URGENT - we have 2 weeks to find and employ a new nanny

[PacificDogwood]

Aaaaaargh!

Our nanny/housekeeper of almost 3 years has sent her resignation while we were on holiday.
We have posted some online ads and have had some responses, but I am really only today picking up the baton properly as we have had no reliable internet access while away.

Anyway, I cannot remember how to do this and would be grateful if I could have my hand held a bit:

• What is an acceptable pay for a live-out nanny in a suburban location in the Central Belt of Scotland? I know of course what we are currently paying, but I am not sure that I am up to date with developments.
• The job is for 35 hrs/week, 2 long and 2 short days. We have 4 boys, aged between 11 and 4. The older 3 are at school, the wee one in nursery for 3 hrs/day. We have no other help from family etc for childcare so this needs to be ironclad/belts+braces. If either my DH or I have to stay at home at short notice dozens of people are at best inconveniences, at worst have their health care compromised.
• Any additional babysitting etc we of course pay extra.

I am still quite shocked that our nanny is leaving us (I have not spoken to her yet - will do tomorrow) and quite sad as I did not see this coming.

Sigh.

Any help much appreciated x.

If it is helpful, the going rate in N London is £10 per hour net, but with mix of long/short days and 4 kids might be a bit more than that. No idea about Scotland. Good luck with the search, we are also healthcare professionals and I put in my nanny's contract 6 weeks notice for exactly this reason - I think next time I would put 8 weeks. something to think about for the next one?

Oh, yes, there'll be longer notice for sure!
Big mistake to have one month's notice in the contract.
Thanks for your reply.

We've always paid gross - this whole thing is confusing me greatly. Again.

Hi pacificdogwood

I am a nanny looking for a job in the central belt of scotland !

My friend just sent me your link so I have joined up however I don't see how to send you a private message.

Would like to hear more about the hours you need?

Thanks!

£10ph net works out for me as £12.08 per hour gross, can change depending on hours/tax code. always better to talk in gross but my (otherwise excellent) nanny flatly refuses to....sigh.....

We advertised using an annual salary like a normal job advert. Didn't get a single reply that didn't quote required hourly rate. It's a whole other world out there in nanny land.

www.childcare.co.uk was good especially as you can update it yourself if you need to.

I wouldn't be surprised if your current nanny has been offered another job. Can you counter offer or request an extended notice period with additional pay? Especially as your youngest will presumably be quite attached to him/her?

Scotland salaries are lower than London. Aberdeen area (so North East) seems to be around £9 gross an hour.

I would expect other places to not be that different, so £8-10 gross may be a reasonable range. Have a look at agency ads in your area, plus call an agency.

Given short time involved will you be using an agency, even if you are not using childcare vouchers?

We are currently paying £9/hr with bonuses for Christmas/birthday/summer. I am relieved to see we are not far off the mark with that.
I will not embark on a contract with anybody that does not stipulate gross pay.

nannynick, we looked at agencies the last time and I was seriously appalled at their fees. Highway robbery IMVHO.
We live in a small town, so word of mouth is doing its thang too …

Childcare.co.uk has been v disappointing wrt to responses and, like last time, Gumtree gave a lot of replies (some respondents had clearly not read the ad, but never mind that… . Some v well qualified people replied and will be contacted in the next few days).

We are spoilt as our previous childminder stayed with us for 8 years and I was hoping to grow old and grey with this one. Unrealistic, I know...

Claire, I've PMed you back

laundry, inform your nanny you are changing to gross and thats it

good luck dog in finding a new nanny

Thanks, Blondes - I am having a depressed evening over it.
And am dreading the conversation tomorrow - it would help if she were a little flexible and could stay on until 1.10.14 but as I know nothing about what job/position she is moving on to I cannot really bank on this yet and tomorrow's chat will clarify a lot of thing.
I feel I cannot really short-list and start interviewing people until I have spoken to her.

I will have a stipulation in the new nanny's contract that she cannot resign while we or she are on holiday. Sniff. Just too bloody inconvenient. (I know IABU, no need to point it out).

Personally I think it's cowardly and horrible to give notice when you are away :(

She obv has a time limit and though says 4 weeks in contract couldn't she waited a week till you are back

Have always had 8 weeks notice in contract. 4 weeks isn't enough by the time you

Get over shock
Contact agencies /place ads
See a few nannies
Check refs and see 2nd interview
Offer job

3/4 weeks can go by

Yes, I agree, 4 weeks is never enough to sort everything out and I will know better with next contract.

I am withholding judgement re how/when she gave her notice until I've seen her - I would really hate for this to end with a sour fast tbh and am kind of hoping that she has a good reason IYSWIM.

Hope goes well

Short-listed 3 candidates with interviews this week.
Wish us luck!

blondes so you would be happy to take a substanal pay cut from your employer if they decieded to change your salay from NET to gross (which I think is grossly unfair and is happily illigal in normal contracts) as £10 net is sooo much better then 10 gross which would drag the nannies salay down to near minium wage levels....

And I would instally hand in my notice on the spot / all my felixablity would go poof if my employer decided to take a similear action

i didnt say change 10nett to 10gross, but to work out what the gross is for £10 nett or whatever the employer is paying and change to gross, ie on 30hrs is about £12gross and on 40hours £13 gross

tbh this should have been discussed and sorted out at interview and put in contract the gross rate

i dont think its fair for the employer to have a huge tax bill if quoting nett and nanny finds another part time job

but then again if the employer is silly enough to state a salary in nett and not gross then its their own fault if have a huge tax bill

nanny tax/payroles are always saying quote gross

its just agencies and nannies who wont/dont/cant work it out

No-one suggested that an employer could change from a net pay to the same gross pay, that would be daft! But contracts should always state gross pay, even if the informal agreement is net.

If you state net pay and HMRC decides to change to tax code to recoup old unpaid SSP or student loan or something then it will be the employer paying this.

B

No joy so far
2 weeks to go - I am beginning to panic tbh.

Anybody looking for a job?
4 well-behave, quiet boys to look after lies

A friend of mine is in Scotland looking for work

She might consider giving you some temp cover if you are open to that

She's a v v experienced nanny

MSG me with ages and location info if u are interested

tbh i think you should look at a temp for a month to give you time to find the right nanny

and what was her reason for leaving you

tho to be fair she can leave giving you whatever notice is in the contract

We are interviewing another 2 candidates tomorrow - fingers crossed.

Yes, a temporary solution might be required; I'd just rather avoid it if we can. Obviously.

Yes, I've been advised even putting a longer notice period might backfire: we'd of course also be bound by a longer notice period and (in the person's opinion I spoke to - chap from the payroll company we have been using) if somebody was hellbent on leaving, they'd just leave anyway. And somebody who'd want to be considerate could voluntarily of course give us as much notice as they'd like. He also felt pursuing a broken contract through the courts was a bit hopeless. I kind of see the reasoning and I'd really not want to fall out with our leaving nanny because of this.

She has an opportunity to become self-employed in an entirely different field and I wish her luck. She may well not have told us earlier because we had a family illness and then bereavement/funeral to deal with just before we all went on holiday. So she may just have wanted to be considerate. I don't know and it does not matter at this point.

So your nanny gave you 2 weeks notice instead of 4 as stated in your contract?

If you can't find someone and don't want a temp I would make her do 4 regardless of her new se job

She signed an agreement wih you and needs to honour it

She would flip if boot was on other foot and you said here's 2 weeks notice and should be four

No, no, she gave exactly 4 weeks notice - she and us were on holiday, so awe got the ball rolling with on-line ads etc, but I did not post on here.