Taking the nanny on holiday

[2HotCrossBunnies]

I am just wondering whether anyone has done this and what the "norm" is? We are thinking about a quick week away for October half term and considering taking the nanny with us (it's our first nanny and we have previously done Mark Warner type holidays) to give us some flexibility and allow DH some guilt-free windsurfing time.

However it's proving expensive - is it ok for the nanny to share a room with at least 1 of the DC or should she have her own space? Also can you do a "deal" for the week pay-wise considering that we are paying for her to come with us?

Any thoughts/tips welcome. Thanks

How is her annual leave arranged?

If you've agreed her preferred dates, I'm not sure you can then spring another week, of your choosing, on her and call that annual leave. Especially if it means she goes over her allowance and would be unpaid.

Dont want to start a huge debate on here but if you work so many hours wouldnt it be nice to leave nanny behind and spend some time with the kids ? I think holidays should be good quality family time.

if YOU decide to go away and therefore give her more holiday then stated in contract, you SHOULD pay her

it is not the nannys fault that you have decided to go away for more than the stated time

my family and previous ones before have normally gone away for more than their normal 2 weeks and I have always been paid for that time off ( and appreicated it - often hubby and I would go away as well)

Though I do have it written in my contract that if the employers decide to go away for lonmger than their two weeks, I the empployee (nanny) will still be paid in full

If you really begrudge paying her to do nothing - You could leave the nanny at home, pay her as normal and maybe ask her to do a few tasks, give playroom an overhaul, sort clothes drawers out or do some cooking and put in freezer etc

On the times we've taken our nanny on hols, she always had her own room and bathroom but this is because we always do self catering. If it's two weeks - i normally ask her to count 1 of them as one of her weeks' holiday but we continue to pay her. I always give her the chance to say no but so far, she has always decided to come with us.
For us, the real flexibility is being able to go out for dinner after the kids have gone to bed. She also makes the tea for the kids and sorts the breakfast for them. During the day, the kids are always with us. If we are around the pool, it is reassuring to know there's another pair of eyes watching the kids. However, we never leave the kids by themselves with her as we think hols is the time we spend time with them. We also tend to give her the early afternoon off -- i.e after lunch to maybe 3pm.

noooo....you can't just tell her you are going on holiday so you don't fancy paying her! Not on. You wouldn't like it if your boss did it to you, would you?
You can give her jobs to do while you are away - eg sort out kids rooms, make food for them to freeze, maybe she'd get a shop in for you when you return etc but you can't give her a pay cut because you are on holiday.

Sorry, but I am shocked by your attitude. To repeat what someone else said ...
Why should your nanny stay at home on no pay because you have decided to have more holiday than is stipulated in her annual leave
That's outrageous. You can't not pay her because you've decided to take another week off. We have a deal with our nanny, four weeks off a year, two weeks she decides the date, two weeks we decide (with a month's notice on either side) and if we then take off more time we pay her anyway. Anything else would be out of order.
If that's how you treat your nanny I pity her and doubt she'd want to go on holiday with you.

It is not reasonable to go away (and therefore prevent the nanny from doing her job) and then say that she will not be paid for those days. It is simply not right.

What you could do is agree what she will do while you are away - spring clean the children's rooms, have time to properly organise the children's toys/hunt for missing pieces etc.

I have travelled with several families and you do need to be clear about hours and responsibilities but it can be nice to have an extra pair of hands but on the other hand it is a family holiday and children do prefer to be with mummy & daddy.

As for not paying her, sorry but your extra holiday is not her fault as during that time she is ready, willing and able to work so either she accompanies you or she stays at home on her usual pay either having a mini break or doing child related tasks like playroom sorting, mending, wardrobe sorting, batch cooking etc.

About 14 years ago I went on holiday for 2 weeks with the family. I had about 1 hour off in the whole time and the baby shared my room some of the time. I didn't mind that, but I did mind no time off or extra pay in lieu.

to be fair hot x bunnie never said she wouldnt pay her nanny, just that she wanted to know the norm

seems people are jumping down her throat when she was only asking a so yes - you do pay her more paid leave then she is entitled to

Sorry - I don't want to come across as being uncaring! I totally agree that holidays are family time - I just wanted the flexibility to have a little space and the possibility of some babysitting! I would prefer to get that by taking the nanny than doing Mark Warner (which we have done before as the cost of the windsurfing is included) but taking the kids out of the childcare at lunch time for the reminder of the day.

I also don't want to offend the nanny, she's great. I do know of people who only give 2 weeks paid leave and any other time off is unpaid. Personally I thought that was unfair too.

If you chose to go away whether you take the nanny or not you have to pay her.

