WWYD re nanny vacation pay

emberlee3 · June 2014

We are hiring a nanny for the school year. The nanny will be paid hourly. There will be up to a week per month that I won't need her at all (with plenty of advance notice to nanny so she can travel or take temp jobs). Other weeks will be in the 50 hour range, so she will be paid overtime.

How would you handle vacation and holidays? Would you give a week of paid vacation? Would you give paid holidays?

Amelia4 · June 2014

I would give paid holidays and I would do at least a week paid vacation as well. I'm inclined to say that you should hire her for a set amount per week, plus overtime if applicable, and then pay her the base rate for the weeks you don't need her, too. On those weeks, I'd use her to watch the kids while I ran errands and did other things, so I'd continue to use her, but just to a lesser extent. Though I know that can be pricey if you don't really need her one week a month.

Sept07b2b · June 2014

I think it's pretty standard to offer 2 weeks paid vacation and the major holidays, but one of the vacation weeks being your choosing (when you go on vacation or when you don't need her). Presumably, when you hire her, you will discuss the fact that you won't need her one week per month or whatever it might be, and she will accept the job on those conditions. Hopefully you will find someone who wants that kind of arrangement, so it won't be weird that you aren't paying her for full-time work all the time.

PSU_Texan · June 2014

You might be hard pressed to find someone willing to only work 3 weeks/month. Will it always be a certain week of the month? You say advanced notice but not sure what that means. You can try and hire someone under these conditions but you might want to be prepared that you will have to pay all 52 weeks of the year, giving 2 weeks for paid vacation (one of your choosing, one of hers).

emberlee3 · June 2014

Thanks for the feedback. I posted the position yesterday and have 10 applicants so far. I made it very clear what the schedule would be. I do not want to pay a set salary. Days off will be planned up to 3 months in advance. I like the idea of offering unspecified PTO that she can use as she wants.

TheBorg7of9 · June 2014

emberlee3 said:

Thanks for the feedback. I posted the position yesterday and have 10 applicants so far. I made it very clear what the schedule would be. I do not want to pay a set salary. Days off will be planned up to 3 months in advance. I like the idea of offering unspecified PTO that she can use as she wants.

You should make sure that they really saw that. I did phone interviews before the in-person interviews and I re-iterated my important points, like how many kids, the hours, etc. I have a feeling some people apply to everything without reading them.

emberlee3 · June 2014

TheBorg7of9 said:

emberlee3 said:

Thanks for the feedback. I posted the position yesterday and have 10 applicants so far. I made it very clear what the schedule would be. I do not want to pay a set salary. Days off will be planned up to 3 months in advance. I like the idea of offering unspecified PTO that she can use as she wants.

You should make sure that they really saw that. I did phone interviews before the in-person interviews and I re-iterated my important points, like how many kids, the hours, etc. I have a feeling some people apply to everything without reading them.

I agree. I responded to their messages and reiterated the schedule. I am also setting up phone interviews before in-person interviews. Thanks!

emberlee3 · June 2014

Sept07b2b said:

I think it's pretty standard to offer 2 weeks paid vacation and the major holidays, but one of the vacation weeks being your choosing (when you go on vacation or when you don't need her). Presumably, when you hire her, you will discuss the fact that you won't need her one week per month or whatever it might be, and she will accept the job on those conditions. Hopefully you will find someone who wants that kind of arrangement, so it won't be weird that you aren't paying her for full-time work all the time.

Yeah, that's the plan. Although, now that I think about it, I *may* be able to guarantee at least part time work for my off weeks. I always have meetings and nonclinical work that I need to catch up on. Plus, I would like to volunteer regularly at DS's school, so I need someone to watch DD while I do that.

emberlee3 · June 2014

Amelia4 said:

I would give paid holidays and I would do at least a week paid vacation as well. I'm inclined to say that you should hire her for a set amount per week, plus overtime if applicable, and then pay her the base rate for the weeks you don't need her, too. On those weeks, I'd use her to watch the kids while I ran errands and did other things, so I'd continue to use her, but just to a lesser extent. Though I know that can be pricey if you don't really need her one week a month.

I am going to pay her hourly, with over time for any hours over 40 in a week. Legally, a household employee should be paid hourly, not a salary. But you're right that I will probably find reasons to use a nanny even when I am off.

Want a personalized experience?

WWYD re nanny vacation pay

Re: WWYD re nanny vacation pay

Choose Another Board

Search Boards