Surrey nanny - do I negotiate on pay?

[lumpasmelly]

I'm currently looking for a new nanny for one day a week in Cobham (just within M25). My previous nanny (who was fab and had 25 years experience) cost 7.50 net, which rose to 8.60 in the three and a half years she was with me, so I am a bit shocked that everyone I interview seems to want at least 9.00 net!!! Even the ones who are 22 and only have a couple of years experience? Am I missing a trick here? ...am I supposed to negotiate with them over price, or is it the done thing to accept what they want you to pay for them? I have 2 children - a one year old and a 5 year old in school...it is a nice gig as we have a nice house, provide a car and are pretty easy going!!!

Can you translate that to gross for me? How many hours per week? Is this live-in or out?

Can't answer for Surrey, but I've just had this experience in Cambridge. Although working on net weekly rather than rate per hour.

Try talking to agencies and asking them what they thought. In Cambridge, those asking for £400 + per week were pricing themselves out of the market really (unless for jobs which had very specialised demanding skills: newborns, twins, special needs etc) - this was seen as a London rate. But Surrey may be different.

And nothing wrong in negotiating, particularly with people who are young and have less experience. The problem is that you need be able to negotiate with someone who understands that it's not an attempt to insult or exploit them. Most nannies are not commercially experienced and get a bit embarrassed about salary discussions so it can get more heated than it needs to be.

And another thought: agencies I spoke to on the salary topic were emphasising that they were getting a lot more candidates on their books since September. The credit crunch is having an effect. Problem is that a lot of nannies I spoke to have set their lives up to need salaries at that level which makes it tricky for them to even consider negotiating, even when jobs at that salary level aren't that thick on the ground.

That's £9 an hour net, so works out about £90 net per day...when you add tax onto that (which is another third) you are up to about £12 gross....and this is the LEAST they are asking for. Most of them want at least £100 a day!!! I suppose I am just surprised as I have had such a good deal with my current nanny (who is moving out of the area!!!)

Have you spoken to any agencies?

What do they say?

I've spoken to a few nationals about this who gave me to believe £400-450 npw was a London rate of pay. But I'm not sure whether they wouldn't consider salubrious Surrey as 'London' for these purposes

Is it because it is only for one day per week? So you're being charged a premium for only offering part time hours?

Oh, I missed that bit!

Ah that might make it more explicable: I've always understood that you do pay a bit of premium for part time roles.

Whay not look at a CM, you would pay anything up to about 6 pound a hour for each child, but as one child would be at school for most of the day, it may well work out cheaper.

Good idea......I will look into that! Most agencies say the going rate is 8 - 9 per hour net, it's just that none of them have sent me any candidates within that range which made me think i was missing a trick!!!

Oh, I missed one day a week as well. In that case, I would definitely not pay her a net rate. And, yes, I would expect the hourly rate to be bit higher for a part time role.

As it's one day per week, I am not that surprised by £12 gross being desired as a salary. The nanny working one day per week would almost certainly have other work on other days (I feel it unlikley that you will be their only employer) and your job would be a small part of their income, so would not benefit from the personal tax allowance.
However, nothing to stop you trying to negotiate it - you may find that some nannies are so wanting the work that they will do it for less.

suprised a 22yr wants and can get £9nett

if that is the going rate, then i woudl prefer to have an older nanny with more exp,then someone with maybe 4/5 years

but agree that a one day job is more likely to be paid better

have you tried looking/advertising on www.nannyjob.co.uk
www.gumtree.com
www.netmums.co.uk