Grobags has found a nanny - questions please!

[grobagsforever]

Hi all,

Some may remember my other threads, I've been searching for a nanny since loss of DH a month ago. I've found a good candidate and she has accepted the role. It's her first nanny role as she has been working in a nursery until now. Some questions if anyone can help:

1. Are nannytax a good option for payroll and contract support? They seem pricey but comprehensive.

2. Nanny will work 45 hours per week. 40 hours will be on four fixed ten hour days, the remaining five to be agreed each week e.g an evenings babysitting. Should I calculAte her holiday based on a four day week or in hours?

3. how much detail to include in contract re nursery duties etc?

4. any other top tips for contracting?

5. Any tips for helping her settle in?

Many thanks!

As an employer with people who work different shifts I would calculate her annual leave in hours based on her total annual hours it is then much more straightforward for everyone.
I haven't employed nannies, but do employ au pairs. What I have is a list if things I am flexible about and a list of which must be done my way, again everyone knows where they are then.

Fab. Well done

1 I like nannypaye

2 it's a 4 day week - will bs be the same night every week so nanny can plan stuff - also fab she will do that so you can get out and meet a friend for dinner /cinema /drink etc - you will need child free adult time

3 state basic nursery duties ie keeping children's bedroom / playroom / rooms she /they will use - washing kids clothes and cooking meals are the basics

4 and 5 varies with everyone

Ps when is bump due x

1. Nannytax do weekly pay, others will charge extra for that, so could be an option depending on pay frequency. Nannytax has been around since 1993 so have many years experience of both taxation for nannies and also for other domestic staff (StaffTax), charities and small business (quartzpayroll). They are the only nanny payroll provider who is on the Employment Consultation Forum and so are likely to know about upcoming changes before other payroll providers.

2. As nanny will be contracted for 45 hours per week, holiday entitlement would need to be based on that number of hours.
   If they took a full week off, then that would be 45 hours. If they only took off 2 days, then that would be 20 hours and they could do the evenings babysitting on one of the days they worked.

Consider what happens if you do not use the 5 hours one week. Does that carry over or do you lose the right to use it?

3. I would detail the main things but then have a separate sheet for tasks that are likely to change over time. You can then easily add tasks should it be necessary to document tasks in detail.

4. Probation period with a review, such as 3 months. Shorter notice period during probation on both sides, so that if things are not working out the agreement can be ended quickly.

5. What is there to do in the local area? If she has worked in nursery she may not know about local children's groups, or she may have already researched that. So if there are groups you know of, let her know where they are, what time they run.

Thank you everyone. With hourly holidays will she literally book a set number of hours off? Can I insist this is taken in whole day (10 hour) chunks?

It depends how flexible you want to be. Some of my staff can only book half days and others an book certain hours off (minimum 3 hour shift).

PAYEfornannies are very good and much cheaper than nannytax. Nannytax seem to be the most expensive of the payroll companies.

Yes you could request that they take holiday in 10 hour chunks.

The extra 5 hours a week is the bit I am confused about. If they take a week off it's fine, as that is 45 hours but if they don't take a full week, then could they take off 5 hours and not do any evening that week? Could they do an evening that week but take off time during the day?
You need to think about how you are going to manage this extra 5 hours you have in the weekly contracted hours.

good point nannynick. I could say that each day off counts as 11.75 hours? e.g her ten hours plus a quarter of her five hours extra? It's unusual I know but I really need the flexibility of the five hours and she is happy with arrangement.

No I think you need to say she either doesn't babysit one week (if not taking a whole week 45 hours off) or she can take a half day at some point instead. She can only have off the number of hours she works in a day or she isn't getting her full allowance.

I'm part time (not a nanny) and calculate my annual leave in hours, for me it feels pretty straightforward. Are you concerned that, e.g. she might use a disproportionate amount of her a/l on the 5 hour evening slot, or conversely that she might never use it for that and then get "more" days off? If so, you could always propose that 1/9 of a/l must be for evenings, and 8/9ths for days. Or if you're not particularly worried about this, just calculate the hours for whatever she takes off. Recalculating 10 hours as 11.75 hrs a/l seems complicated and could seem unfair.

