Paying the nanny extra?

[LouLovesAeroplaneJelly]

Hypothetical situation here:
If you and your DH were going away for a week leaving the(4)kids with the nanny for the week and she offered to take them away so they would not be hanging around the house over half term, would you give her anything extra in financial compensation? She would not have any time off at all over the week.
Thanks

Poor you when you are trying to do the right thing. Can't be just about the money or they wouldn't have agreed to cost of the trip, so go for it. Could you agree dif day rate for now and future when 24 hr care crops up so this doesn't happen every time. Good luck & let us know what happens.

def grow some balls!!

tbh all the time you let your mb/db take the piss and say nothing, then they will pay you late, not pay you for over time etc

thank godness i have lovely appreicative bosses

I'm confused. If you were not going on this holiday, would the parents be at home overnight with the kids as usual??

I think the parents are going away alone.

Don't think so Squiffy - think Lou would be doing 24/7 care for no extra money either way.

hi when i was a nanny 10yrs ago i was paid an extra 20.00 a day my normal hours were 11-7.you def should be paid extra.even when i lived in i was paid when parents went away on holiday,and i got paid extra if i went on holiday with them too!

"If you and your DH were going away for a week leaving the(4)kids with the nanny for the week"

think lou means that mb/db are going away and instead of lou looking after charges at home, she wants to take them away

regardless of WHERE she is, lou is still looking after them alone 24hrs a day

so needs to be paid extra

There are two issues here (as has already been pointed out).

1. Extra money for working through the night every night for a week. Yes, of course you should have a regular overnight charge. SOmetimes DH an dI both travel for work and on those occassions our live-in nanny receives a pre determined over night fee.

1. If in this time you take the kids away to go camping, should that parents pay all the expenses, and maybe more for your added responsibility. I think this one depends entirely on whose idea it is. If the parents specifically asked you to take them on this holiday then yes, absolutely, they should cover the expenses, including yours. If, however, it is your suggestions I think it's fine for you to propose but ask them how they felt about covering the costs. And if they say no you guys can just stay home then that is also a reasonable response.

The problem I have is that I simply cannot for the life of me work out how the whole thing started. If you forget the 'going away' bit, there must have been a convo which went "We're going away for a week over half term, leaving the kids with you for the week. Is that OK?" without also specifying that it would mean an extra payment of £X. Which just doesn't make sense to me.

Yes, there are lots of people who often work away on business (I do for one) but I reckon they would always have clear payment policies in place; then there are the people who have one-off breaks every now and then to treat themselves, but it would be really odd for that kind of thing to be arranged over half term and for a whole week? So I am confused as to how this all came about. Unless the parents were planning on being at home as usual and then after the nanny offered to take them away they then booked a holiday themselves or something....that's the only way it makes sense to me.

And if that is what happened, then I take a different view to those on here - I would absolutely give the nanny more money as a bonus (probably an awful lot more, as this does go beyond the call of duty) , but I would be mightily p**d off if the nanny asked upfront for a payment. That would change the whole nature of what had been offered in my eyes and would sour it a little.

Squiffy, If I remember correctly, these particular parents have an established history of taking the mick, and this nanny has put up with it.

indeed athene

lou works 12hrs but often should finish at 7 and as she lives in her mb take the piss and might not be home till 10pm/midnight

unfortunally lou lets them get away with it, and doesnt say anything - bless her

I probably wouldn't ask this of a nanny, because frankly they work hard enough as it is, but if I did, I would expect to pay 50% extra net for that week, plus I would give the nanny a big expenses budget so everyone could live it large including her, plus money for a Haven babysitter one night so she could get out at least once while she was there, plus I would probably prostrate myself humbly in utter gratitude there and then as I have had 2 nights off with DH in 10 years.

At least, the nanny should be paid extra for the extra hours (hourly rate for the hours between 7pm and when all children are asleep, then overnight rate), plus all travel and holiday expenses paid.

The parents are lovely and have done nice things for me in the past but money has always been as issue. I know I put up with a lot but it is hard to find a good position at the moment with so many nannies job hunting and I really lkie the area I live in so that is why I stay (oh also the fact that I have full control over everything - I run the household which make life so much easier).

As for how the holdiay started, I was under the impression that it was only for the long weekend not the whole week. I offered to take them away for a weekend and then it turned into a week. The parents are fine and happy that I am taking them away. They are somewhat jealous (although not sure why as they are going to Boston). I will leave it and see what happens this week and maybe broach the subject gently.

Lou - I know someone who is looking for a live-in nanny in London, if you are wanting a change - it must be draining to be in your position - especially if you know money for them is tight (that turns it into your guilt, which isn't fair). Mind you, Boston probably doesn't come cheap....

Send me a mail on lisa AT gk66 DOT com if you might be interested and I will put you in touch with them.

bugger broaching it gently!

you are doing x amount of "extra" hours, and care they need to pay you for it!

also there will be extra costs while you and the children are on holiday food / snacks and what not
so they will need "spending money" on top

Money is not tight! They are not rolling in it but they are in no way struggling.

I agree with RachieB, don't just 'leave it' and certainly don't 'broach it gently'! This needs sorting! I'd just sit down with them and say you'd like to discuss how you will be paid for the extra time you are doing while they are away, and also to discuss the costs of taking the children away.

couldnt agree more

lou is working extra hours, therefore she needs to be paid

end of!!

jura - why did you pay your nanny AND give her time off?

if my guys go away (im PP this weekend) then obv i get paid (and well paid) but i wouldnt expect time off as well

well i get monday off as it is bhm

hard cow - never!!

So, Lou, any chance you might fancy Sunbury? I have a position opening in July. It come with a membership to Amida.

Or rather: www.amidaclubs.com/home/hampton

...must add to the general feeling that you should do something about your situation.

Working alone for long hours with only your employers' perspectives around you can (IME) easily distort the fair and reasonable expectation that employers pay you properly without reminding.

There may be positives in your job but are you really content with the fact you aren't being paid for your (usual) work time, let alone the 24 hours? It is so important that you talk to the parents. Just because you haven't so far doesn't mean you can't now.

They might realise what they have been doing to you and sort themselves out but if you have to leave and you are a good, caring, hard working (obviously) nanny there really are plently of positions out there for you.