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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

Help - Nanny pay increase? Yes or No? I need your views!

92 replies

LittleOneMum · 02/03/2009 14:48

I have a truly wonderful nanny. She's been with us ten months now and looks after our DS (17 months). I live in central London and pay her £450 a week net. She's my first ever nanny and now it's coming up to the one year stage and I need to decide whether to increase her salary at that time. I'm not currently minded to, for the following reasons:
(1) I pay her for 52 weeks a year but give her ten weeks holiday (all paid) - two of them are her choice
(2) In return for the extra holiday her contract provides that I can ask her to babysit twice a month but I've asked her literally 3 times (and have always paid her extra for this)
(3) She works 8.15 to 5.30pm despite her contracted hours being longer; and
(4) I'm thinking of having another DC at some point in the next 12 months and would obviously put her salary up then and don't want to have to put it up twice

BUT I'm very keen to treat her like gold as she is fab and i don't want to annoy her at all. What should I do? Maybe I should take the babysitting clause out of the contract and agree always to pay her extra?

What is the fair thing to do? That's really what I am asking.

OP posts:

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lufloo · 23/04/2009 15:21

I think she's trying to negotiate and I imagine she has no expectation of actually getting the full £500.

most contracts have a clause implying that there will be an annual pay increase and the fair and just thing is to increase her pay somewhat. this does not have to be in the region she is asking however.

In some ways i think you have made a rod for your own back; you are not expecting her to fulfill her obligations in her contract, but you will find it difficult to cut her hours or holiday as you will need to renegotiate the entire contract now. What you need to do is pay her a little more, but expect more from her. As long as she is performing 'nursey duties' you can have her do more cleaning, tidying, ironing, food preparation etc. I work from home (running my own business)but my nanny works all the contracted hours regardless of whether I am actually working or not. I have her shop for the children's food and clothes, hear them read etc, etc.

You need to negotiate a payrise you are more comfortable with, but think about your child - if she's a good nanny and your LO has formed a bond isn't she worth hanging on to?

orangina · 23/04/2009 15:28

i think she is taking advantage of what is clearly your good nature. This is nuts money, especially in this climate. She will realise that you want to keep her and not lose her, and is trying it on.

VictorVictoria · 23/04/2009 15:30

I am currently interviewing for a long hours, sole charge of 3 children job in central London. I expect to pay 500-550 a week for a 55 hour week, 3 children, very experienced nanny. all the agencies have told me that is reasonable and I have had no shortage of candidates.

She is waaaaaay off the mark.

orangina · 23/04/2009 15:33

(waves at vv again)

VictorVictoria · 23/04/2009 15:34

(waves back!)

Blondeshavemorefun · 23/04/2009 15:34

i will add, that my contract says payrise and not pay review,and tech they could give me 1p extra - it is still a rise

victorvictoria - i rem reading you are looking for a new nanny, and from what you have put in your previous threads, sure you will find one who appreicates you,as much as you appreicate your nanny

orangina · 23/04/2009 15:35

We gave our nanny a 5% rise this year, despite both dh and I being self employed (and getting no bonus or payrise ourselves) as we want her to feel appreciated. She was thrilled and really surprised. She really DIDN'T expect it.

VictorVictoria · 23/04/2009 15:36

How nice of you to say that. WE are very sad to say goodbye to our nanny of 4 years but she is leaving on a high note - she wants to come back and look after the children if we ever go away for the weekend etc etc which is lovely. She has just had enough of the long days and wants to see the world a bit.

VictorVictoria · 23/04/2009 15:37

I should also say that my nannyb started on a LOT less, never asked for a payrise and we tended to give her bonuses instead of big rises for a good job well done. We did give her a small rise this despite the fact I got NO payrise and a bIIIIIIIIIIG reduction in my bonus.

Blondeshavemorefun · 23/04/2009 15:41

and thats why she stayed for 4 years - she found a nice family

Gangle · 23/04/2009 15:42

We live in central London and share a nanny with another family. She looks after DS, 12 months and another boy of the same age. She works from 8.30 -6.30 5 days per week and is paid £500 per week net. We did a lot of research with agencies and other families at it came out that £500 per week was really the minimum she should be paid but that this applies if they look after 1 child or 3. She was initially on £450 per week and we increased because we realised we were paying way below market rate and didn't want to lose her as she is fab and we could see how hard she was working. She has no experience as a nanny but worked for 7 years in a nursery and does a brilliant job. However, your nanny is working shorter hours and gets loads more holiday than ours so I think you are justified in paying her less.

VictorVictoria · 23/04/2009 15:45

I think a nanny share like that should command slightly more money as well because of the added complications etc of working for 2 bosses.

Gangle · 23/04/2009 15:54

VV, do you think £500 is not enough?? If it helps, she only cooks one meal a day, doesn't do laundry and the houses are only 2 streets apart.

VictorVictoria · 23/04/2009 16:04

No I think 500 IS enough as it is only a 10 hour day and so you are paying more per hour than I think the going rate is for a sole charge single family job (my job is 55 hours a week so 500 - which is the bottom of my expected range to have to pay - is rather less than 10 net an hour)

callaird · 23/04/2009 16:58

I got a 13% payrise this year, was very shocked, with the economic climate the way it is wouldn't have worried if I hadn't got a payrise right now, that is, if they wanted to put it off a few months to see how the credit crunch was going.

