Nanny pay rates

[shewhocan]

We have a great nanny who we pay 12 gross an hour for 4 12 hour days a week (works out at about 42,500 gross) plus pension and five weeks holiday (plus bank holidays) per year. She looks after eldest who is in school and middle toddler. She will shortly also take over looking after baby (who will be nearly a year) but toddler will then go to nursery three days a week. In term time this means she will have three 40% of the time (ie mornings and early evening) two 10% of the time and one 50% of the time.

She worked as an au pair, then nursery, then unrelated job abroad for a few years before returning last year, so we are her second nanny job. We think she's fab. Any thoughts on going pay rate when she takes in three ? In school hols she will have two (or three of she wants) as middle DC can stay in nursery. We will also take holiday for about half of the Holidays. I think she's worth her eight in gold but equally I haven't had a pay rise in years and the majority of my pay goes on childcare. I am hoping that one upside of her role is that if she decides to have children she could bring them with her if she wanted as we live nearby and in two years youngest will be in nursery and elder two in school so she would also have time to herself in the day.

We also pay Christmas bonus and present which comes to about 1k.

Nanny pay doesn't usually go up with one more child, that's the point of a nanny. I'd go with an annual pay increase of 1-2% (which is what I get in the NHS, usually 1%), your Xmas gift is very generous.

I wouldn't increase it either, has she asked for a salary increase?

Annual review is nice though increases often are quite small. If you had got a rise yourself it is nice to pass that on but you have not had a rise yourself. If you can afford to offer a rise it is nice to do so but it is not expected. Duties change all the time in nanny jobs - children go to pre-school for example... you don't expect a drop in salary when that happens (nanny is usually on call for the time and may have some housework duties added), so a baby coming along does not always increase the pay.

So as a nanny in the situation you describe I would not be expecting a pay rise, though one is always nice to get as other local jobs may be offering more. How you are as employer is often more important than the pay level, as some people pay well but are hard to get along with.

Do you mean £12 net per hour?

As nanny nic says a nannies pay doesnt alter for additional children. Depending where you are in the UK £12 gross sounds reasonable.
12 hours x £12 gross = £144 per day. Times four days and times 52 weeks makes an annual gross salary of just under £30,000. Yes you will have employer's NI contributions, pension and payroll costs on top of that. But the holiday pay is included in the annual salary not extra.

Agree with Nanny Nic. Employers who appreciate their nanny are worth their weight in gold. Tell her if you are pleased with her work. If you get a day off but still want her to work , allow her to start an hour later.

Ah thanks guys, really helpful. In terms of things you value (and I think some of these are a given), are these on point:

• always arrive at a tidy house
• make sure handover from weekend is easy (lay out clothes, pack bags)
• avoid being late home at all costs (sometimes if there is a transport failure this just happens) Uber home when this happens for nanny
• later start in school holidays if one of us is home (half hour/45 Mins). Leave early if I am home/ early, all paid and no "make up" hours
• usually more holidays than contract
• encourage her to take a break when toddler napping
• make sure she has the right kit and not be too strict with kids (ie no, no TV rules)

Anything else ?