Should we pay our nanny extra for accompanying us on holiday?

[neverquitesure]

Question for nannies and/or parents who employ nannies -

We'd like to ask our nanny to come on holiday with us in August. She usually works a 10 hour day and we'd not need her to work any longer/later than this whilst away (in fact, probably significantly less). However, whilst she could do as she liked when 'off duty' it's not really the same as being at home is it? Should we offer her more money for the evenings she'd be away from home?

I think it probably depends on how attractive the holiday proposition is. Are you going to be stuck in a cottage in the middle of nowhere in the UK or are you whisking her off to a lovely Mediterranean resort with lots of glam nightlife that she will be able to enjoy?

Does she have a boyfriend/husband at home or is she single?

Well I would pay her the same as usual, plus her flights and meals but give her no guilt trip at all about not coming. If she came, I wouldn't expect her to take it out of holiday allowance either. But that is just me, not sure what the 'rules' are.

I owuld pay the same, for the same hours (technically - as oyu say, she is likely to do less overall)

flights/costs associated with holiday are a given, surely? and food also (not sure what ot do about food when off duty - is your nanny live in, or daily?) - food costs possibly very different when on holiday.

agree it depends on where you will be - somewhere she can get about with ease? with everything on the doorstep? or will she need ot be put on the hire car as a named driver?

absolutely this wouldn't come off her holiday - this is normal work for her.

Thanks for the replies!

It's only a 4 night break at Centre Parcs - the glam holiday is later in the year

50% of her paid holiday days are taken on days/times requested by us - including (currently) the days covered by this holiday. I was planning on asking her if she'd like to come too (like StarOfValkyrie says - no guilt trip if not) and offering her the option of either

a) reclaiming the paid holiday days she would have taken for later use when she wants, or..

b) treating the holiday as overtime (e.g. getting paid on top of her holiday pay as she's saving up at the moment so might prefer the extra money)

We could offer to pay for spa entry so she'd have something to do when not working. However, she's a day nanny and has friends, boyfriend etc outside of work so sitting in the middle of a forest is prob still not how she'd choose to spend her evenings!

I think that sounds very reasonable and fair tbh. At least it is a reasonable thing to put to her without feeling awkward. If she umms and ahhhs and you suddenly panic that you really really want her there you can negotiate, but I understand that you don't want the initial offer to be insulting and it isn't.

I never get paid extra when I am on holidays with my work family.
Does anyone get anything extra in other jobs if they have to go away (e.g conferences)? Not to my knowledge.
I work my normal hours. Get extra for extra work and if I am there on a weekend then my bosses pay for a train trip and hostel accommodation and a little bit of spending money for me. It works out cheaper then paying me for the whole weekend. I get a little trip free and everyone is happy.

Thanks - that's put my mind at ease a bit. It's no big deal if she doesn't want to come, just thought it might be nice to have a bit of help in the mornings and before dinner, plus the odd hour here and there to enable us to spend some one-on-one time with our older DC.

I think the main thing is to make sure she doesn't feel at all pressured into it. I think we get a few day passes with our booking so we could always ask if she wanted to ask some of her friends up for the day.

Is it over a weekend? And does she have any travel in her contract?

If you were insisting she comes and it's not in her contract, I would expect extra pay to compensate for the inconvenience of being away from home tbh. If she can choose whether to come or not though, and it would come out of your holiday choice if not, then I think normal pay is fine.

Hi Missus84, good point! Contract states that she is "required to work at the employer?s home and/or any such place that the employer may reasonably require from time to time" and that her duties include "occasional babysitting/additional hours at dates and times agreed in advance by both the employee and employer. This may include accompanying the family on holidays". She'd have to take her own car but we pay a fairly generous mileage allowance (40p/mile) and it's not over a weekend.

She's an excellent nanny and I'm just really keen to make sure she feels valued and stays with us!

