Received Thursday, January 25, 2007
I a not sure if this is the right section to post my question, but here's hoping. I would like to know what is a fair Nanny's full-time salary in San Diego? I will be interviewing for F-T time nanny for a toddler and I would like to pay the following (please tell me if it is fair): $400/week (net take home pay), 2 weeks paid vacation (to coincide with my family's vacation), paid holidays, reimbursement for gas, mileage and miscellaneous expenses.
Basically, the position is to take care of my toddler (i.e., doing crafts, reading, going to parks, play dates, etc..). All light house work as it pertains to my child. Examples are doing child's laundry only, cleaning up after child, preparing meals, bathing, washing and sterilizing bottles. I provide lunch and would even consider assisting with car insurance if my child's outside activities increases and driving would be necessary.
I am not sure if this is the right post, but it seems that there are lots of moms and nannies here and I would like their opinions. Thanks!
52 comments:
That sounds hideously low to me, but I am not in SD so I won't comment. What I will say is you do not reimburse someone for gas only when they are using their car for your benefit! Someone who uses their car for you is providing you a huge service, paying for insurance, upkeep, etc. There is a specific formula that you use to reimburse people for using their own vehicles. I do not know it. But it is not okay to simply reimburse for your gas mileage.
Giving two weeks vacation that has to coincide with your time makes you seem like a grinch. The standard arrangement is that one week should coincide with your vacation and one is at their chosing. Even that is less than desirable.
Lastly, please don't boast of providing lunch. That also makes you seem like a grinch. What kind of hours is this person working?
Why is it acceptable in most places to leave money or food for their PRN teenage babysitter but somehow they think they are really spectacular for allowing the person who is for all intents and purposes helping you RAISE your child to have two slices of bread and an ounce of turkey?
As stated, I am not from SD. I can only offer you my East Coast perspective. Good luck.
How many hours? because even if it is only 40 hours, that is only $4 per hour. And there are some area
caregivers that will jump at that. But they are more likely "sitters". Do you require anything of the nanny?
Should she have CPR? First Aid? Know how to Swim? Speak English? Be intelligent? What if she doesn't drive?
I am a stay at home mother with a mother's helper in the same area. I pay her $500 cash per week. She does not drive or do any of the other things. She does help with the baby and is kind and gentle with her. She also does the baby's laundry and bottle prep. Hope this helps.
Comment #1 - don't be so mean to the original poster! She's new to this! She's just asking! Can't we all give feedack and help eachother out without being rude and judgemental?
I think we all need to take a deep breathe and realize that this woman will not be able to hire a real nanny at this wage. The people on these pages, with the exception of "Caroline" are not real nannies. Nanny is a title being assigned to every mary, jane and lola that a family can "get" to take care of their child at the rate they are offering.
Having said that, in the San Diego area, you should have your pick of really great sitters. Lovely, lovely people.
PS does this mean there are no sightings today? BUMMER!
I wasn't rude!
Okay, while it seems a little low, it is net take home and it is $10 an hour for a forty hour work week (not four, do the math) with taxes already gone. While the vacation seems a little stingy, she's just learning. You'll probably want to pay more if you want someone who will stick around, though.
meg..you were not only rude but very snotty withm your ugly little comments! Shame on you!
You were rude Meg! Of course - you're on the East Coast, where rudeness is standard behavior.
That does sound a little low. I am a nanny in Northern California (fairly comparable to San Diego). My undergrad was in child development and psych and I have a master's in social work with a concentration on children and families, and I have years of experience, so I feel like I qualify as a "nanny". I care for an infant full time (50 hrs/wk), which includes daily activities and daily outings (baby yoga, playgroups, swimming, gym, music class, trips to museums), daily walks to park or beach with the family dog and baby, baby laundry, food and bottle prep. The family stocks food and beverages of my choice and I generally eat breakfast and lunch at their home. When I stay late, they pay for dinner as well. I make about $800 a week, less taxes. I get all of the parents' work holidays off and paid. I also get 10 days of paid vacation (of my choice) and 10 days of paid sick time. Average weekly rate for fulltime (40-50 hrs) qualified nannies here is about $600-$800 per week. We generally use our employers' car due to liability. San Diego may be a little bit less expensive, but at least this is a comprehensive outline of what you can reasonably expect for your money. Best of luck to you!
