what would you pay for this?

[LouIsOnAHighwayToHell]

I was wondering how much nany employers would pay a live in nanny who:

Started work at 7am and finished at 10:30pm
Looked after 4 school aged children (some who are home at 1pm)
Was on call all day
Did all cooking, childrens washing and cleaning, errands (getting new car tyres, picking up drycleaning, fixing leaking toilets etc), cleaned the kitchen, lounge and kids bathroom and toilets, drove kids everywhere.
Did the shopping
Literally ran your household for you

I need to renegotiate my contract and would like to hear what others would pay.

Many thanks

Lordy

You work some long long hours

You are surely more than a nanny, more a Major Domo?

Anyhoo, bumping for you

How many days per week?

What country? - in England there is no National Minimum Wage for live-in employees.

Isn't that called being married?

You don't get paid for it

IMO no amount of money could really compensate on beginning at 7am and going off duty at 10pm...

But since you're already doing it, a bare minimum of 500 pounds a week - regardless of experience, even more if you've some/a lot!!

Are you in a position to renegotiate your contract? Assuming you are the nanny/house keeper then your employer decides how much they are prepared to pay and you accept the job on the terms as stated.

You could ask for a rise I suppose. You could look for other work.

Live-in staff can get paid anything from say £60 a week, to £400... maybe more. It depends on what the employer (parents) feels the job is worth and what the applicant accepts when they take the job.

It has gradually snowballed into all listed above. Bit by bit it crept until I only realised how much I do and how little time I get to myself.

I live and work in London.

My employer (well one half of them) is moving back to the family house after living abroad for a few years and I am being asked if I would like to live out. I can't go on doing the hours I do and live out. I have no life but the only reason I stayed is that I like the area, the family are nice and I was stuck in a rut. I guess now it is all coming to a head.

As for experience, I am a qualilfied nanny (plus a undergrad and post grad degree in history/law and I am 30).

Is their any point living out working those hours, I would resent paying rent on a place that I never spent time in. If they still expect you to cover those duties and working times I think you really need to live in. Otherwise as you say perhaps things are coming to a head and its time for a change.

From your other posts, I would say you need to look at moving on.

You are 30 and you don't own your own property yet, in this country or your home country. You have said you don't want to move back home as you would be initially living with your parents... though not sure how that would be that much different to doing your current live in job, you don't seem to have much time to do anything outside of work... are reliant on someone else for the roof over your head etc.

I feel it's time you need to consider what it is you want to do.

Do you want to live permanently in this country, or do you want to live elsewhere?
Do you want to work in childcare, or in something else (perhaps related to your degrees)?
If you do want to work in childcare, is being a nanny what you want to do or are there other things you want to do, either here or back home?

Presuming you want to remain in the UK, I would say it's time to move on and get a place of your own to live and a live-out job - be that nannying or otherwise.

Wow, you work really hard! I hope the family appreciate you.

Do you think with both parents home they will want you to keep doing all these duties/hours, or will it get easier/worse?

Have you met the other parent? Would you still want to live-in when they come home?

Think your point about hours/living-out etc makes perfect sense and I'm sure if you explained this then it would to your employers too.

Could you put your new list of 'duties' in writing, so its clear, and see what they think? Maybe adding something about how much you've enjoyed working with them/love the DC, but that the unsociable hours have impacted on your social life etc. At the very least you should be able to negotiate shorter hours/raise.

Good luck!

I was going to say "breach of the working time directive" but having checked - there are only four exemptions and one is "a domestic servant in private houses".

Are you working five days a week as this seems to be 70+ hours a week - well above the 48 hour limit of the directive.

What everything Nick says is very true. I am trying to get back into my old job in Australia (paramedic) so there is no point going back yet until I have a job to go to. Oh I could get any old job but I don't want to. I don't want to stay in the UK permanantly either.

I have met the other parent. He comes home only on weekends. I know the family appreciate me but never to my face. They tell everyone else so I hear it third hand.

I was only going to be in the UK for a year but I wanted to travel more so I stayed (hence not buying property etc)

I take an hour a day to go to the gym and that is all I really do for myself. I can't pop into London as I need to be near home and school in case of illness etc

I have got myself into this situation unfortunately and am now stuck.

I don't understand. You're NOT stuck. The great thing about being an employee rather than an employer is that employees can walk away without giving any reasons. Why don't you just get a different job? Alternatively, just refuse to do the things that are beyond your contract.

I meant stuck with the situation I have created. Not saying no when I should have and it has steamrolled into this job.

I can leave anytime I know. I am heading home for two weeks in two weeks so will make a decision then.

Sounds like you need to have a sit down and put your cards on the table. I'm sure there would be plenty of other opportunities in London i you don't manage to get adecent review of what ou are worth - or to have your hours scaled down a bit.

By the way - Do you have a time limit when your current visa runs out and you have to go back to Australia anyway?

I have a UK passport so I have no limitations at all. I am just heading back to see the family really.

I do need to sit down with them. I think I will tell them I am considering my options and tell them what I want. Let them think about it while I am gone (see how much they cope without me for 3 weeks) and then we can discuss it when I return. Both bosses will be in the house by then.

Thank you all. I know what I need to do. I guess I just needed people to give me a kick up the bum.

Actually Dad, some of the provisions of the Working Time Regulations do apply to 'domestic servants'.

For example:

10. • (1) An adult worker is entitled to a rest period of not less than eleven consecutive hours in each 24-hour period during which he works for his employer.

Hands up who's never broken that one?

Really!! I too thought that did not apply as I was considered a domestic servant (how below stairs ).

if bs/working late then wont get 11 hrs off

lou, you do manic hours, but i have always said that

obv depending on what you earn now, but if around 300/400 then doubt your employers will pay another £100/200 a week nett, let alone the tax and ni on top

but def worth an ask, maybe if moved out you would do 7-7?

10. • (1) An adult worker is entitled to a rest period of not less than eleven consecutive hours in each 24-hour period during which he works for his employer

Ah, but their is a way around this one, as when did the 24 hours start! currently going through this with my own employer

Lou, can I be crude and enquire, what ARE you currently paid? I am intrigued! Those are some serious hours!

I brought it up with my boss today and she turned into onto herself saying she did not like working the long hours etc.. Yes I understand that but you have a choice when to leave. I do not. I just cant walk out on 4 kids.

I am paid the measly sum of 355/week

Could you get a nannying job in Australia and from there sort out getting back to being a paramedic? I'm sure you've already considered it, but honestly your job sounds crazy. You deserve a life of your own.

Nannying in Australia is still quite in its infant stage. Not much full time work really and bad pay compared to here.

In a strange twist of fate I heard from the ambulance service today application is going through so I could be home as soon as 6 months!!

So with that in mind I might just tough it out, get a great reference and save money as I have no life.

Fab news bout ambulance. Def worth sticking it out fir 6mths xx