need help on nanny decision

meg1974

I'm hiring a nanny to come to my home 2 days a week and watch DD#2 while I work from home. I interviewed someone, and I really like her. Her references were glowing, and she seems like a great fit. I found her through care.com, and I requested the basic background check from her. She wasn't comfortable doing it through them b/c she didn't want to give them her SSN. She offered to do the check through the police dept., but I feel bad making her pay for it (the basic check on care.com is free). 

WDYT? Should I make her do the background check through the police, or just hire her without it? How important is that?

 

lysetterae

I could see skipping it if she were a friend of a friend or someone recommended her to you.  Since you don't know here it might be wise to let her pay for it through the police department.  Although it's nice that she's offering & she'll have to pay for it, at least you'll have some peace of mind & feel comfortable with her being in your home & caring for your LO.

indytara

I think she should give the SSN to the background check co, I mean, since you are going to be her employer and if you were going to legally compensate her as such you will need her SSN for tax purposes.  If she were working for any other place she would be subject to the same practices, background check company and employer have SSNs...and they just flip burgers for minimum wage....

IMO, I would pay and do all the background check stuff myself.  Only because I would have control over the company, the information received, etc.  But I'm crazy about stuff like that...plus I'm married to a cop and the daughter in law of a lawyer.  I hear some CRRRRAZY stories about seemingly normal people that are actually quite dangerous and/or bonkers.

indytara

And also, as a former manager...references are not really a great barometer to see what a person/employee is like.  I mean, when people call to get references on my ex employees...without a signed consent form in my hand, I can't say anything bad about the person.  So even if I think they were undependable, had a crappy attitude, and would never ever hire them again...I usually can't say those things...because I don't want to get in trouble in case something I say comes back to me.

But all that being said.  Go with what you are comfortable with.  I like to believe that 90% on earth are good nice people who don't want to do any harm...and I'm sure everything will turn out just fine!

Dani0701

This is a complete stranger taking care of your precious little ones.  Make her pay for the check!  Piece of mind for you.

nebbiolo

I'm actually in the same exact boat as you - hiring someone to watch our LO 2/week while I work from home and I also found her through care.com. I was planning on doing my own background check though, rather than relying on care.com.  You don't know this person and you will be her employer, so I'm thinking you should also do your own background check.

I'm planning to pay for the check myself (with the mindset that my employer didn't make me pay for mine).

P.S I also don't put a lot of stock in references. I make it a point to state that whatever is said will be kept confidential, but again, people don't like to say anything negative. I like to ask them "If there was one thing you could change about the person, what would it be?" - sometimes it forces them to speak up!

 

healthybabies

You *must* do a background check. I work full time and my twins stay at home with our nanny (who is by the way - absolutely wonderful; she has become a part of the family). We found her through care.com.

A basic check isn't really sufficient for a nanny, in my opinion. I'd spend the money to do a full blown background check. I would not make her pay for it, since I feel that's an employer's responsibility. My employer paid for their check on me.

To reiterate a point made earlier, assuming you are paying her by check, you will need her social security to pay employment taxes.