First of all, I want to say Thank you to Meg for responding. Maybe it wasn't as please n thank you as you all would like, but she brings her own perspective to the issue. The OP posted this anonymously. I don't think she is going to take offense by some random person's comments. Obviously OP is new to this and wants to do the right thing. Having said that OP, I would love to answer the question for you but I would be interested to know how many hours would be in the work week. 400 for 40 hours sounds average for the area. In NY 12 an hour is average. 10 would be low. 15 is more likely what people ask for in the NY area. The vacation thing- that depends on when you are taking your vacation. Is it a weird time of the year? Or is it Christmas and some other time? If it Christmas, do take in to account that most nannies get paid Christmas, New Years and even Christmas Eve off. How many "vacation days" does that leave? If this is your vacation time and depending on your schedule, this gives you wiggle room to stretch the christmas vacation in to two weeks. Or almost two weeks. (10 vacation days - 3 paid holidays = 7 paid vacation days which is a two day bonus). I mention this because it is January now. If you find the right candidate, that gives her something to look forward to, possibly recharge herself and continue on with your famuily. (This would be in addition to the other week of vacation that you take during the year). I speak from experience when I say I have had many nannies. Some left me for better paying jobs. Those weren't necessarily the neatest nannies or best housekeepers but they are the ones that filled my house with laughter and kept my children safe. So, good luck in finding someone. I hope she stays with you for awhile. The best thing to do is bring an amazing person in your child's life. This nanny (like my current) is a friend of the family and an intricate part of our lives, even though our children are in high school now!
Meg,if I had to guess I'd say you are from New York!!Just a guess! Here in California Nannies very rarely make thousands of dollars weekly!(this is not to say that some don't make that much !) $400.00- $600.00 is pretty average for the Central Coast and I do know the closer you get to SF nanny jobs tend to pay a bit higher..closer to $600.00-900.00 weekly.. I can tell you I have a girlfriend in El Cajon,Very close to SD,and she is a nanny for a 2 yr old girl! She does not do any housework but she does drive. She makes $475.00 take home after taxes! Paid vacations and pd holidays! She works form 830 am -3pm. I watch 3 children and make $600.00 a week. 2 weeks pd vacation(of my owm choosing) pd sick days and holidays! I work 4 10 hr days!
This is a realistic veiw of salaries that I know of! I hope it helps and hope you find a wonderful nanny for your little one!
Please remember that sometimes you get very lucky but most of the time you get what you pay for!!
anon 953...she is not offering $4.00 per hr..she is offering $10.00 pr hr! 10x40=$400.00 if it is a 40hr week?
Meg,you did not have to tell us you were from the East Coast..after reading your post..we would have figured that out!! Just like the rest of the posting from the EC...Rude..rude..rude!!
The wrong way to approach a nanny situation is to be business as usual. You want her to make a personal connection to your children and you. These are the nannies that provide steadfast care and become trusted advocates for your entire family. The fact that OP has submitted this here and has thought it through makes it clear she wants to do the right thing. Whatever you chose to offer her (which I cannot comment on without knowing more of what your qualifications are compared to the salary) make sure to choose carefully. Prescreen on the phone. Use an agency if you can. Not the kind of agency that advertises on Craigs list but the kind that recruits good nannies. Even if you use an agency, speak to every reference yourself. Verify the nanny's physical address. Do a complete background check. Before you call her first reference, Jane Doe had me do reverse phone directory checks on the phone numbers so I knew who I was talking to and where they were. Also JD advised that you call the references from a blocked or anonymous number so that the reference cannot "ready his or herself". Ask open ended questions, not yes or no questions. I found a great nanny myself but it was not easy. I am a single mother who had twins (using a donor). When the twins were 5 months, I had to go back to work. I was a nervous wreck. I questioned everything. JD also helped me create a very involved job description. This contained all emergency contacts and doctor information. It also contained very specific information about the children's schedule, napping and eating. And suggested activities. I feel that the person who is taking care of my children is taking care of them as close to the way as I would if I were home.
