Do you pay sick pay to your nanny?

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Do those of you who employ nannies pay sick pay? And if so, how much? I know that statutory sick pay means nothing for the first three days but wondered if anyone has negotiated a certain accepted number of sick days into their contracts.

My nanny has taken 8 sick days in ten months and I've paid full whack each time.(Even though contract says ssp only)Am I mad?

IMO it is part of the cost of having a nanny. Can you not salt some money away to cover this?
Presumably it is not something that will be a frequent occurrance. what does your contract say with the nanny? I don't know if there is any statutory requirement to pay sick pay, but I know that my nanny couldn't survive if I suddenly didn't pay her for a week!

I think it depends on the financial position of the parents. If you are stuggling to give a large portion of your income to the nanny already, and she has more spending cash at the end of the month than you do, than the government can pick up the bill after 3 days. If, on the other hand, a day's pay for the nanny just means you'll have to downgrade your semi annual holiday in Australia, then you might want to share your wealth with her in her time of need.

It's crazy that working parents are equated to profitable businesses. I personally, could never dream of haveing a bank account that look's anything like the accounts of the company I work for. It's comparing apples to oranges. Yes, they are employees, but working parents are not profitable companies.

The bottom line is that I share what I can. But, I could not afford to pay a second nanny for more than a day or two. If I have the holiday, she can stay in bed, and I will stay home.

I would like to add that the nanny I have now doesn't tell me when she is sick and just carries on with her day... When I discovered this, I told her that dedication was more than I expected and she is welcome to ask me to stay home if she feels that bad. I didn't know she had been sick until after she was better.

If she does in future say she feels too unwell to work, I would just take the day off and pay her anyway because I have no doubt that it takes an awful lot for her to take to her bed.

Message withdrawn

I disagree. When you decide to employ a Nanny you are taking the leap to becoming an employer. You should budget in the same way as you would if you were a business, ie there has to be some contingency funds for emergencies.

TBH I don't see why a nanny should be any different to any other employee and that mean sick pay, paid holidays etc. If, once you have worked it all out, it doesn't make financial sense (ie if in the worst case scenario nanny has 20 days holiday and 10 days off sick which you will have to cover either with your holiday entitlement or by paying a stand-in - and your salary doesn't cover that) then you need to look at alternatives eg child minder, nursery, giving up work etc.

Sorry to sound so brutal but I do believe that you should get a fair deal whatever job you do. Otherwise it is an abuse of your position as an employer.

I totally agree with CD. I don't have a nanny - partly because I can't afford one. And one of the reasons I can't afford one is precisely that non-negotiable element of sick pay, holiday pay and so on.

I do pay a childminder. And I pay her if I'm late, if she's sick (which she very occasionally is) and if I choose to take time off when she's working. When she's on holiday I pay her half rate. Over Christmas, because she was still working, I shelled out the usual cash and yes it was a PITA financially...but I really didn't feel I had an option.

And I should add I'm the world's stingiest person!

But can a nanny 'swallow' the cost of not being paid for sick leave any more than you can? I couldn't, and my former nanny couldn't, either. And she is a parent with a child to house and feed, just like me.

My nanny is a single mum and lives a fairly hand to mouth existence, she could NOT afford to live if she was sick and I didn't pay her, she and her daughter would suffer.

If she was sick long term then the state would kick in.

FWIW we are soon switching dd to nursery as we can't really afford a nanny. We wanted one until dd was 2.5 (personal choice) and now she will be starting nursery in March. We are keeping our nanny on part-time and paying for her to train to become a driving instructor so that she has another source of income. In the long run this will prove much cheaper for us and much more profitable for her. We want the continuity of care for dd, the nanny will pick her up from nursery at 3 and take her home as I personally think 8 to 6 is too long a day at nursery.

I think it comes down to social responsibility and putting others on an equal footing with you. Our nanny cares for our precious daughter, she deserves to be treated fairly.

(oh and when dd goes to school she will continue to pick her up from school and do driving instruction the rest of the time)

Can I just say that CD, I think what you are doing for your nanny is very honourable. I hope she appreciates how fortunate she is to be so very well looked after by her employer. Plenty would just terminate her contract/shorten her hours and leave it at that.

But where would that get me? She couldn't survive on p/t pay, she would get a f/t job, we would lose her, dd wouldn't have continuity of care and that is my ultimate aim.

It will cost me LESS in the long run. Plus I can improve her life immeasurably. It's a win win sitch.

And presumably she's also therefore around for if and when you have more kids?

Absolutely, CD. But most wouldn't be quite so savvy .

I do appreciate that I am a raving socialist (I would happily pay more tax for eg if it would make a difference) but I do think that if you think outside the box with these situations you can often find a compromise where everyone benefits.

I can't believe those of you who say that if the nannies are sick you shouldn't pay them because you might have to pay someone else. Yes, you might! But if you can't take the financial, moral and social responsibilities of becoming an employer, then don't become an employer.

I pity the poor nanny who is now so terrified of admitting she is ill that she works through her illness. That makes me feel very sad for her.

well done CD.

And when your dd is 17 she can give her discounted driving lessons! Forward planning a go-go!

I'm in the same situation as Pamina. Except for that I do complain But I realised from the off that was the situation and was part of the equation in deciding on childcare.

OMG - just realised reading this that some of you have a nanny AND an au pair AND a cleaner

but she has 4 children and a job as well...!

I can't understand how some parents try to scrimp and save on their childcare.Of course it is expensive and will take a sizeable part of your income away immediately, but if you go to work surely it's worth it to you to pay someone a decent wage and take on board the responsibilities involved like sick pay, etc.

Reading this thread has depressed me as a childminder, it smacks of SOME parents who resent giving a childcarer a fair wage and conditions for the job involved,which to me is taking good care of YOUR children in the best way possible.

Well said SSD.

(I pay my cleaner when she is sick too, she never skives either
And my dogwalker (not the mumsnetter, the bloke who walks my dog!))