How many sick days should I give ?
Many parents do not specify a number of paid sick days in their work agreement. Simply “covering” for nanny when she is sick is not advisable. Nanny’s job should be treated like any other job. Unless she is super human, your nanny will eventually get sick. Some paid sick days should be included in her contract. The numbers range from 3 to10 per year. The decision basically depends on how generous you are and your ability to make other arrangements when nanny is out sick. If you have to pay for expensive “alternate” care when your nanny is ill, you may want to stop the paid sick days at 3. If on the other hand, you can make arrangements when Nanny is sick and you’d rather not have her bringing her germs around the kids, offer more paid sick days so she doesn’t feel financially obligated to show up to work with strep throat or worse. Some parents require their Nanny to work three to six months before offering paid sick days.
What vacation time should she get ?
As with all benefits offered to Nannies, vacation time varies greatly. Just remember you want your offer to be at least as attractive as what Nanny is getting from other families. Granted, it can be difficult to pay for two weeks paid vacation AND pay someone else to watch your children while Nanny is away. One compromise is to ask that Nanny take one week paid vacation at a time determined by her and another week paid vacation during your family’s scheduled vacation. This arrangement should be clearly negotiated during the hiring process and included in the contract. Some families offer a third week of paid vacation after Nanny has been with the family for a certain amount of time.
Holidays
All the major American holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day are usually expected. Other days your applicant may want to negotiate are the day after Thanksgiving or other religious holidays if she happens to practice a faith that celebrates certain holy days. If you work for a company that provides all these days off plus Veteran’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Columbus Day and President’s day, you may want to offer these days as vacation days to your nanny as another “perk.”
Does Nanny get health insurance ?
If you can afford it, it is a wonderful perk and will only make you a more desirable employer. Many nannies do not have health insurance. An employer needs to consider what happens if nanny is injured or becomes very ill and has to go to the hospital. If she doesn’t have coverage, who will have to come to her rescue? Some parents will offer health benefits in lieu of a higher salary. This is usually an attractive offer since health insurance benefits are not taxable.
Unfortunately, there are no stand alone “nanny health insurance” policies. We have located on Insurance provider who offers special health insurance for household staff as part of a package with their homeowners insurance. To read more, click here.
Does Nanny get overtime ?
This is something that should be discussed during your negotiations. Be up front with her if you think you will need some extra hours now and then. According to the Fair Labor Standards Act, Live-In domestics are exempt from the Overtime Laws as well as casual baby-sitters and those providing companion services for the elderly. Live-out Nannies are subject to Overtime Laws and as an hourly employee must be compensated at a rate of one and a half times their regular rate. She is not considered a salaried employee.
If your nanny is a live-in employee you do not have to offer overtime pay, however, many employers will pay a higher (mutually agreed upon) rate for hours worked beyond the “normal” work week. For example, if you and nanny agree to a 45 hour work week, then anything beyond this could be subject to overtime pay. If she is an experienced nanny she may require this stipulation in her contract
What other benefits can I offer?
Education is always a nice benefit. Offer to pay for “work related” classes (i.e. child development, etc.) at the community college. Paid memberships in Nanny Organizations such as the International Nanny Association are a great way to show nanny you respect her as a professional.