And one more thing, ask open ended questions about HER childhood.
I know this is not what you asked, but I don't have enough information to know whether it is fair or not. The only thing I do know is when you find that one, you will pay her as much as you can and treat her with every kindness!
Meg is more welcome and more helpful then the people writing in to say "Meg is rude". Add something to the conversation!
I am in Los Angeles. I have a babysitter from Mexico that lives in Monday 8am-Friday 8 PM. She is fluent in English. She does not drive. We paid for her to take a first aid course. She has been with us for two years. We pay her 600 per week cash. Room and board during the week. M,T,W & Th she is off as soon as DH or I get home. We try to be home by 6, but it can be as late as 7. She takes 2 weeks vacation per year at the same time we take vacation. We give her Christmas, CHristmas Eve, New Years, Day, Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, The Friday after Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, Labor Day and her birthday off. (Paid). She isn't a nanny in the New England Way but she is a wonderful caregiver to our two children and we love her dearly. We would be lost without her. But to be honest with you, if I had to start over today and hire someone new, I have no idea what I would offer or what would be fair! I think she makes more than most of her peers but she is also better at what she does than most of them.
I am in NYC, so I can't advise you on salary for your area, and you didn't say how many hours. FT can be anywhere from 40 to 55 hours a week, so that is a huge factor. Here the range is wide, depending on the nannies experience and qualifications, $12-15 and hour, and even more for a top nanny for more than one child. You should decide which holidays you will give, how many sick/personal days, and vacation time. The standard is one week of your choice, one week of hers. Any additional time you are away, of course she will expect to be paid. It is a good idea to write up a contract. Good Luck!
I find myself jonesing for a nanny sighting. At any rate, here is my advice to the San Diego Mom. Offer what you are offering. Find a good person to accept that and put that in a contract. If you agree that she gets off at time X, make sure that she does or make sure that she is paid X beyond those hours. Also, if you have a really great nanny in your home and it is the first time, it is to easy to extend her responsibilities to non child related things. Good nannies will allow this because that is their nature. But ultimately, they may come to resent it, so do not deviate from what you have listed above. And two weeks is standard, but both should not be at the time of your choosing. Depending on your schedule that will not make or break something. If you go away for two weeks anyway at specified times, and she took a week at her own chosing, then you would still end up paying her for three weeks off. I would offer what you have listed, but after working for you for one year, I would let her have 3 weeks paid vacation (since two of those weeks are your vacation time anyway). And I suggest this because I fought my husband for a nanny I really liked but she wanted a certain amount of time off and to be off one friday a month. This seemed impossible for us. We made work and what we got out of the deal was more time with our children. We found a way to do it. And we have the same nanny, 4 years later.
When you say net take home pay is $400/wk, does that mean you're actually paying around $500/wk before taxes? If that is the case, I would say what you're suggesting is probably the median for the area and therefore fair.
As for vacation time, I would probaby give 12 days vacation, 3 sick days. Of the 12 days vacation, 7 would coincide with your own. It's a better compromise.
Finally, I would calculate gas milage needed by your nanny to take your toddler to places. Say she travels 40 miles each week, I would assume that's 2 gallons of gas and pay $10 per gallon to cover cost of gas and depreciation.
I am from the East Coast and I am NOT rude.
