What does it mean when a nanny has a salary against her on an agency list?

[SycamoretreeIsVile]

I'm interviewing at the moment. I'm just a bit confused as to whether anyone really pays the 9 to 10 pounds and hour that they all have next to their names?

I understand it's all a negotiation as with all jobs - if I don't offer that then I risk losing the one I want etc, but I'd just love to know if other families are paying those prices in London?

I had a fabulous nanny 3 years ago (the only one I've had before) and because I was so naive, as was the mum in my share family, we ended up paying our nanny, who had amazing experience and was in her mid 30's and is still with the other share family, 8.50 and hour. Were we just lucky she liked us/wanted the job/needed the job? She'd been out of work for a few months...

I have actually stopped offering our nanny job as a per hour salary.

I just offer X per year (so say £24,000 for example).

I tell them what the expected hours are (like you'd do in any job).

No-one seems to have had an issue with that yet and I find it easier to manage. I always tell them what they can expect to get in their bank account per month (to help them work out how much it will be).

and don't forget you pay Employer's NI on top.

foxinsocks - I think it is great that you are doing it that way. I don't know why some nannies struggle with that concept.

Yep, employers shouldn't forget about Employers NI... it can be £2000-£3000 a year or more.

Tbh nannynick, you inspired me to do it . I know you've spoken at length about it on here and while I was interviewing, it just seemed so much more sensible.

I have also been thanked for doing it because it's more useful for mortgage decisions and rent letters etc. (I know you can convert from per hour salaries for this but they said it was just easier to waltz in and say I earn X a year).

Currently pay ours about £8.80 an hour net in London and in current market is pretty high end for folk we know; so do try and negotiate. Ours has over 10 yrs experience.

Am also a big fan of gross; the net thing drives me crazy!

Ladies - I've had a frank conversation (well, email conversation) with our nanny (yay me!).

She has been very honest and said her financial bottom line is 470/500 net per week.

Given the hours will be 8.30/7pm, what does 470 p/w net work out as, as a gross per hour?

She has said she can be flexible with this because we are looking for a share family down the line so this will bump her earnings up above and beyond her 500 top end.

To show good faith I want to offer her the lower end of what I know she will be comfortable with, with an assurance from her that the money will obviously go up once we're in the nanny share.

I may even offer a bonus incentive to her if she finds the family to share with as we'll all be better off when that happens.

She can't afford for us to do a four day week whilst it's just us, but she will if the other family need five days.

Nannynick, please work your magic - I probably need to offer her the job formally tomorrow - pending checking verbal refs and seeing the CRB.

K75 - Can I ask which compass point of London you're in?

Ok, have sussed for myself (stop sniggering) that her 470 net per week is my 12.05 p/h gross.

The one magic figure I don't have is what the 11 net p/h figure is in gross....I'll need to put this in the offer to show her how her earnings will increase.

I've tried to use the calculator but can't get it to give me the p/h gross sums.

Nanny nick, I realise you are not my personal accountant but I promise you this is the last maths question I will ask

And hey, you get to have converted one more parent/nanny combo to the gross salary cause!

Long may it ripple 'cross the nation

So you want 11 net per hour, 10.5 hours per day, 5 days per week.

2730 hours per year @ 11 net per hour = £30,030 net per year.

Now play with ListenToTaxman.com. £40,734 gross works out currently to be see calcs £30,030.11 net per year.
So 40734 (gross per year) / 2730 (hours per year) = £14.92 gross per hour.

This sounds like a lot of money to me... it's almost 50% more per hour than I get.

Does this compare well with local jobs in your area? Or is this nanny wanting more than others? If so, are they worth that?

Remember that come April tax rates will change. Therefore by agreeing a Gross wage, the nannies take home pay will also change. It could go up, or down depending on what happens with taxation rates. The nanny needs to understand that concept. They need to understand that you are guaranteeing to pay the Gross amount, not the net amount - as you can't foretell the future, you can't calculate how much £11 net per hour in a years time will cost you as the employer.

South West London but rates pretty consistent in South West (Fulham, Chelsea, South Ken etc) from colleagues I know. Ours does the "normal" London 55 hour week. I would have thought her request for £470 is ok; ours gets £485 net. Have a number of colleagues who pay £520/530 but that includes one night of babysitting a week.

Good luck.

The 11 p/h net figure will be for when she's looking after our family at the same time as another family with one child.

She will be getting the 9 p/h net/12 p/h gross figure for whilst she's just looking after our family.

Does that make sense?

Ok, I feel good about where I'm at now with the salary.

We're in West London, but further out than Notting Hill, not so far as Richmond/Kew, so I think to be paying in the ball park of what you are K feels right.

Nannynick - the share family situation will involve simultaneous care, rather then a split of hours per week. From what I can gather, you normally pay around 1.50 or 2.00 an hour more when it's a share working in this way.

Nannies doing a share often expect 50% more per hour.

Though my personal opinion is that an extra £2ph should be adequate for a share.

Thanks Nbee - I've been assured by the agencies that the shared p/h figure is acceptable for where we're at. TBH, 50 per cent more would make it beyond the reach of most families, and make the whole idea of the share virtually pointless (saving money)!

I work outside of London and rates around here are around the £8nph mark and for nanny shares the nannies seem to want £12nph. So only a saving of £2nph for the families in the share. Whilst I agree that the nanny should be paid more for a share job I think an extra £2ph is fair for both the nanny and the employer.

Oooh, she said yes, she said yes, she said yes!!!

Nannynick - another family and nanny converted to Gross Salary way of thinking.

Great news. Hope she works out well for you. Expect you will be posting again for advice on here soon, bound to be some things that come up.

I take it you are the proud mum... rather than me... as I can't be a proud mum, not having children myself and not being female.

No, I know you aren't a mum and aren't female!!! But, that's just the kind of emoticon I felt like handing to you.

Proud, erm, Uncle emoticon?? That any better?

Was going to post a really gushy thread extolling your general brilliance....to much, do you think?

Yes, that would be far too much

Oh, are you SURE?