Nanny Contracts - is it usual to include babysitting in a live-out nannies contract?

[polly123]

I am in the process of agreeing a contract for a new job. It is a live-out job. The contract mentions babysitting. I think they may have used a template contract, it is very similar to templates I have seen. I am wondering if they just didn't remove that section, or if they feel babysitting is really something expected of a live-out nanny.
What are your thoughts? Is it usual to include one nights babysitting in a live-out nannies contract?
I will discuss it with them, but thought I'd ask on here, as I do not want to sound unreasonable in asking for that part of the contract to be removed.
I will be happy to babysit for them occasionally, but not say one evening a week. That evening could well be a Saturday night, which is a day I won't be working for them and I may have plans for a Saturday night

no its not usual at all .

I've just turned down a job where a days babysitting a month, at no additional cost to the employer, was slipped into the contract with NO discussion about it at the interview.

Just thought I'd add that had it been discussed I might well have agreed to it as it was just once a month. It was the fact that it was 'slipped' into the contract that made me wary of the job.

No, its not normal at all.

If my bosses want me to babysit they ask me

IF it suits me i say yes, if not i say no and they have to find someone else, and i get paid extra.

Wouldnt agree to it any other way

I'm sure it's just a problem with a template contract. It was in the template contract we were sent by our nanny agency and as first-time employers we weren't sure whether that was standard or not. Our live-out nanny told us that she would only babysit on Mon-Thurs evenings and be paid her usual hourly rate. We were fine with this.

I'd definitely discuss this with the employers, set out your terms (i.e. no babysitting on Saturdays etc) and insist on being paid for it. If they're reasonable people they should agree.

WE have a babysitting by prior arrangement agreement, for which nanny is paid extra. As it turns out this has evolved into a standaard Monday and Wednesday babysitting when I go to the gym, or work late, or sometimes have a PTA meeting or other commitment. This works for us because I get two night to work out / go out and she has Tuesday and Thursday when she can go to the gym or go out with friends.

On weekends, I offer the job to her first asa courtesy, but if she says no I'm quite happy to contact sitters.

Thanks for all your replies. Sounds like I an right to query it. Will see how that goes, with luck it is just something from the template contract.

I have a babysitting requirement in my nanny's contract, but it is specifically in return for 2 extra weeks of paid holiday over the course of the year. We discussed it with her at interview and she was happy to babysit (I think it is 2 evenings a month) for no extra money in return for 2 extra weeks holiday. i would not have just added it into the contract without asking her though!

Normal for us too, but it rotates between Wed night one week and Friday night the next. And it is paid at normal nanny hours. It helps us because I can build it into plans without worrying in advance about having to scrabble round for a babysitter.

I would not expect any nanny to sign a contract which just stated a night a week without saying which night (much as I would love to have a guaranteed babysitter every Saturday). And if a nanny asked for the babysitting bit to be removed (along with the pay), I wouldn't bat an eyelid. There's more important stuff to fret about when you are hiring a nanny.

For us we always offer nanny extra babysitting before contacting babysitters, but we don't expect her to be available.

Our live out nanny does a nights babysitting for us each week as part of her salary. This was discussed w her at interview as an option and she was happy w it. We agreed that we wouldn't always use it and it would not be carried over to another week. We also agreed that we would fit it in around her other arrangements. We pay her taxi home afterwards, but if we are going to be late, then she stays the night. I realise that this is unusual and we're very grateful to have it. Any additional babysitting over and above this is paid on an agreed hourly rate. Also, if she had said no, she wasn't happy about it, we wouldn't have insisted, it was not a compulsory job requirement.