I think that you've gotten some great advice here, and would just like to say that the small little things you can do for your nanny will count. For example, if you are a member of a gym pay for her to join also, or if you have AAA that is a great thing to pay for for her. Sometimes the little things matter more than the take home money.
Good Luck!
1236..let me get this straight?? You don't think Megs response was rude and you do think it is okay to break the law by paying your ilegal nanny cash under the table? Un-freakin-beleivable!!
NP here. I don't think Meg was rude. She just didn't mince words.
Also, anyone who doesn't pay on the books is contributing to the downfall of society. It is up to you THE EMPLOYER to pay your nanny (and all of your employers on the books)!
Social security anyone?
I agree that every person that you employ should pay taxes etc. I dont believe that any person should pay an employee "under the table" . How many hours would also be one of the main questions you shoud ask.
NH here... I am also in San Diego and have put off hiring a Nanny or childcare provider becuase 1. I cannot decide level of service that I need and am unsure of what is acceptable for pay/vacation/duties etc. These posts have been extremely helpful for me as well so I thank you! My only comment re: Meg's posting is that I have seen the same type of acusatory attitude from other caregivers on other sites and I ask for a little patience when newcommers to child care, like myself, ask what is acceptable. We honestly don't know and I can speak for myself, it is an extremly overwhelming and emotional process of not only returning to work but then also trying to find someone that you can instrust with the care of your child and that type of tone only makes matters worse.
Fortunately, I have a mother-in-law who has helped us so far so we can take the time to make the right choice for our family. Thank you.
NH here... I am also in San Diego and have put off hiring a Nanny or childcare provider becuase 1. I cannot decide level of service that I need and am unsure of what is acceptable for pay/vacation/duties etc. These posts have been extremely helpful for me as well so I thank you! My only comment re: Meg's posting is that I have seen the same type of acusatory attitude from other caregivers on other sites and I ask for a little patience when newcommers to child care, like myself, ask what is acceptable. We honestly don't know and I can speak for myself, it is an extremly overwhelming and emotional process of not only returning to work but then also trying to find someone that you can instrust with the care of your child and that type of tone only makes matters worse.
Fortunately, I have a mother-in-law who has helped us so far so we can take the time to make the right choice for our family. Thank you.
Wow!400 a week, I would jump at that offer, I am in North san diego county and i am looking for a job as the last family i was with had grandma move in so i was let go.
Dear Moms and Nannies,
I am the Mom who posted the question with regards to Salary in San Diego. As many of the moms who posted in response to my question - you are absolutely correct in saying that I am trying to figure out what is fair and want to do the right thing. After spending 2 years with my daughter as a stay at home mom, the prospect of going back to work and leaving her with someone else who is not family is quite daunting. Thus, I want to make sure that I get the right person and compensate them properly and fairly. With that said - you get what you pay for. Here are more details as I noticed that I have left some out. The Nanny will work 9 hours a day - and my daughter usually naps for 2-3 hours each afternoon, providing the nanny with lunch hour and time to do her laundry, clean bottles or prep her meals. So, the nanny will work only 40 hours. I will cook all of my daughters meals and the nanny will have to either heat it up or just boils some pasta for her to supplement. In addition, I provide all holiday pay (i.e., Christmas, New Years, Memorial Day, Labor Day, MLK Day, Thanksgiving and I think there is a holiday that falls around the Easter holiday). In regard to vacation time, I tell the nannies who interview with me that I try to bridge my vacation with major holidays, ie, thanksgiving or Christmas so that we both can maximize our days off. Because I feel the amount of bonus is oftern discretionary and based on performance, I hold off on saying anything about that at all because I don't want my nanny to have set expectations that I cannot meet (but I think 1 week's pay at year end is what I can offer). In addition, I believe that I on par with gas and mileage as some employers factor that into the pay itself. Also, with meals. I understand that it may not mean that much to alot of people and by the way - I am not touting it as a major benefit, but I think that it allows the nanny less worry about having to bring her lunch. I live in a full service complex, pool, gym, movie theater, workout classes, club room, etc.. that I have offered the nanny anytime she wants to use it. She might as well use it as I will not have time between work and my daughter.