4-nights at Center Parcs is usually Midweek (so arrival Monday, depart Friday).
I expect the plan would be for the nanny to have their own room in the villa - which would work fine, though as with any live-in position getting the children used to nanny being on/off duty could be an issue. However your nanny may be very flexible and not mind helping out as and when needed, rather than strictly during the hours they would normally do.

Some perks the nanny may well like are things like a Spa Sauna session (6pm-9pm slot I tend to like best, it's also the cheapest). Your nanny may well like to do some other activities as well - either on their own or with one of your children. For example Canoeing on the lake, treetreking, zip wire, rock climbing, low ropes (Action Challenge).

Consider how you would be doing food - if self catering all the time, who would be doing the cooking, the shopping etc. I would suggest that nanny gets all food provided for them whilst on and off duty. Extras like alcohol are for the nanny to buy - also that raises a question... would nanny be permitted to drink alcohol when off duty?

Has your nanny been to Center Parcs before? If they have then they will already know what to expect, whereas if they haven't they may be wondering what they have let themselves in for.

Technology wise, make nanny aware that they probably won't get their own TV (or are you offering the nanny the master bedroom? Note: check your villa type for details of what is available as they do vary), that mobile phones often don't work, and WiFi isn't available in the villa (unless you are in Executive).

Consider how your nanny would get to and from the particular Center Parcs you are going to (I'm a frequent visitor to CP Longleat). Would they be travelling with you, or would they make their own way there? Personally when going to help a family I find it better to get there under my own steam... as then I can arrive at whatever time I like prior to 3pm (usual time for villa access). If nanny drives, consider what you will do about mileage payment... would you pay that on top of the physical hours, or would you say as childcare wasn't actually being done during the travel time that you would pay the daily rate for that day (even though that first day is 3pm to say 7pm) and the remaining salary for that day was to compensate for the travel cost and travel time. How far would nanny be travelling... for me CP Longleat is under a 2 hour drive, the CP you are going to may be quite some distance from your home.

ask and see what she says

i would want a bit extra for inconvienace (sp) of being away from home/boyfriend etc plus even though your nanny isnt techinally working after 6pm she will still be around and prob not much for her to do on her own iyswim

tho a spa pass sounds nice

its a shame that she cant travel with you, but then again does mean she has her car if she needs to escape in the evening and find a starbucks/wifi

but yes if my mb asked me this, i would happily go

where is the exotic/glam holiday later? carribean?

My situation is a little different in that travel and extended stays abroad are integral to my position so I do not receive extra pay for this (it's in the original salary IYSWIM). However, I do get all meals provided when away from home, and I don't pay for anything at all apart from my own activities when I am off duty. If you are offering her a shorter than usual day, and maybe a spa pass, I think her usual pay would be enough. It's 4 days, not 4 weeks (my usual time away) and even if she works it is still a nice short break from the norm.

I have had in my contract a nightly supplement for being away (when I was live out) but if it's not in your contract then what you're proposing sounds fine - normal pay, slightly fewer hours, option of overtime or banked holiday and a couple of perks.

It sounds like you appreciate her which is the important thing!

frakkit - can I ask how much the supplement was?

I had £20 a night on the footing that I still had to pay rent and bills (house share) that I wasn't using and the rent wasn't cheap! Plus it was inconvenient...

I'm a nanny but haven't had a position that has required me to travel with the family. If I did I think I would negotiate a nightly supplement for being away like frakkit - on the basis that it is not my chosen way to spend my free time. I have a husband and children and would rather be at home with them than on my own some distance away. But if I was away with the family I would cetainly offer the odd extra evening of babysitting and wouldn't be counting my hours to make sure that I was only working what I was contracted for.

Thanks frakkit and nbee84 - this is good to know. I think it's perhaps because our nanny is paid by the hour, but is somehow feels wrong not to be offering any extra for overnight stays. She has other nanny friends and I'd hate for her to be chatting to them and it to come out that they are getting paid extra IYKWIM.