Advice on contract and house/ground rules for first time nanny employer?

[BrandyAlexander]

I have made a an offer to someone to come and be a live in nanny caring for my baby daughter in a few weeks time. I have been sent a draft contract by the agency. As i need to amend it anyway, I would be grateful if more experienced hands could give me tips for things I need to consider including in the contract or things i need to watch out for.

Second question is that I have started thinking about house/ground rules and again would appreciate any advice as to the kind of things i should consider including in there.

Thanks for your help!

Dont use my perfume
Dont sleep with my husband
LOL

Be clear as to their hours of work, duties required.
Set out clearly how much holiday you are providing (5.6 weeks is the entitlement for a full-time employee in the UK as of April 2009), how much notice they need to give to take holiday.

I've not done live-in work... but I suspect you may have potential issues with Guests visting... so having something about visitors in the contract may be useful. For example that you need to be consulted prior to guests visiting, that no one is to stay over night (or can only do so with your permission).

Depending on what you have on offer, you may want to include details about the use of facilities - such as the swimming pool is for family use at weekends, though if nanny is around they are welcome to use it, subject to prior approval. Personal usage of car outside of their working hours - you may want to restrict that usage, or want them to pay all fuel costs.

put a search in on google as you should find something -that is where we got our ideas for our live out (although it only really covered the stuff nannynick mentioned).

Thanks everyone!

Thank you so much Jura, I will CAT you if you don't mind.

Am now trying to run through different situations........Do you (or anyone else reading) know what the norm is in the following situations: what happens if the nanny breaks/damages anything within the home? Also if she were to do sometihng that were to cause our insurance premiums to go up either in the home or on the car?

Not sure if it is legal...but it might be that you put in place some ground rules that are really importnat to you now...but that you review on a monthly basis...as this can be so individual that it can be impossible to predict what issues come up and also you dont want to stress the relationship at the start with a list of things that may never be an issue for that individual...for example one of my nannies used to serve supper at 530 which meant she didnt have time to clear up before she left at 6..and I had to do it!
They also get shirty about things "outside" of remit. One of my friends asked her nanny to pick up some light bulbs on the way back from playgroup -- she refused!!...

Jura - thanks, I didnt think of the parking ticket point!

Mulrano - thanks, we will be having a 3 month probation period followed by 6 monthly reviews, so I will use that opprtunity to update and amend the handbook as my daughter grows up and as we get used to have a nanny.

Its all very nerve wracking and my house suddenly feels smaller since we made the job offer! I wonder if everyone else feels like this the first time?

Reference the house rules in the contract thereby making them contractually binding and ignoring them fair game for disciplinary action.

Write a fixed term contract so you have the option to let it expire at the end of the year rather than having to make her redundant of fire her if it isn't working out.

Make a list of everything that could make you so mad you want her out of the house, and put it down as grounds for immediate dismissal with notice at employers discression. For example if you ask her not to have people over and you return from holiday to discover six cigarette burns in your £10,000 oriental rug, you might want to have something in the contract that allows you to say goodbye on the spot.

"For example if you ask her not to have people over and you return from holiday to discover six cigarette burns in your £10,000 oriental rug, you might want to have something in the contract that allows you to say goodbye on the spot."

My dad has an expensive persian rug which gave me a very entertaining mental image here

In regards to live-in, definately state somethign about guests, my employer simply said "You can have guests whenever, just let us know" so you could do the same, but if she starts to take the mick with it, then let her know (ie guests each weekend, therefore using up more food/etc) I know it sounds silly but prices go up. I offer to buy my own food when I have the boyfriend round and tend to try do that anyways (my employer is too nice, she'll tell me off for buying my own food!)