I am just trying to find out the right balance. I understand that finding the right person is very important and my daughter's welfare is priority. Thank you again and please give me any advice you see fit. I can take - even if it is from NY Meg. Meg, I moved to SD from NYC. because of quality of life for my child. I know what families are paying those nannies in NY - but let's look at the cost of living in these areas and the lifestyle. I am a generous person, but I also have a family to support which is why I am going back to work.
Also, Traci.... If you are available, I would be interested in getting in touch with you for a possible interview. Please leave your contact number on this blog. Thanks!
No dont give out numbers on line.
Have the employer contact Jane Doe.
Then the person who would jump at the chance to work. Then she can connect the two. Otherwise, whoever gives out their # will be sorry. I made that mistake once. Damn Pranksters.
9 hours a day is 45 hours per week.
And it is great that your daughter sleeps, but the nanny cannot always count on that. Most jobs still have down time. She is responsible for the child if she is sick, crying, etc. So you can say that nap time is a good time for the nanny to do the child related errands but you cannot in anyway suggest that you should pay less for the time that your child is napping. A 9 hour day is a long day. If you find the right person, she will be with you for awhile. And your daughter won't always nap like that. So in that aspect you can't guarantee your nanny a lunch hour either. I would just say, this is how it is now and I realize things may change and evolve. Also encourage the nanny to always always tell you if there are any problems. These little things build up to huge misunderstandings. And one thing that no one mentioned, that I a Non Rude New Yorker believe in is showing your appreciation on a regular basis. This isn't anything that has to do with what you agree upon. If you find a great candidate, and things work out-don't forget how lucky you are. There is a HUGE chasm between a good nanny and a great nanny. These things you do for her do not have to be $$ related. A nice card and note is always nice to receive. If you bring her a gift every now and then, that is great. Not even an expensive gift (based on what you can afford). I had a great nanny and didn't realize it. I lost her. Now I have a good nanny. (Who could compare to Great Nanny anyway?) So I still bring things home for this nanny too. It isn't her fault her predecessor was so great. A gift certificate for a manicure. A SWAG bag from work. A coffee from Starbucks. You know. Things like that. My point is if I had to do it all over again, I would have realized that Great Nanny was indeed 1 in a million!
OP Here is a email address i just set up so you can contact me and i can give you my real email addy and my contact info, so i dont have to worry about spammers and all the weirdos out there. nannytraci07@gmail.com I look forward to hearing from you soon!
you must let us know if you have made a connection on this blog! I was hanging on to see if LES NYC made a connection with SF Male but their bond seems to have dissipated.
Good luck to the employer. Send in an update.
We have made contact. hopefully something works out lets keep our fingers crossed!
I would like to ask why is there no mention of taxes.Does a nanny not pay taxes? What about unemployment benefits etc.
I am going to have my first child in June and I am going to go back to work so I will need a nanny, but I presumed that as an employer I would have to pay tax and health insurance for her. Is this not the norm?
It is criminal not to pay your nanny on the books. It is also unforgivable to have someone looking after your child's health and well being and NOT provide them health insurance. I can say with certainty that the only time my nanny gets sick is when she catches something from my children!
In the section of NY where I live-that salary would be a joke. I would pay $650 take home for a full time position involving all of that labor.
I am a new poster...as a nanny myself I would never accept a job that wasn't paid on the books. In fact, there are many different companies that provide household employee payroll services. As far as Helath insurance goes, it is nice to have at least a majority of health insurane premiums paid for because like meg mentioned...the only time i get sick is when i catch something from my charges.
In the area of Connecticut I live in, $650 is a joke (or an illegal). I pay $800.