In my last nanny job I had 4 weeks paid holiday, 2 weeks chosen by me.

you couldnt leave nanny at home unpaid she is available for work and just because you choose to go away isnt her fault.

if you dont take her with you then she should be paid full salary as normal.

dont you have in contract for her annual leave she choooses so many days and you choose so many - if not thats a good idea

if you have and you have used up all your choice then not alot you can do.

if you taker her with you, i personally would expect all costs to be paid then be paid 24/7 rate so going rate min would be £150 per 24hrs. I feel I am away from home unable to do my normal activities, see who i want, do extra babysitting work that i would normally do etc etc

Blimey Fox!
have you ever been with a family on holiday who paid this?

imananny. The direct comment was:
"perhaps she will rather come with us rather than stay at home for no pay"

It doesn't strike me that the OP is being deliberately uncaring but it's such a thoughtless attitude, nonethless. And then "I do know of people who only give 2 weeks paid leave and any other time off is unpaid. Personally I thought that was unfair too."
Yes, it is bloody unfair. Glad you can see that.
It never fails to shock me how carelessly people treat their nannies. If you can afford a Mark Warner holiday you can aford to pay your nanny for that week. Why are people so tight when it comes to childcare? Still

Calm down woman. OP has not done anything yet, just asking for advice, you don't know the whole story, and we are supposed to be here for support, not for taking moral high grounds. Feel free to judge once you know exactly what happens.

gosh dont get so worked up !! Its too hot!

Yes you have to pay her but as a number of posters say you can leave her other tasks to do provided it is in her contract or agreed with her.

Dont be too disappointed though..........the reality is you wont be there to supervise and its unlikley that your nanny will do some of it but not all or dump it all on your cleaner like mine does!

My nanny gets 2 weeks of her choice and 2 of ours. She works it to her absolute advantage however and in reality gets 6 to 7 weeks off as we get five weeks each so she always makes sure that she doesn't coincide with us and works about an hour a day when we are away!

Actually I am giving the matter alot of thought and trying to be fair to everyone. I know some can treat their nannies thoughtlessly. I think I treat my nanny well - I always give her extra when babysitting and if she has to work later than her "offical" hours (happened once when we were half an hour late home from a day trip on which she was with me) even though most days I am home earlier then her paid time and for other things. I consider her part of my family and hope she feels the same.

Nannies are an expensive form of childcare and I am anything but tight. I suspected that if we went away for "extra" holiday we would have to pay her anyway. She has also asked me for additional holiday and has accepted that by using up all of her choice for a long break over the summer she may have to have unpaid leave at other times.

I hope this thread won't turn into a debate about paid/unpaid leave - rather I was interested in the equiette of taking a nanny away, never having done it before.

2HCB you have hit the nail on the head. nannies are expensive and at the risk of starting an arguement the comment about if you can afford to go on a Mark Warner holiday you can afford to pay your nanny to sit at home for a week doing nothing is not at all helpful IMHO.

As nanny employers we should treat fairly and pay a decent wage but that does not mean our nannies should have the same standard of living as us just because we can afford it!!!

I didn't say the OP should let her nanny stay at home and do nothing - I think it's totally acceptable for her to batch cook or tidy the children's rooms or whatever. And I think if she's taken her share of her own holiday entitlement then it's fair for her to accept any more she takes will have to be unpaid.
The OP does sound like she's considerate towards her nanny but so many people aren't. They seem to resent them for being expensive when they are just trying to earn a living wage. I am feeling especially riled about this atm - there's a Filipina thread I posted recently where, for various reasons, I didn't go in to half the gory details of how some so-called "friends" of dh treat their nanny. Anyway, subject closed now. Hope OP has a lovely holiday

2HCB - I think you should be able to ask for advice/comments without getting immediately chastised for even thinking about various scenarios.... I mean my god, employing a nanny is difficult enough without all this judging. From your comments you come across as a reasonable person and I am sure you will be able to find a satisfactory solution.

hear hear Meanbeans if we cant all come here for support then MN is not doing what it was set up to do.

MRS S i agree that some nannies and Au pairs are treated dreadfully and it amazes me that members of the human race can do such things.

I on the otherhand as may posters here will tell you am a complete softy.........exceptionally generous with both money and heart and my current nanny walks all over me........even leaving me notes that read as though I am the sservant in my own home!

But then I allow her to do it !

We've done it twice (taken a nanny on holiday with us) and both times it has worked out fantastic. Different nannies as well with different personalities, first one was our regular nanny who agreed to come with us because we begged, and the second time we hired a nanny for that particular 2-week holiday off Gumtree, she was amazing.

Both times we agreed very carefully what the deal was and both nannies were very happy with what we offered. The nanny got her own room, flights, all meals etc paid. She got one full day off per week. We agreed irregular hours with her - that she would work minimum 6 and maximum 10 hours per day, to be agreed the previous evening, and she would get her regular hourly rate. The day was split into morning, afternoon and evening, so if she was on duty in the morning and we wanted her to babysit in the evening, she would get the afternoon off, and if we needed her for the whole day, she would get the evening off (no babysitting). She was invited to eat meals with us every day or we would give her cash to go out for a pizza etc. Also, we agreed that transfer days on arrival and departure were not paid by the hour but as in a 10-hour day, although she provided an extra pair of hands if needed throughout.

I think it really depends on the nanny's personality and what your relationship like - these two holidays for us were fantastic because we had brilliant childcare, but if there's any chance of resentment building on either sides I'd say don't bother.

Thank you all for your comments - informative and supportive. I also think MN is good for a bit of a debate too . This is my first nanny experience - I too am a bit of a softy and am finding hard to have a professional relationship with someone who is also like a member of the family. Difficult to know where to draw the line sometimes! I have got lucky though in that my nanny has years of experience and knows what she is doing - at least 1 of us does!