want to know about any car trips in advance. That's the way I work with my nanny about outings and activities (obv no car involved) so not an issue for us.

And of course I cover the entrance fees for the nanny as well as for the child. Again, I expect to know about any outings/activities in advance.

My nanny works 7.30 - 4.30 two days a week, my DC have pre-set activities generally (school/playgroups etc.) and I work from home, so this advance-approval set up is easy for us. I can imagine there are more intensive nanny roles (longer days, nanny in charge of setting up the routines etc.) where it's not like that. In those situations, I imagine that you would discuss what's acceptable - e.g. weekly budget for activities, acceptable distances to travel, acceptable types of activities etc. - and then ask the nanny to check with you before planning anything outside those boundaries.

Hi

I get paid 45p per mile plus all entrances and reasonable drinks/food ontop of the picnic I normally take ie if a nice day, extra Drinks as heavy to carry too many and maybe an ice cream. I don't have to pre approve where I'm off to, I'm fully trusted to drive the children wherever needed.
I'm totally in charge of what the children do apart from nursery, the other time is for me to fill with age appropriate activities.
We don't have a set budget but I always ask in advance if it's going to be a big trip. They haven't said no yet as they know I do my best to have a less expensive time the following week.
My average expenses are £45/50 per week for petrol, entrances etc.
We do however do a lot, ballet, softplay, toddler group, legoland/chessington, walks, park visits, play dates.(we have Merlin passes)
I write down in a book where and how much, mum pays me by bacs on Sunday night when she does the online shop for the week.

I am also a nanny with own child, apart from the odd pickup/drop off, my sons needs come last. So if he's on inset day, he has to tag along with what's planned for my charges. Often it's fine as he's close in age to my eldest charge and they are like brothers!
Say if I did need to do something for him, then I would let my boss know in advance and it's fine as again she knows it will be done with the minimum of fuss and disruption to my charges day.
In fact I'm having my charges for a sleep over next Wednesday night, they can't wait! My boss would also happily reciprocate and look after my son for me if we don't have a sitter and they are about, which he loves!!

I'm very lucky to have found a very flexible and lovely family which my whole family are part of inc my husband. My youngest charge adores him, they flirt like crazy! Don't get me started on when she sees my dad...let's just say I can't prize her away from cuddles and attention he gives her!!

Anyway I digress...so yes you can set a weekly kitty and any thing above that is to be agreed in advance or I just do whatever depending on the weather etc and I'm trusted not to take the mickey.

Good luck

So out of interest then (because we're about to embark on a nanny share) - what's the best way to cover expenses?

Do you just agree a weekly float of, say, 50 for activities and food (and if so, what's a reasonable amount - guess it depends if you get most food as part of a weekly family supermarket shop?) and it's up to the nanny to manage? Or do you just work on an expenses basis - so nanny submits receipts for whatever they've done (having more or less agreed what's acceptable in advance) and they get reimbursed?

I'm happy with either and can see the pros and cons of both in terms of admin for one vs the nanny's requirement to manage a budget for the other - but which is more usual?

Hi

I just write down in the book, they pay! I don't need to provider receipts after being here 18 months they know my miles and how much each place costs.

It's good practise to have receipts, I rarely buy everyday food. Only snacks/ice creams/drink for me if out. They do an online shop which comes Monday am with goid for kiddies, them and myself (they provide breakfast/ lunch )

Petrol shouldn't be paid in advanced obviously you don't know necessarily what miles you will do in a day, hence why I'm paid in arrears.

I would give nanny a guide and explain about "big" trips etc, obviously it's not a bottomless pit!

Good luck

A kitty is more usual.

I personally find working on an expenses basis is easier.

I'd do whatever works best for you and your nanny.

When I do big trips, such as to the coast, I don't claim full mileage, I claim a third. It's up to me to put in the claim so I presume I can claim what I like. That helps keep school holiday mileage down without limiting our ability to go to castles, museums, seafront, country houses, Roman remains.

For a share you will need to work out how to split costs. You wouldn't be doing an activity which one child did and the other did not do as you would be wanting the children to do the same things. If you can't agree to do joint activities then a share may not work.

Thanks for that, useful to know. I'm hoping the share will be quite straightforward as both boys are in the same Kindergarten class so the nanny will have them both at once and as they're the same age, will probably do the same activities. May change as they get older (assuming it lasts!) but for now they're young enough to just go where they're taken!

Think we'll suggest the kitty to potential nannies and see how we go - nothing to say we can't change later if it's not working.

Yes, I have a kitty box, which always has cash in it and the nanny deposits receipts. I just top up as needed.

I have never checked it (in 7 years of having nannies!)

Having said that I would have checked if the money was being spent too fast and I think having a set weekly kitty that your nanny can spend from is the answer.

Have a cash kitty and a credit card for petrol (have works car) farm entrances good shopping etc

Some friends pay upfront and employers reimburse them
But I prefer kitty infront

Happy to leave receipts but rem not everything gets one ie m&t - ice creams in park so a certain amount of trust is needed as well

For a new nanny I would have a kitty backed up with receipts/ notebook to account for ice creams in the park and so on. Easier to start asking for complete details and relax it later than to go the other way. If you haven't shared a nanny before you can say it is to help your budgeting between families.

I need to say I am advising on the basis of my first nanny years ago. She used to go to the shop to get more nappies - but the receipt showed she had gone to the Mothercare next to Selfridges rather than the Boots or Superdrug 5 minutes walk from the house

When the Dc were little, nanny used to add the food she needed for the DC and herself to my shopping list. The weekly shop would come while she was there and the DCs would help her to put it away. Kitty then covers the emergency loaf of bread/pint of milk.

Thanks for the information - everybody has been extremely helpful!

To 'unexpected' - I am a nanny, but it was purely a hypothetical question. My mind comes up with these sorts of questions, and instead of pondering them myself, I like to take a few different standpoints!