What pay reasonable London zone 2 - only a few hours

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I've asked a friend's nanny to look after my son (age 6) one afternoon a week (on her day off). She's keen to do it but it'll only be 3 hours. What should I offer her re pay? Obviously she may just tell me what she wants but it'd be good to have an idea. I'm wondering if I need to offer more than the going rate because it's only a short stint and she has to travel (not far, 10 min bus ride).

What do you reckon?

I always think that you need to offer more than the going rate for a short time, because the travel is proportionally more and it stops her getting a full day's work that day. I pay around £11 per hour gross for full days, so I'd probably offer £12 per hour gross for this.

Oh crikey, gross? Is it not ok to do it cash in hand for 3 hours? I'm new to nannies!

Sounds like a babysit to me......I'd offer £10/hour plus the cost of the bus. Cash (as its a babysit).

I would say £12-14net. Most full time nannies in zone 2 get £10-12net depending on experience. More for part time. You need to pay gross though.

It will basically be £50ish for the afternoon

No it's not ok for you to pay her cash in hand. It's illegal. If you get caught you will be liable to paying back tax and NI and a large fine, I think it is around £10k and/or a prison sentence.

You might think it's ok, how will they find out, but people talk, social media is every where, there have also been nannies and employers on mumsnet who say I do it cash in hand, you might think it's anonymous but you can be found.

A nanny friend of mine was part paid cash in hand, about a fifth of her pay, when she quit her job, giving the correct amount of notice etc, her boss was so pissed off that she told prospective employers calling for a reference, that the nanny had bitten her child and she had fired her, so the nanny called HMRC, told them that they had paid cash in hand for 3 years, HMRC went through all of the nannies bank statements and the ex-employer had to pay back taxes on all the cash in hand, plus on a lot of kitty money that she had given the nanny by cheque but had no proof that this was kitty money so HMRC said it was overtime pay, they ended up paying over £10k and a £3k fine on top, if you can afford that, then go ahead!

I think that if you are paying less than £100 pw (or thereabouts) it is up to the nanny to declare. May be wrong though

Calliard - that's a completely different scenario. This is 3 hours a week and the nanny already has a another full-time job.

Its a babysit.

Karolen- actually a babysit is only classified as after 6pm. If you ask the nanny insurance Specialists

It doesn't matter, it still needs to be declared! It's illegal to pay anyone money for work and not declare it.

If the nanny works under the tax threshold then there will be no tax to pay but if the nanny already earns over £110 per week then any other money needs to be declared. If the nanny is registered self employed then she should be paid gross and pay her own tax. If she is not self employed then the OP will be held responsible. HMRC are having a big crack down on nannies. Yes people do it but can you afford the fines if you do get caught?! Up to you!

Also babysitting has to be declared! I don't do babysitting or overtime for my employers but if I did, it would have to go through the books. I get time off in lieu in my contract.

Art - that's just Morton Michel's own definition of a babysitter, there isn't a legal one.

I've been registered as an employer for years and always paid nannies tax etc. But I would never register as an employer just to employ a babysitter for 3 hours a week that's utterly ridiculous.

If it's ad hoc - and she could ring you one week and say sorry I can't make it - you don't pay any holiday/sick leave - there is no expectation of notice on either side etc etc then she could be self employed so you pay her cash and she sorts out her own tax.

Yes all money earnt should be taxed and declared and on an open Internet site we would always say that

It's likely the nanny as employed by your friend is likely to be happy to accept cash Tho Obv I am not telling you to do that

To make it worth her while I would say least £35

I personally have a minimum of 4hrs per booking to make it worth my while and if parents use less they still pay me 4hrs gross amount