How do you handle sick days and holidays for part time nannies?
We're hiring a nanny 3 days a week for about 3 hours each day to care for our kindergartener after school. I myself work part time, and I don't get paid sick days or holidays. I also work at a college so I don't get paid for winter or spring breaks. I'm willing to pay the nanny for school holidays, even though we won't need her and even though I won't be paid myself, because I want to keep her happy, and it seems like that's what's standard in our area. But I'm not sure I can afford to pay for the 3 break weeks since I myself won't be getting paid! Is that going far against the norm?
And what about sick days for a part time nanny? Do I need to offer a set number of paid sick days, especially since if I had to call in sick myself because she cancelled, I'd lose my own pay? Or is that going to be bucking the norm and just breed ill will with the nanny? If I do offer paid sick days, how many is typical?
As you can tell, I'm brand new to the nanny thing because my kids have always been watched by grandparents. Now that oldest is starting school and can't get to my mom's, we're having to learn all about the childcare thing, and it's stressful! Any advice you can offer would be appreciated.
Edited to add: After school care or a daycare center aren't options because they only go until 6pm, and I can't get there until 6:30, so a nanny at home is really the only option we can find. Plus, if he went to after school care his day would basically start at 7am and end after 6pm, which is an awfully long day for a kid who's never been to school for longer than 4 hours before! The nanny we've found is a professional nanny who also has another full time job she'll be doing the rest of the day--our job would just be to pick up a few extra hours afterwards.
And one more edit: I agree that "babysitter" is a more appropriate term, but the woman we found considers herself a nanny and is treating this position as such. She mentioned she is always paid for school holidays in her other jobs, which is why I agreed to do it here. But winter and spring breaks seem excessive to me! I really was hoping to find a college student interested in this job because it would seem perfect for students taking classes during the morning, but we haven't had any luck. :(
Thank you to everyone who responded! Your input was very helpful. In the end she accepted my offer to pay for the school holidays (there aren't too many anyway) but not the break weeks. I'm nervous about having a stranger taking care of our son, but she seems great so far and hopefully we'll all adjust to the new normal soon. Thanks again!
i don't think you need to pay sick time or vacation time for a 9 hour per week employee.
khairete
S.
Full time, yes. Part time, no. Pretty much like any other workplace.
For a babysitter 9 hours a week you do not need sick days etc. she has a full time job already.
you need a babysitter which is not the same as a nanny. have you found someone asking for what you have listed above? I would myself at this stage get a highschool girl or neighborhood sitter for this. If you have only 9 hours a week there is no real nanny that will take on that kind of job.
For 9 hours I would only pay for the actual hours she works. When I worked part time I only got paid when I worked no sick time/holidays. I think that's that fair.
Sounds like a 9 hour per week babysitter.
Get organized so she knows ahead of time which weeks she won't be needed.
If she's sick, call off and you don't have a plan B? She doesn't get paid & neither do you.
The stiff you're describing sound like it applies to a FT nanny.
Like I said--since schools have set calendars? Buy a calendar & mark the days/weeks she'll be needed.
I agree with everyone else - if she works she gets paid, otherwise, no.
I've never heard of part time nannies getting these benefits! Are you sure she isn't over selling this? Full time yes but 9 hours a week no.
I don't know what the norm is...so it'll be good to hear what other people have to say. I know that I work part time and I don't get paid sick days or paid holidays. When I first started working part time I hired a part time nanny (she was a friend actually with a baby the same age) to watch my son when he was a baby/toddler. She did not expect paid sick days or paid leave. I worked about 3-4 hours a day at this time. Years later when my son was in school and my daughter was a young toddler I hired a part time nanny who I found on sittercity. She was wonderful...a graduate student in childhood development who was looking for a little part time work. She just worked when I needed her and did not expect pay for sick days or vacation. Again, this was very party time...she only watched my daughter 2 mornings a week.
I never used a nanny but many of my neighbors do. I do know they are paid for holidays, school breaks and sick days. Yes, it adds up. Most of these families have 3-4 children.
I believe you have 1 child? Many schools have an afterschool program located at the school until 6pm. Around here it is a very popular program because students get a snack after school. One half of the students go outside for activity for a while and the other half are distributed among teachers at the school to do homework, read, get some extra tutoring, etc. They are separated by grade levels. One half if K-2 and the other is 3-5.
Also what about the option to send her to a daycare facility after school? Day cares pick up the children at school as well.
Best wishes.
After going back and re-reading... you are only looking at 9 hours a week and most professional nannies would not accept a part time job with that few hours. I think a college or high school student could use the money and be a good benefit to you. However, I still think afterschool and daycare are options. There is no way you can get there before they close 3 days a week?
When I worked as a nanny they were VERY VERY upfront that I was contract labor. Just like if a plumber was hired. I come, do my job, get paid. No taxes held out, no vacation pay, no benefits, nothing.
A babysitter in their home. I worked full time during the school year, off on all school vacations and kids out of school days. I only cared for the youngest children who were home all day. When the other kids came home from school I wasn't responsible for them.
I was paid by the kid and by the hour. SO if I did have a young elementary school kid home sick I got paid for them too. The older ones, 10 and up, could be home all day but they were responsible for themselves.
I would tell you that you can hire a part time anything and they don't get benefits. If they can't come to work you still have to have a second person on call so you still have to pay that person. So no sick pay, no nothing.
If they are old enough why not let them do after school care? or have a mom from class take them home with her those days. In child care, in Oklahoma, we get between $11 and $15 per day for school age kids. That includes an after school snack that is substantial and they get to play games, go outside, watch some movies, hang out with supervision. They should never have kids do their homework there, that's an at home activity.
There are many options where a stranger isn't coming in to your home and being alone with your children for hours. If you do find a person who can pick them up and take them to your home for a few hours that you can trust then just call it babysitting and never say nanny. Make sure they understand this is a part time job and there are NO benefits at all. Don't give them second chances and don't let them make you thing they deserve more.