I have been a nanny for 23 years, I have never had such a large payrise. Usually around 3-5%. One job I had £1.36 a week payrise!!

I think your nanny is being greedy. I don't know how old she is but that is an amazing amount of money!! Especially with 10 weeks holiday a year and the economy the way it is. I have heard of nannies (and other employees) having to take a pay cut as the employers cannot afford to keep them on at their current wage, so many people are agreeing to this so they have a job at the end of it and (hopefully) when the climate changes they will be compensated in some way for sticking with them!

I am really gob-smacked that she want £100 a week payrise in the next year (assuming you do have another baby!) a nanny does not get to decide how much of a payrise (increase for extra charges) she gets, that is all your decision and she is rude!!

willowthewispa · 23/04/2009 18:34

I think she's being a bit silly and naive, and clumsily trying to negotiate. There's also no reason to increase her pay so dramatically if you have another child. I'm a nanny with three charges, and I'd be on less than she is now full time (though outside London). My last job in London was with one child and I was on £400 net a week.

luckynanny · 23/04/2009 20:14

She is either naive or greedy.

I dont expect a raise when a new baby comes though have always had one.But I would never demand one esp when it puts her at the very high end of the pay scale.
I would maybe increase her wage to 470net a wk and say thats that.If you have another baby maybe consider 500 but she is then onto a good one

PixiNanny · 24/04/2009 00:37

She's flipping mental. Even the more experienced nannies aren't getting that sometimes! She's been taking you for a ride considering how much time you give her off and the wage and that pay rise is taking the mick!

I have 3/4 years experience with kids and am a live-in and technically earning £4-5 an hour as I study for an NVQ 3 (I have cushty hours too, school aged kids with lots of clubs and things).

So many more experienced nannies would take that role you have her in happily, and, not being funny, but she probably knows that she's got this one in the bag and that's why she's trying to push for £500, do not give it to her! She won't leave because she knows she's got a good deal going already!

bertieboo · 24/04/2009 09:05

Dont give in. I had a great nanny, who started with me when my DD was 3 months old. Sole charge, working 6.30 - 5.30

As a live in I paid her £350 a week, but after a year she decided she wanted to live out so she could meet more people. As I was desperate to keep her I agreed and also agreed to her £500 p/w salary increase.

Anyway in Feb, she decided she wanted to stop being a nanny and try another career.
I was gutted as she had been my DD main carer for so long, and I had done everything I could to make her happy and keep her. This wasnt enough for her. But, when I started looking I found the talent and nanny pool greater than when I had originally searched 1.5yrs previously. I found a brilliant replacement within a week.

My new nanny lives in (much better for my husband and I who both work long hours), is amazing with my DD, who now at 22mths says please, thank you and sorry without being prompted. She also never stops working, I literally have to force her to sit down and take a break.

My ex nanny? Well she has realised that unfortunately everything I said about the job market wasnt me scare-mongering, but the truth. She is now in the unfortunate position of having to return to London and find a job as a nanny, at a time when all my friends across all industry sectors are losing jobs, taking pay cuts and certainly in no position to pay top whack for childcare.

So to the OP I say, take a chance and you may find someone better than your current nanny - as amazing as you think she is.

Good Luck.

HarrietTheSpy · 24/04/2009 11:17

Rising to £550?! Has she connected that net figure with what you would be paying her gross yearly? You would be looking at in the region of £800 per week for childcare, with tax and NI. I have no idea of your personal circumstances but it does seem she feels she can push the envelope with you. Cheeky, with that level of experience and given the duties you describe.

There are loads of lovely nannies out there. In your shoes, I would be calling her bluff.

RachieB · 24/04/2009 15:05

I agree with simplyme

".... I think she is being a bit of a greedy cow myself!! She sounds to me like she has a very very cushy job!! Short hours for a nanny - a ton of holiday. Ok so she might only choose 2 weeks but I know I wouldn't say no to an extra 8 weeks even if I didn't get to choose them! she is already on a great salary particularly for her experience level ....
you spoil her maybe a bit too much already by not sticking to the contract and making her babysit unpaid .... with a job like you are offering she would be a fool to leave you! .... "

frannikin · 24/04/2009 16:54

She's crazy. 1 child, nice hours, nice holidays, nice pay already - don't go up yet. Say you won't raise now but will if/when DC2 comes along. For 3 year experience she has a damned good deal and I think she's being unrealistic in her expectations.

You can probably get a more experienced nanny for her current salary in the current climate too and she'll find it hard to find another job in London with those conditions (or overseas for that matter).

Kitsilano · 06/05/2009 11:38

What was the end result?

FabulousBakerGirl · 06/05/2009 11:43

I nannied a while ago. Got an annual payrise and one fmaily (I did a share) gave me a bonus as the other family didn't want to pay me as much as the bonus family.

I think this nanny is on to a very good deal - not all through her own doing - and asking for £500 a week is very cheeky.

tommypickles · 06/05/2009 12:13

You already pay her sooooooooo much, as a childinder for the same hours and also 1 child I get paid £225 a week so she gets double. And I don't charge for my hols, she's already onto a winner!!

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