Full time nanny

[Badamgul20]

We hired a full time live in nanny (7 am to 7 pm, mon to Friday) a few weeks ago. After starting work, she started complaining that 12 hours a day, 5 days a week is too much work, and that every employee has a right to a two hour (paid) break during the day. I have two kids, the elder one is in school from 9 till 3:30, so she looks after the 2.5 year old most of the day. My question is, do full time nannies get breaks in between work, and if so, who looks after the kids!!??
Second question is, since half term is coming up, she wants extra pay for when the elder one will be home from school since it’s double the work. She will be working her regular hours so I don’t see why I should be paying her any extra.
What should be reasonable to expect of a live in full time nanny?

Thanks!

What does your contract say with her?

And no, she isn't entitled to a two hour paid break. No idea where she heard that from?!

She is being extremely unreasonable imo. Surely she knew what the working hours would be before she excepted the job?

Nannies do not get breaks, hence why we are always paid for the full shit. I'm sure she is not on her feet for the full 12 hours a day either? I'm a nanny and always sit with the children at meal times to have a cuppa and something to eat. Would you be happy for her to do that as well? (I'm sure you would).

Nannies charge per family, not per child! I think she's trying to pull a fast one.

She is unreasonable. You sound like a lovely employer

A 60 hour week with no breaks is really hard work, being a nanny isn't like working in an office or whatever, she can't just have a 10 minute coffee break as the 2.5 yr old needs watching, but no, she can't vanish for a 2 hr lunch break.

Do you pay for her lunch (usually whatever the 2.5 yr old would be having)
Does your 2.5yr old nap? If so, your nanny is able to use that time to have a coffee/ gather her thoughts/check her emails? Or do you expect her to crack on with jobs?
Does your younger child do any groups? Can your nanny make some nanny friends so the children can have a playdate?
Are you expecting babysitting on top of the 60hrs?

You don't pay extra for half term, even if there are more children, she's not a childminder. You could put a bit more in the kitty for days out/fun activities.

Hi @Badamgul20 I'm a nanny!

Straight to the point; no I don't get a 2 hour break my working hours are set and I know them - otherwise what would I do with the child I'm looking after? Lol

Also, no I don't get paid more if the older child is there during the half term.
The parents do leave extra money for activities etc that we may do as there are 2 children not 1 to pay for.

She's trying it on I think - where did you find her? Did you use an agency?

60 hours is standard hours for a live in nanny job. It's hard work but the pay usually reflects it. I've been a nanny for over twenty years and never had a paid break during the day. I do make sure that I have half an hour "off" in the middle of the day, when children are napping or playing independently, but I'm still on duty and there are days when it's just not possible.

With regards to extra pay for holidays - no, it doesn't work that way, you don't get paid per child, you get paid to do the job, which includes school holidays.
I actually find school holidays easier in some respects, the older children help to entertain the toddler, it's much more relaxed - no school runs or rushing to after school activities, lots of nice days out and picnics (which makes the days go by faster!).

Is this their first nanny job? A break, pretty unheard of in nanny world. You create downtime so you can have a cup of tea. A child who naps during the day is good for creating downtime but when there is a non-napping child then creating situations where they do not need as much supervision is what a nanny does to get some downtime - doing an activity such as play dough where the child/children can do things with minimal supervision.

60 hour working week is quite typical for a live-in nanny, or indeed a full-time live-out nanny.

Nannies are exempted from most of the Workingtime Directive due to being a domestic servant. It is not practical for them to have rest breaks where they can leave the premises, they cannot leave children home alone!

No the pay does not go up for having a child on school holidays. They knew about that child when they took on the job. A new baby is different, a pay review may then happen.
What often does change during school holidays is the activity budget, that increases to enable the children to do activities which are different to during term time. Mileage/travel cost would also increase due to going to activities further away from home such as a castle, museum, steam railway, science centre, caves, coal mine (just thinking of some places I have taken children over the years).

Nanny's are paid per family not per child.
Lucky her only two children in the half term two cats a dog three children although they all will have friends over most of the time.
Make some food pack waterproofs go to a different park museum swimming a walk in the woods down by the sea tire them out .Most of us work for those hours sit down with the children at meal times get out pens and paper let them draw colour and hats what I call a break

OP does your child nap? If so, then this is when the nanny should be having a break, she should not be left a long list of chores to complete during this time. Is the should doesn't nap, then perhaps they could have some 'quiet time' and watch a film?

While nannies technically aren't entitled to a break, doesn't mean they shouldn't have one. If she burns out she'll quit 🤷🏽‍♀️

60 isn't normal for most people, I do 36 as a live out and am EXHAUSTED at the end of it.

But no extra pay for the holidays, that's silly

Her salary is for the family not per dc so asking for more is daft. As for breaks - she could maybe do "quiet time" with the youngest and relax at the same time. Presumably once they turn 3 they will go into some sort of nursery? For at least half school hours.

What did she think was going to happen when she took the job?

60hrs a week is madness though - are you out of the home 7am to 7pm?

My contract states I'm entitled to 20 min break for every 6 hours.
Ofcourse its paid , I still have children in my care.
I take it when the baby is napping.
When older children are home I take it after lunch, quiet time. I put my feet up and read, while they sit with me and read a book, do jigsaw, watch TV. They understand I wint be actively playing, reading stories for that time. Nannies are human and burn out if they dont stop for 12 hours straight.
Extra child no extra pay, that's just plain silly.

Just seen a nannyjob which is 7am-8pm, so a 13 hour day. Nannies can work long days, it is what some parents need. Up to the nanny to decide if the hours of work suit them before applying for the job.

Is there an issue with the rate you are paying? Seems like getting huffy about extra kids and breaks is potentially because she's not happy with the base rate. Obviously since she has only just started she should have asked for what she wanted. Print out the nannytax salary map and show it to her...