advice for a nanny please!

[fairimum]

hello - I am a relatively new nanny, have been working looking after a 10 month old and an almost 5 year old since September - I also take my dd with me (now 7months). I don't do too bad hours (8-5.30/6 4 days and one half day). the 5year old is at school and mostly I take my dd and the 10 month old to groups/walks etc during the day. It is close to home takes about 15/20mins in the morning and up to twice that on the way home (much less out of rush hour!). Other than making dinner etc I don't do anything other than childcare so I know I have it easy in that respect.

My dilema is that prior to having my daughter I was a primary teacher with experience across the year groups, I looked into becoming a nanny as after taking childcare out of my teaching salery I wasn't bringing in enough to cover bills etc (OH earns too much for much help with childcare), I put an ad on nanny job in the summer, but before hearing back I emailed a family with an ad looking for a nanny on gumtree and went and met them etc (this was in the summer so a good few months before was due to start), really liked the family and accepted job as they were offering just about what I can afford to live on (£1100 gross a month), I also thought that with no nanny experience and taking my DD that I wouldn't be able to get any better pay (also considered getting some experience then seeing if I could get less hours for same money elsewhere - but now I would feel like am letting them down as they have long term plans etc), I really like the family, enjoy my job, get on well with them, similar ideas about discipline etc. But since accepting the job I have had other emails about jobs with less hours for similar or more money... and now after time off over xmas with my DD I am wishing I had more time with her on her own as feel I am missing out on her somehow... I know that sounds silly as with her all day (in an ideal world I would love to be a SAHM, but could never afford it!) - I guess my question is could I be earning more (live near Reading, Berks), as just about scraping by at the moment, or could I get similar money for more part time hours... Or should I just accept that I have that 'back to work' feeling that happens after a holiday and count my lucky stars that I have a job and get to see my DD!?

the 5.30 is net! worked out about £6 gross

Kafka - we don't permit Net pay on Mumsnet do we

Seriously though, for nannies to be seen as professionals, we need to get away from Net pay. So when a job is listed as Net pay, just add 23% to it to get a rough Gross calculation (or use services such as www.listentotaxman.com to calculate it more accurately).

Rates in Berkshire are quite a bit less than those in London generally. £7-£11 Gross per hour is quite a typical range, for a nanny without their own children in tow.

fairi - your DD may not be that settled due to the other child being so close in age. However within the next 6 months, she will probably come to appreciate having a playmate.

Had you considered becoming a registered childminder? You would then be in your home and be able to dictate terms etc... Quite a lot of CM's charge £5 an hour

Will keep an eye out I think, in no hurry - just had been niggling at me over xmas!

Well I would be delighted to get away from net pay! But I am surprised the industry is pushing for it as it is such a favourable concept for employees.

Are some of the rates you are quoting live in rates?

fairi - For 3 years I had a nanny job working for a family who had 3, then later 4 children, which was paying £7.30 gross per hour (£73 per day).
Thus given this is your first nanny job, plus you take your own DD, I don't feel that £60 gross per day is that low. Sure it could be higher but not all families will let you take your own child to work with you... if you had to pay for nursery care for your DD, that would cost you around £45-£55 per day I suspect.

Quite right NannyNick, it infantilises the profession.

I am seriously starting to wonder what I could earn in East Anglia with a PGCE and PhD in Education, first aid certificate, own car, trilingual, ability to teach range of musical instruments to Grade 8 level, top notch cooking and ironing skills, plus nursery nurse experience from 1991-1993??

PS Agree with you Nick re:gross/net, but it's still useful to make the comparison because of the irregularities between the two. I worked out recently that the hours I work can affect my gross rate by around £1 an hour. Which doesn't sound much, unless you're the one paying it

Net pay isn't always good for the employee... if tax rates change (for example, personal allowance increases), the employee gets no difference in their pay when the contract has been agreed Net.

All rates I mention are Live-Out.

Agree net pay not good for the employee, for all sorts of reasons.

That said, I always have gross noted on my contract, and have done for a long time.

If you agree net pay and have overpaid tax or are owed a rebate, can it affect your gross pay? It's a long time since I was in that position (because I agree gross pay in contract) but it could also be the case that agreeing a net amount could cost an employer dearly if the nanny were on, for example, emergency tax. Is that right?

I agree with you and the others that if you can stay in the job for at least a year it will avoid your employment history looking bad, but understand that a year is a long time when your dd is not happy.
I'm sure that there is a market for a former primary school teacher for a family with school age kids, for after -school care and holiday care. I would certainly be interested if you were in my area! That would give you more time with your dd, and a higher hourly rate (although whether the hours*hourly rate would add up to more than you get now I don't know).

from what you say, it sounds as if you have the sahm benefits plus the benefit of a paycheck.
its ounds completely ideal. an extra fifty pounds a week will be of no use whatsoever ifyou are miserable in th ejob. and i have met a few nannies with miserable work situations.
keep the job

Depends how the rebate comes I suspect. Some overpayments are sent to the employee as a cheque/warrant. However anything done via PAYE will affect things. Far more of an issue when the employee owes money (for example, student loan deductions) as it could be the employer who ends up paying that. Emergency tax I think tends to get sorted out by a change in tax code, so initially the employer pays more out in tax/ni deductions, then when the tax code changes, pays less out, so overall in a full tax year, should sort itself out. Though clearly an issue if the nanny isn't employed for the full tax year.

This is getting to be a Net v Gross discussion now isn't it - sorry fairimum. We've had threads about this subject before... do we need to start another?

dont worry! feel free - I think I got the opinions I was looking for! Also find the gross/net thing quite interesting...

Yes, it has got a bit sidetracked, sorry fairimum!

But good luck, whatever you decide to do - keep us posted.

Thanks for info, Nick.

sorry i misread your orginal post,assumed it was nett not gross

yes you are certainly a bit underpaid, but as you are taking your own child and also havent got sole charge nanny experience, that can make a difference in what wage you can earn

though i would have expcted nearer £6nett in reading - have friend who nannies near there, and she gets £7.50 but hasnt got her own child and has over 10years sc experience

i advise sticking job out for another 9mths, esp if family is nice, then you have a year sc under your belt, your child will be older and more likely to settle and you hopefully will get a ref from your current job

I think people should remember that London rates are significantly higher than elsewhere!

I'm an experienced nanny and earn 8 gross an hour, so I think 6 gross with your own child, in your first job is just about right.

I would definitely stay in a job you like for a year - after a year ask for a payrise, or look for something better paid.