Oh dear it's going to be complicated. I guess hen she puts in a request for one or more of her set days off we have to agree if she's still doing her flexible five hours that week or not. Or she could opt to not do her 'extra' five hours in a given week and use five houses leave. I want to be fair and make sure she's happy. If she books a whole week than obviously it's 45 hours but if she books say two days then I guess we just agree if she's working 20 or 25 hours that week.

Yes agree it at the time they request holiday. You can approve or deny holiday requests.

I would also say that if you decide not to use that extra time in any particular week then you lose it - so paying it but them not working it. Avoid carrying things over week to week.

Also if you do two weeks each choice then that is 90 hours each in total so could be 9 10 hour days off in total from each side, or if she/you has a whole week then yes you will be left with 45 hours of that sides allowance so yes when a day or more if chosen then you need to decide together if that time off also includes the babysit that week ob it will only affect up to four weeks a year so hopefully you will find a solution for you both.

And yes please if you don't use those extra 5 hrs a week please don't make your nanny make them up at another time as she will of kept that time free to work for you and so should be paid for it whether you use it or not, unless she ob agrees to it on occasions. As a nanny who was made to make up every hour that my employer didn't use each week (by letting me go a hour early here and there) it does leave a bad feeling with the nanny as they have agreed to make themselves available to work for you for that number of hours a week.

I wouldn't dream of forcing her to carry it over. Must be some rouge employers out there.

You should like a great employer, I hope it all works out for you.

Any other tips to make me an awesome employer? I really want her to stay long term - my daughter can't lose anyone else right now

Saying thank you regularly is always appreciated. Learn to deliver a shit sandwich when you wish to provide constructive criticism.

Getting home before the end of the time you employ her for to give enough time for handover rather than making her stay after her finish time to do it. Letting her finish early occ if possible.

If you get home early and don't have anything you need to get done, let the nanny finish rather than making them sit around like a spare part until bang on their finishing time.

Encourage the nanny to bring up any problems straight away either in person or by the nanny diary so they don't feel they can't talk to you about things that try feel aren't going right.

When getting the weekly shop in, occ get treats/drinks that you know she likes.

I am sure it will all work out great and she will stay with you for a long time.

pay on time, its amazing how many parents pay a day/days/week late

and def dont carry over the 5hrs bs - thats why i asked if would be a certain night

Wow payroll is expensive. All the extras of employing a nanny are pretty overwhelming. Any other companies that are recommended?

PAYEforNannies a lot of us have experience with either as a nanny or as a parent using their service.

NannyPAYE is another one.

Many are similar priced - around £130 a year for monthly payslips, access to employment helpline.

Yes they are costly, you can do it yourself using the HMRC Online website and payroll software like Brightpay (free for very small employers). For employment advice - ACAS are useful.

I suppose it depends how much time you have to learn how to do payroll, to learn legislation and how good you are at remembering to do things at certain times of the year.

I think its quite cheap considering what they do

Just over £10 a month - £2.50 a week

Another question! Occasionally I might ask her to have a friend's four year old for the day in school holidays. This is partly to benefit DD who loves her little friends and partly so I can help my friends out of childcare jams. How much extra should she be paid? Normally £11 gross for care of baby and four year old. Would an extra £2 per hour be ok? I mentioned this to her at interview and she seemed on board with the idea.

Sounds good to me, I reg had my eldest charges friends over for the day in the holidays and didn't get paid extra for it or even thanked (it was always my boss that got thanked even though she hadn't been there! But that's another story )

So yes any extra money you offer her to have the extra friend sounds a lovely idea to me and she will probably welcome the idea of a play date anyway as I am sure like most nannies she knows that actually it is sometimes easier to have a friend for her charge to play with as they entertain themselves most of the day.