I know this question is going to be asked several times before the end of the year, but what do you think is an appropriate Christmas bonus/gift for a nanny who works in our home 4 days/week? She's responsible for all things related to my 2 yr old daughter including meals, laundry and does some light cleaning and food prep for me. In addition to her $15/hr pay, she receives 2 weeks paid vacation, paid holidays (that fall on her scheduled work days), and non-paid time off as needed (I work from home and am flexible). We've both exercised the option to switch days per week to accommodate our schedules and she has occasionally worked evenings, weekends with us for extra pay. This year we went from a guarantee of 3 days per week to 4 days when she said she needed to look for another job to supplement her income. She has been with my daughter since she was about 8 weeks old and is teaching her Spanish which we think is worth every penny. We do give her little gifts (gift cards, homemade crafts, mementos, etc.) to recognize her birthday, anniversary date and other holidays throughout the year and have helped her with extra cash when her car was towed from our street. She really appreciates homemade things, but I know she prefers/needs the cash. Thoughts?
Thanks for the responses. It's especially nice to hear what someone with experience as a nanny has to say. I think we'll probably do one week with a gift card for her to spend on herself, or a combo of the two. I love the idea of a gift card for something special (nails, retail, etc) while my husband opts for more practical places...her favorite coffee shop, lunch spots, etc. Happy holidays!
My nanny is wonderful and has been with us for a little over a year. She is full time. I am thinking of giving her 1 week salary as a Christmas Bonus and giving her the time off between Christmas and New Years. I will also give her a small gift that she can open that will be from our kids.
I was a nanny when my daughter was born. I was also in love with Starbucks :). While I could have used the cash, the family I sat for gave me a basket full of coffee, mugs, some small oher things, and a $50 Starbucks gift card. It wasn't even a full work's worth of money, but the thought was nice and the $50 ni coffee was great at that time in my life! The money would have been nicer, but I wouldn't have spent it on me as a gift is intended to be used.
It really depends on you. What you all want to give her. We give our sitter a gift card so we know she'll spend it on herself :).
In the past, some people have suggested two week's salary as a holiday bonus for a nanny. If she needs the cash, I'd say that's the route to go. Between 1-2 weeks pay in cash would be appropriate and generous; do what you can reasonably afford.
Maybe split the gift cards -- one to a 'special' place like a salon, and one to a 'practical' place such as Target that carries a wide variety of merchandise (including food).
