Should parents pay nanny's for the nanny to take them out?

[NannyL24]

Can I have some advise please I started working as a registered nanny for a nurse last September due to cold weather and dark nights and alot of evening shifts I haven't needed to take the children out and they haven't wanted to they've been happy enough staying home playing outside with friends and playing games with me and other games they already have. However with it becoming warmer and the holidays I have said from day one of starting I am happy to take the two (6 years old and 8) to museums, bowling, cinema, parks etc. However this was recently brought up and the parent said I could get paid back this via tax which wouldnt be while a year later on a tax return and i doubt daily outings can be given back, I have said no to this due to working for an Income and not funding the children for a year out of my wages. Are parents meant to pay for their own children outings and even my costs as I am working? Just need some advise with me being new to this. Plus the mum already gets 80 percent back for childcare costs so doesn't pay my full wages out of her own wages

Do you choose your own hours? Can you say ‘yes, I’ll look after Peter and Jane on Tuesday first five hours, I’ll be there at 10.30.

Do you work for three or more families?

Are you paid a fixed amount that you have set for the job, no matter how long it takes? ‘Yes, I can do bath and bedtime, that will be £30’

Yes they pay for everything and you keep it simple, take picnics etc as you've said, just like a cost conscious parent would do. You sound like a great nanny. Don't let them take advantage of you, loads of people would be grateful to have you.

You should absolutely be employed by them and get paid holidays, maternity leave, NI etc.

I didn't even know you could be a self employed nanny!

The family should absolutely be paying for any day trips, for both you and the children, as well as travel and food if necessary. However, I also think it is reasonable for the family to say that they don't have a budget for more expensive day trips like theme parks and that you have to limit any trips to free or cheap options.

We used to give our nanny a set amount per week, I think it was only £10 a day or so but that was with younger children and lots of groups were free or v cheap. She rarely spent it.

For older children I would probably allow £50 a week minimum so you could have at least one activity out plus ice creams or snacks etc.

When I was a nanny the parents paid if they suggested something, but sometimes I paid if I wanted to do something with them and hadn't preplanned it (eg spur of the moment things like going on a bouncy castle at a park or ice cream or soft play).
If the parents suggested something like swimming they would pay, but otherwise the things were an extra cost I was deciding to do when we could have gone to the park or library for free so I wouldn't have put it on the parents when they weren't actively asking for it.

If this is your first time working as a nanny, do you have nanny insurance?

as many others have said, this set up really is not appropriate and I would think very seriously about trying to find another position.

Absolutely outrageous. She pays for all expenses, including your food if you need to buy while out. Either same day or she gives you a debit card to pay with. We give our nanny our card usually. Also pay mileage if nanny is driving own car and if regular for Nannie’s car to get cleaned. Same as I expect my work to pay all expenses when I have to travel. If I need sunscreen because it’s hot, work is buying.

I second this. This is how we handle it with our nanny. I’d never expect her to pay out of pocket and will pay for her food/lunches etc. while she’s out and about with the children. No way you should be paying and claiming back. That’s a nonsense. Is it covered in your contract?

No out of pocket for Nannies! Wouldn’t have dreamed of it when we had one. That said, expensive outings were only occasional, it’s good for children to run around a park or read a book and be bored. I loved that our nanny loved doing outings with them but would say no to too many paid entry ones, that spoils kids in my view.

I think you should start looking for a new job with an attitude like that from then.

You have to be employed by multiple families and be able to pick and choose your shifts to be a self-employed nanny - or work short term contracts. If you work for one family and they choose when you work then you should be employed properly.
https://www.nannytax.co.uk/self-employment

At the moment your employer is evading employers NI and pension contributions that could create problems with HMRC

They’re not allowed to tell you to go self employed. Hence why nannying is nearly always an employed job. They’re breaking the law.
If you’re self employed then you decide the hourly rate, (which needs to be much higher than the normal rate) can bill them for expenses and turn up or not turn up as you like. You provide them with a contract and it’s temporary work and you’re likely to be working for other families too.

If another nanny was ok with that, that was her business, it doesn’t mean you have to accept it
If she wants you to take the children out, she should pay or pay you back at the end of the week / month
I would ask her to Revolute you at the end of the day for expenses for that day

I am happy to take them cheap places but she has said they will have to attend free places if I do not pay

I suppose just take them to free stuff then and take packed snacks with you

Is she a single mother? if so she may not have much money, kids days out can be expensive if they want snacks etc

Often what looks like a cheap day out ends up costing quite a bit

If shes not paying, it's simple, the kids dont go out if it costs money for travel or entry.

I'd take them to the park and on walks. If you can get to a museum free then you could go there too but their mum sounds like a tight fisted whatnot. Poor kids.

I have always always reimbursed babysitter/ nanny for whatever activity she’s done with my DC- including her entrance fee.
Im not sure why you wouldn’t. Also activity would be agreed beforehand and money given in advance or a kitty for the week.

This with bells on. You are not self employed. They're tax dodgers.

When I was a nanny for a year so I could fund going to uni the family gave me a bank card with roughly £500 or so on it. Told me to use it for food, activities, outings, new toy or whatever for the kids and that included for my tickets to get in places with the kids and my food when with the kids. It never ran out the mum would always top it off if it was running low

Their mum will pay tax automatically from her job and I am registered as self employed so I'll be paying my tax and NI through tax return also so nothing dodgy will go on just the whole taking them out is the advice I needed

The mother is a nurse so probably so may not have that much money, your previous employers sounded like they could have had more available funds

I have employed a nanny before (though not in UK) and I agree that if they want you to take the children anywhere they must pay for you and the children. All expenses related to the outing should be theirs. I'd jump at the chance if I had a nanny who was happy to do stuff with them rather than stick them in front of the tv all day long ! I'm baffled that she doesn't want to, unless she is on a tight budget (even then I'd expect her to say that - "I'd love you to take them unfortunately I can't afford to spend on outings right now. But if you can take them to do free stuff that would be amazing !")

Best to refuse taking them to school. You’ll be bankrolling the school fees next …

I emailed a monthly outing plan with a list of the places that would cost money and what the total would be.

She would approve it and then pay me that amount in cash at the beginning of the month so I wasn't out of pocket.

This is pretty standard in the industry. Or they have cards for the kids that they load up for you to use.

I absolutely would not accept what your employer is suggesting.

You have more "rights" being employed, but when you're self-employed you are the one calling the shots and telling the client how much you charge, not them telling you how much they pay.

I have been self-employed for over 20 years and I charge far more for what I do than I would if I were an employee. But then I also set my own terms and conditions (subject to it fitting in with the clients' needs) and my own prices. I have a lot of freedom, especially when it comes to time off.

But to go back to your original post, I am confused as to what you are saying the problem is - please explain.

I am also not getting the relevance of the fact that the person paying you gets 80% of the money back. I have no idea where any of my clients get the money from to pay me. It's none of my business.