Opinions please on nannying situation

shariatlanta

I have been a nanny to a little girl for the past 2 and half years working from 8 till 6 two days per week at £6.00 per hour which I know is quite good.

The child has now started nursery every morning from 9.15 till 12.15, mum has said she will pay me £9.00 for the first hour and then the normal rate from 12.15 but I will not be paid for the three hours she's at nursery although I will be on call if she's taken ill or has an accident. I will therefore be losing £30.00 per week, as she has said in her words, she's not paying me to do my shopping. The only other option she has given me is to do her cleaning while the child is at nursery but I would have to do this over the two days after the time taken out for travelling to and from the school, it will be half an hour each way there and back.

At the moment I'm not sure I want to carry on with the job as I feel that as I am still ultimately responsible for her during those hours I should be paid. I am quite frequently still at the house till 6.30 or later if she gets caught in traffic on the way home, I have over the past two years taken her to zoos and other activities and the £10.00 she leaves for me as expenses doesn't really cover my entrance fee or petrol money.

When I started the job I discussed with her about half pay if she was on holiday but have only ever received it the first year, I don't expect to get paid if I take a week off, I don't get paid if I'm off sick which is very
rarely.
What do others think, am I being greedy or would you feel the same. I do understand that everyone has got to be careful with money at the moment but would welcome others opinions.

Errata

What does your contract say ? Have you discussed on-call pay with her? It shouldn't come free.

shariatlanta

Unfortunately I don't have a contract, I have another job and we used to work together so it,s quite an informal arrangement, I do feel as if they want to get as much out of me as they can.

tsstss7

IMO you should be paid the normal rate as you will still tecnically be available/ working the same hours - it's not like you can fit another job into that 3 hr slot. At the very least it should be half pay!

If it was me I'd start looking for another job - the little girl is likely to start going more hours to nursery anyway as she gets older and it seems to me the mother hasn't considered the fact that this is your paid employment and will still want you to fit around increasingly short/lesser paid days.

At the end of the day you are just as entitled to your living as she is and if she needs an occasional nanny she will have to employ someone who prefers that way of working.

Good luck with it....

Oldernotwiser

£6 per hour for a live out nanny is a pittance!

Mojisola

Has she been paying you for the extra time when she is late home? Why hasn't she been giving you the extra money you have spent on her child when you have taken her out? It sounds as if she has been taking you for granted.

She might not want to pay you "to do your shopping" but she does want you to be available at any time during the nursery hours - she can't expect that for free! If it is going to take you half an hour to get to the nursery, shouldn't she be paying you from 11.45?

I think you are in a strong position with her to renegotiate the arrangements. You have been reliable and know her child well. For her to try to find a new nanny and introduce her to the child just at the point when the child is starting nursery could make her life quite difficult.

If you want to take her up on the cleaning idea, check out how much cleaners in your area charge - I'll be surprised if any are working for £6 an hour.

barbie_babe

I would tell her you will work the afternoon shifts but not be oncall in the mornings (else she will pay you six pound an hour)even if shes working she can be oncall in mornings what does she think other working mums without a nanny. I know you will be losing the morning money but dont let her walk all over you.
I was in your position when i was a nanny and luckly i found another full time job so i only worked half days for a few weeks.

Nicki

I have a live out nanny and pay her more than double what you get paid (including all her tax and national insurance). This woman is taking you for a mug, and will find it hard to find flexible childcare for the amount she wants to pay you. She is also forgetting that she will need care when the nursery is shut and in school holidays. I would work out in your own mind what you think is a fair price for what you are being asked to do, and present it to her on a take it or leave it basis. If she chooses to leave it, then find a better job. Decent experienced nannies are hard to find and I'm sure you won't find it hard to get a different job. Now would also be a good time to insist on a written contract and on having your tax and national insurance paid if she isn't doing this already, as should you need to claim any benefits in the future you will need an ni record.

shariatlanta

Thanks everyone for the replies, I must admit most of my friends have said the same thing but I just wanted some unbiased opinions. I think I will be giving her a months notice on Friday, as one of my friends has mentioned she will probably find it extremely hard to find someone to do the hours that I do for the pay.
I do still have another job at the local hospital so I can probably do some extra shifts there without the hassle although I will miss the little girl.

Just as a matter of interest she pays her cleaner the same as me.

Mips

shariatlanta wrote: »

Thanks everyone for the replies, I must admit most of my friends have said the same thing but I just wanted some unbiased opinions. I think I will be giving her a months notice on Friday, as one of my friends has mentioned she will probably find it extremely hard to find someone to do the hours that I do for the pay.
I do still have another job at the local hospital so I can probably do some extra shifts there without the hassle although I will miss the little girl.

Just as a matter of interest she pays her cleaner the same as me.

Good for you!!!

Oh, and she is going to wish she had been a little more decent with you because she is going to find it tough to find someone who will be as good as you have for such a pittance! Stand your ground, don't cave in - she hasn't been decent to you, and you are being extremely decent to her by giving her a whole months notice to find someone else (considering you don't have a contract!). You are not legally obliged to give any notice, although that would be a really $hitty thing to do

Incisor

shariatlanta wrote: »

Thanks everyone for the replies, I must admit most of my friends have said the same thing but I just wanted some unbiased opinions. I think I will be giving her a months notice on Friday, as one of my friends has mentioned she will probably find it extremely hard to find someone to do the hours that I do for the pay.
I do still have another job at the local hospital so I can probably do some extra shifts there without the hassle although I will miss the little girl.

Just as a matter of interest she pays her cleaner the same as me.

No, don't give notice until you have sorted out what you are going to do, keep your options open. At this stage, I would just tell her that because of her new proposals you are looking for other work. If she doesn't come across with anything sensible and you have found something else, then give her a week's notice or whatever is convenient. She is treating you as though you were employed on casual terms. Fair enough, it rubs both ways!