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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

ADVICE PLEASE, how much should we pay our nannie?

40 replies

BBeau · 01/01/2009 14:57

Hello, i dont know if anyone could advise on this - we have 3 children, a 2 year old and 6 month old twins. I want to go back to work 2 days a week but also want a nannie full - time (5 days a week at 8 hours a day). We have someone in mind who has already been working with us as a student so i know her and shes great. She is currently training and qualifies in May/June, she is doing her Chache diploma in childcare (i think this is the replacement NNEB). She is nearly 19 years old so has had no previous work experience with children (only family). She wouldnt be left all week with all 3 of them (my 2 year old goes to nursery a couple of sessions a week) and i will be home 3 days although i may need to pop out obviously shopping etc. To put all 3 of them into nursery for 2 full days a week is £700 a month so obviously this is out of the question, we have absolutely no family help so we are in desperate need of some sort of help at home. A nanny seems our only option. We live in Norh Essex so obvioulsy we dont earn a great wage so cant afford to pay her loads but want to keep her. Can anyone shed any light onto the minimum we could pay her. Obviously she would get her food here etc. I dont think many people have nannies in this area but then there are not many people in my situation with 3 young ones so close together. Thank you

OP posts:

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purepurple · 02/01/2009 15:43

good luck with that, I do tend to judge people a bit and can be quite a pain, I know

Blondeshavemorefun · 02/01/2009 16:05

it would be great if your student could do the job, you know her, she knows the kids etc, BUT if you really cant afford to have her 5 days, esp as you only wwrk 2, i think you would be better off finding a 3 day nanny, if she wont accept 3 days

Original poster

BBeau · 02/01/2009 16:08

Its fine, i think good nannies are worth their weight in gold and if i had the money i would pay her what she asked for because we like her that much and my children love her and ask for her all the time which is the main thing really and why it would be such a shame to lose her especially as it takes me ages to trust someone in the first place. If it means having her just 3 days a week but paying her more then i would happily do it just as long as she can find another job for the remainder of the week in the same area (which in this area i recon would be really hard - unless it was like a shop or something or something completely different to child care). All i can say is that if she does come to work for us then she would be treated with love and respect from us all - but i understand you cant live on that so we will see what she says. I'll just have to win Euro millions tonight i recon .

OP posts:

Blondeshavemorefun · 02/01/2009 16:29

you sounds lovely, and sure whichever nanny you get, the children will love her as well, and you sound like a lovely employer!!

navyeyelasH · 02/01/2009 21:04

Can you do something like - pay her £763.20 a month (so pay for 8 hours a day 5 days a week at min wage) and basically use her when you need her; so some weeks she might do all 40 hours but another week she might only do 25 ett. All depending on what you have on. This might be attractive to her as she will be effectively being paid for not being there, but you are safe because you know she is there as and when you need her.

At the end of the day if her only other option is working in a nursery at min wage then I can't see why she wouldn't take the job with you. I certainly would go with you rather than the nursery - she will get heaps of experience which will set her up for the rest of her career! But I would want some flexibility in my week (as in BBeau, is it ok if I have Monday morning off as I'm going away for the week and a late start Monday would be great assuming you have nothing on etc), would expect extra money for babysitting, and where possible (ie> when you have no plans yourself) I would like a shorter day.

Just ask her and let us know how you get on! I'm not sure my idea would work for everyone but I would be happy with it. Could be a bugger to contract though!

Original poster

BBeau · 03/01/2009 16:36

Hi, yes that does sound like a good idea. I had actually thought about something like that - obviously on the days i would need to work i would need her all day but definately on the other days she could do that if needed. If i had nothing on it wouldnt even matter if she changed her hours to suit herself or anything like that would be fine. Like you say though it would be hard to put that into a contract. I am seeing her next week so will talk to her and definately let you know that outcome!

OP posts:

wellbalanced · 03/01/2009 19:10

I did this in one of my jobs, it was for a hi profile celeb (thats what they called themselves not me!)
I was paid a set amount each week-which was quite low. I got paid same amount if did 0 hours or 50hrs, when was in 10hours a day, 5 days a week i did feel like a slave but then some days/weeks i didnt go in at all. I think it worked out fair in end (was temp contract)
Hope you can keep her...

juneybean · 03/01/2009 23:05

I'm not sure how paying someone at the minimum wage is exploiting them? It's the minimum wage set by the government.

She has no experience and it's her first job, not all nanny jobs need to be quoted net.

£5 gross would be more than enough I think.

Bonnycat · 04/01/2009 11:41

£5 per hour gross?? to look after a two year old and 6 month old twins?!!!
Would you do it? Im damned sure i wouldnt,newly qualified or not.

nbee84 · 04/01/2009 12:07

juneybean If the going rate for a nanny job in your area is £7-£8 net per hour but you pay your 17 year old newly qualified, but not much experience nanny £5 gross because you can and she accepts it because she likes you, wants the experience and there aren't many nanny jobs around then that is exploiting them.

llareggub · 04/01/2009 12:07

It doesn't really matter what we all think.

Offer her the job as you described it, with the salary you can realistically afford. She can then make a decision based on her current circumstances, career aspirations and the local job market. As an earlier poster said, she can get a better paid job in a year or so, so you are giving her valuable experience.

Worth a shot, I think.

frannikin · 04/01/2009 13:05

But the "going rate" depends on the nanny, surely?

I wouldn't expect the rate for a nanny with 10+years experience simply because all nannies in my area had 10+ years experience and therefore all earning more so the local "going rate" was higher. With no previous experience I would be counting myself lucky to get a sole-charge nanny job at all if there are other available nannies in the area.

juneybean · 04/01/2009 14:27

In a nursery she'd have more than 3 kids to look after for £4.77 gross.

Bonnycat · 04/01/2009 15:52

Not on her own though.I know OP plans to be around some of the time but i cant help thinking its a heck of a lot of responsibility for a fiver an hour.

Blondeshavemorefun · 04/01/2009 17:52

17years ago when i started nannying, i earnt £1.67 an hr - so dont think you can take it on wage iykwim ( and looked after 4mth and 5yr sc for 11hrs a day)

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