Nannies: market rates (bit controversial)

[Tanzie]

Having read on another thread ("Paying Nannies when sick") gripes from UK nannies about jobs going to girls from accession countries who will work for less, (and do more in the way of housework), is this not just pushing the market rate down for qualified/experienced nannies?

I am not in UK, but I would look at it as providing more affordable childcare, provided you can find someone trustworthy and reliable. I lived in UK briefly about 4 years ago and a nanny friend of mine was earning GBP 25,000 and got a flat thrown in with it. This is more than I was earning at the time and could never have afforded this sort of money for someone to look after my children.

I am not suggesting slave labour from Central European girls, or paying them an au pair's "pocket money" for what is essentially a nanny job, but paying them a reasonable wage and providing free accommodation means that a lot of people, who could not afford a nanny or nursery fees, will probably be able to get back to work.

Of course, there will always be those who want a Norland nanny and can afford one, but it seems to me that your average Mum would welcome these Central Europeans with open arms...

I'll run and hide now...

Gosh, there are a lot of exclamation marks on this thread

YES I KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't think we're going to get any proof/evidence of why a British nanny is worth so much more money, Beety.

Point proven?

!!!!! Is my way of pointing out how strongly I feel about the subject ]

I think the lower pay has more to do with experience / recognised qualifications / English skills. The nanny I have now is here to improve her English. It's good enough for me to communicate with her, but it's not really good enough for her to get a job as say a vet in this country (that;s assuming her qualification transfers to the UK). So she took this job and she and my DD teach each other Estonian English toddler babble.

Anyway, the downside is that she can get a better job now and she is leaving me, so I'm on the hunt for another nanny. It's just something I have to accept because I can't afford your idea of the going rate for Greater London. It doesn't mean you aren't worth it. It just means I can't offer it.

I think the lower pay has more to do with experience / recognised qualifications / English skills. The nanny I have now is here to improve her English. It's good enough for me to communicate with her, but it's not really good enough for her to get a job as say a vet in this country (that;s assuming her qualification transfers to the UK). So she took this job and she and my DD teach each other Estonian English toddler babble.

Anyway, the downside is that she can get a better job now and she is leaving me, so I'm on the hunt for another nanny. It's just something I have to accept because I can't afford your idea of the going rate for Greater London. It doesn't mean you aren't worth it. It just means I can't offer it.

Tanzie, british nannies are not worth more money
I am not british and I am sure I earn much much more than most of british nannies
I think british nannies were saying they are better at the job than other nannies
I disagree, and my pay reflects that to the point!

Tanzie you have had your proof it just it goes in one ear and out the other and frankly I think were all quite tired of proving ourselves to people who wouldn't appreciate a good NANNY anyway. My question as to why European nannies are better hasn't been proved either apart from we all know they are cheaper cos you don't pay their tax and N.I or underpay them. But what makes them better?

Pennylane
european nannies are not cheaper, well not all of them anyway
the experience and references will reflect your pay
and may I ask what do you earn gross per day/week or how ever you are payed

Pennylane,
I don't think it has been proven. And Tanzie isn't the only one still waiting for the explanation.

It has been said that European nannies are better because:

• they generally speak a foreign language which they could tech to the children
• They tend to have a hard working willing to muck approach to the job
• And yes of course sometimes they cost less (but I think it has been demonstrated here that that isn't always the case)

No, Penny Lane, I'm still waiting for my proof. A lot of what has come out of the (British) nanny posts on here has been racist, illiterate bleatings about how foreigners are taking their jobs.

Beety and I are still waiting with bated breath to see why we should pay our compatriots so much more money? What is this "extra" that you have?

Wow - it's taken me 40 mins to read all this. Was supposed to be doing my online shopping!

Don't employ a nanny, 1 use a day nursery 2 days a week (or rather my DSs do) but I know they are paid crap rates and do a fantastic job. And yes I WOULD pay more if I knew the money went to them. But every year we get a hike in fees and they still stay on min wage. And the nursery owner rolls up in yet another new jag.

I have friends who employ nannies and their experience is mixed. IMO one friend in particular seems to expect her nanny to almost be a qualified teacher to her preschooler! They are all English (the nannies) but I think that reflects the fact that I am in the frozen wastes of the west midlands and not many Euronannies make it this far north!

For what it's worth, from someone who has NO personal experience of employing nannies, I think you should pay a living wage and determine beforehand that you expect a bit of flexibility. The English/Foreign argument is simply racist, pure and simple. 'Coming over here and taking our jobs'.... takes me back to the 1970's!!

The employer/employee relationship is always going to be a bit diferent when your 'product' is a living breathing child. Personally I wouldn't want one other person taking over the 'mummy' role with my children, which is why I have chosen a day nursery (plus can't afford nannies). BUT I totally accept that for some mothers a nanny is the only viable option.

I'm sure there are lots of employers who treat their nannies like slaves, and lots of nannies who are a waste of space, but doubt if it has much to do with nationality!

Hmmmmmm
I am wondering the same.
Why is a british nanny better than say a croatian

well said wordsmith

What about Welsh nannies? Would you pay more for a nanny who can teach your child Welsh?

No, jothorpe, if I lived in Wales I would expect them to learn Welsh at school. I doubt if 'foreign' nannies actually teach their charges their mother tongue, it would be more along the lines of picking it up through casual chat, I would think. A bit like my friend married to a Spaniard, whose 2 boys are can get by in Spanish - their father speaks to them in both languages. What's so unusual about that?

Mind you having your kids speaking a language you can't understand can eb a drawback. One friend moved to Amsterdam when her kids were 8 and 3. As everyone in Holland understands English, she didn't have to bother learning Dutch... until her kids, fluent in the lanugage after a couple of years in school, realised they could have 'secret conversations' in front of her!!!

YEs, I would pay more for Welsh. It wouldn't be my first choice but exposing a toddler to any second language is good for his/her development. Personally, I like German, Italian, Chinese would be great. Basically I would look for languages that in spoken in areas that are likely to have big economies when my kids are old enough to have jobs. This is perhpas a bit too much planning. I'm not so keen on French because they will learn that in school anyway.

Oh, and it's better yet if the foreign language is their mother tongue because then they probably speak it well and with the correct acccent.

choosing a nanny is a very personal thing between nanny and family. as long as both parties are happy with the agreement of pay, duties (and even what language they speak to them in??)then who are you or i to but in to their arrangement. too many people are becoming too opinionated and agressive and we are all forgeting that we are talking about childrens well being here. It's a shame that things have to be like that.

If you don't mind i don't want to listen to anymore opinions on this subject tbh. i'll make sure i'm happy and the family i work with are happy but most of all the children involved are happy and that is all there is to it.

I do my job because i love it. i don't want to accept wages that some aupairs accept because it would have to mean a change in my career in order to pay the mortgage.

Hope every one calms down and the thread can remain polite and bear in mind who this thread is really about.

Good for you nannyjo - I couldn't look after someone else's kids all day, I can only stick it with mine because I love them!

However when I worked in an office with other people I often did things I wasn't paid for, like working late, making the tea, taking work home, helping out other people when they were overloaded, and vice versa. I dind't stamp my foot and say it wasn't my job. I think mutual respect is the key, and if you are getting that then I doubt if you would find it a problem.