Keeping a Nanny on through my Mat Leave - what do you think?

[workingmumedinburgh]

We've got a FANTASTIC nanny that we've had for 3 years. I'm about to have my third child but there will be a 12 week period when I will be off work and I don't think it will be practical to keep my nanny on for that period - we'll be tripping over each other and it will cost too much. I'm thinking of offering a £100pw retainer for the 12 wks to show her we're committed but suggesting she finds work elsewhere. What do you think? A bit risky or really fair? I can't decide.

TBH, I think she'll find another job.

That's really not fair on your nanny. Every nanny I know would expect to be kept on through an employer's maternity leave.

On the positive side she'll be able to keep DCs 1&2 entertained, help you out by looking after DC3 while you spend some time with the older childre, do all the nursery duties like laundry etc. She may even out of the goodness of her heart offer to do family dinner to save you cooking a couple of nights a week (I did!) or do a little extra just to help out.

Look at it from her perspective - how would you feel about your salary dropping to 100 for 12 weeks, especially the way the job market is for nannies at the moment. It's highly unlikely she'll be able to find temp work.

If you want to keep her, just pay her the full salary. It's only 3 months!

On the other hand, as others have said, it could be jolly useful to have her around, to give you time to rest and spend time with the new baby.

but dont you get maternity pay.

Will you be getting maternity pay? I would have thought so. Is it still 90% of your pay for 12 weeks (am very out of date on these things )

If so, then you should be keeping her on and enjoying a bit of 'me' time before the baby arrives, some time of one to one with your older children and once baby arrives you may even be able to hand over to Nanny for a while so you can catch up on some sleep.

Judguing from "it will cost too much" I'm not sure that keeping her at full rate is an option for the OP.

You could have a very honest conversation with the nanny and say that you really love her and would hate to lose her but unfortunately you just can't afford to pay her whilst you are bringing home a salary as well. You can propose the reduced money for reduced work. But, you should probably also say that you understand if she can not afford to not bring in her full salary. And if she does say that, then of course, you will need to terminate her employment.

Perhaps if you knew someone who needs a nanny for three months you could arrange for her to go to work there. The more you are willing to help arrange alternate employment during your maternity leave the more attractive it will be for her to take this option.

I do sympathise with you. It's difficult having to choose between your own maternity leave and your nanny's salary. But, at the end of the day, you have to look after your budget as well as hers.

Good luck.

I think you have to look at the hidden costs - financial and non financial - of letting her go/her leaving.

The agency I used for my nanny has a v expensive finders fee. Now I am fine with that because they found me possibly the best nanny in London and I hope she will be with us for a very long time so it amortises out, but if you are going to be using an agency, don't forget to factor that in to the calculations.

If you are not using an agency, don't forget the wear and tear of sifting through applications etc., particularly with a v small baby.

I also find the whole "choosing a nanny/integrating a new nanny" quite draining
and not what I need when I am going back to work and need to present myself as back on top of my game after a relaxing six months off . When I go back after maternity leave is the last time it feels like I need uncertainty at home.

I agree I would have a frank conversation with her. She may want to do something like go travelling, in which case your offer is a great one. Our first nanny left us after 4 years to go to Australia - I think an offer like the one you are thinking of would have been perfect for her.

if money is not the issue, then definitely keep her on. the last thing you need before going back to work is to have to sort out childcare all over again - especially if you already have someone fantastic!

if money is the issue, anchovy is right about the vast cost of agencies and also right about the sheer dragging PITA of searching through CVs from e.g. gumtree.

if you are worried about tripping over eachother - and i would be too i have to say - then i think you need to try and plan for this up front, i.e. work out a rota for who will do what with which child day to day, making sure there are clearly defined and allocated tasks. you also need to build in some flexibility of course and regular check-points to see how it is going.

don't forget an extra pair of hands around will be so, so useful with not only a new born but older children.

in addition, your older children will have continuity of care at a time which may will be difficult for them.

I kept mine on through my second and third maternity leaves and it was wonderful. She was a great nanny and it meant that I could spend as much time with the new baby as I ahd with the first - which was a big deal for me mentally in dealing wiht the general working mother guilt trip.

As a result I never had the problem of school runs with a tiny baby in tow - except for the times when I took her to show her off of course.

I didn't find we tripped over each other - but then i enjoyed her company too when she was around.

I suspect it depends on your relationship wiht your nanny and your finances as to what's the best answer for you. If you can afford to keep her on then based on my experience I would definately recommend it.

yes keeping your nanny is a finanical comittment when you are on ML but the pros outweight the cons imo

having extra pair of hands for no 1 and no 2, will be worth their weight in gold (and cash)

nanny can have baby while you can sepnd some time with older siblings, so that they dont feel pushed out, you can also rest, giving birth is knackeringm let alone having 2 more other children to consider

losing their nanny, and having new baby can sometimes be a bit too much for some children, esp if then you are going back to work and getting another nanny

I have had 3 mbs on ml and all have kept me on on full pay and less hours (ie finishing hr earlier etc) I personally wouldnt stay working for someone who basically told me to go away, yet come back in 3mths time (even though you are paying a retainer) but thats just me

3mths work is hard to find, so your nanny may decide to find a new job but on other hand she may agree to what you are suggesting

it depends on the nanny, i wouldnt, but have known friends to leave, find horrible temp jobs, hate every minute of it, and then go back to family

have a chat to your nanny, and see what she says/thinks

I don't really understand this, having read the posts again.

You're on maternity leave for only 12 weeks. By the time your nanny has left, (if she does) you'll have to start all over again looking for a new one, which will take up a lot of your energy at a time when you will not have much and should be concentrating on your new baby!

You say it will cost too much - not that you can't afford it.

If she really is that fantastic and you want to keep her, and you will be getting maternity pay, then what's the problem? Just pay her the salary and let her have 12 weeks off.

Tricky - it is really dull finding another nanny. We recruited again this summer for the first time in ages, thought we had found someone and were told she had accepted another job less than 12 hours after meeting the DCs! Grr.

Can you find her another part-time job while you are on mat leave, so her income stays the same? Someone else with a new baby who could do with another pair of hands, perhaps? Or a SAHM at school who would like a day or two off every week for 12 weeks but can't really justify a permanent nanny?

The 12 weeks mat leave and lack of cash suggests to me that the OP is not, in fact, getting maternity pay. You don't get maternity pay if you're self-employed, for example.

Another hidden cost which I can't see being mentioned, is that as your nanny has worked for you for 3 years, if you make them redundant (which I feel you would be when you terminate the contract under these circumstances), you will need to pay Redundancy Pay. Ready Reckoner for calculating Statutory Redundancy Pay.

I don't think it can be redundancy as she is planning to employ another nanny 12 weeks later. Something somewhere in my brain says there needs to be a 12 month gap before it is redundancy, but I am not an expert on this.

if the mum gets rid of nanny as cant afford her then it is redundancy and she will have to pay up to £330 per week or whatever weekly wage was (if less then £330) times 3

doesnt matter if she employes a new nanny striaght away

i got 5 years redundancy as left last job as kids were at fulltime school (been there since L was 5weeks old) and then new after school nanny started week later