Meg: Tell us about your nanny and her job. How many children does she take care of for you? What are her hours and duties. Please tell us what you pay your nanny and all her benefits including vacation, sick time, reimbursable expenses. Also I am curious as to how much you pay for her health coverage and what does it cover (medical, dental, vision?)
It seems to me that you are a good employer and would like to know what the standards are for families hiring a nanny? Also, do you use a tax service to help with the deductions and withholdings?
I'm glad people finally (toward the bottom of the postings, as they stand right now) mentioned HEALTH INSURANCE. I really think there is no way in this day & age that you could justify having a full time employee w/o paying for a LARGE MAJORITY of their health insurance costs, as I would hope your employer does for you. There are great groups, such as the Freelancers Union who have programs for nannies that are affordable and easy for parents to provide (aprox. $1600 for a year).
Beyond that, unemployment & social security are also legal obligations an employer has--and it's not uncommon for parents to also pay their nannies income taxes as well, although that is by NO MEANS standard or necessary.
I'm a nanny and I wouldn't take a job w/o also having a set number of sick days (I have 5 for the year in my contract), and vacation days (10). Every nanny/family relationship is different, so obviously I can't say you should do as the family I work for does, but they've not stipulated that I take my vacation when they go on vacation themselves. What ends up happening, however, is that I do vacation then, and most years I happily don't touch those other 10 days that are technically owed to me.
(Sidenote: I'm a NYC nanny, and I've really been bothered by the way people have been talking about the East Coast as if everyone who lives there is rude and obnoxious. I know that the comments were most likely offhand and I should just dismiss them--but I try and never say disparaging things about where other people live, it's just so unnecessary!)
Only an animal would have someone come in their home and care for their children and not make sure that person had insurance. If someone is your employee, what happens when she has a medical problem? I have my employees on a generous health insurance, I pay a generous salary and because I travel 6 weeks out of the year, they have 6 weeks off per year and 10 paid holidays. I don't offer sick time and I have friends who have nannies who tsk tsk me for not paying a sick day. If something came up and someone was truly incapacitated I would change that policy, but I don't think you would find my nanny complaining about our arrangement. I certainly hope not!
I think that the people who are saying that the $400 per week salary is a joke, should consider that the salary for a nanny really depends on location. Just as real estate differs by location, we have to realize that some places are less expensive to live in than others.The same aplies to nanny salaries.
Just as real estate prices are greatly influenced by location, so are nanny salaries greatly impacted by location. My sister-in-law lives in Belgium, and the average salary there for a nannyis $1000 per MONTH.
Full time, live in , whatever my sister-in-law needs.
I agree with the comments posted above. Salaries are dependent upon location and cost of living for that area. The OP said that she would offer a salary of $400 net per week . This would equate to $500 per week gross or $26,000 in annual salary per year. The average nanny salary in San Diego is $23,000. So I think that she is on target if not above. Also, she is offering benefits such as paid vacation, paid holidays and other things. Perhaps the extra $2,000-$3,000 that she is paying compensates for not paying for health insurance. We also do not know if she is willing to pay taxes. Maybe she is and did not think that it was even a consideration. So, let's look at the facts before we make judgements. Nannies in NYC will make more money because the cost of living is higher in that part of the US vs. San Diego. In addition, most jobs in NYC pay higher wages due to the cost of higher living there. I think she wants to be fair so let's give her good advice and allow her to make the right decision for her child.
I noticed the posting said $400/week NET...that would be after taxes. I work 45 hours/week and get a gross of $600. After taxes, my take-home or NET payment is around $400.
I think $400/40hr week is very fair when it includes the added benefit of gas and mileage. That supplements extra money she might make. However if it is going to be 45/wk I think $450 would be fair. Plus all of the good benefits of the full service complex seem great too. Lastly, I may offer the nanny one extra week of vacation (even if non paid) so that she may make arrangements for a littler personal time in addition to when your vacation is scheduled. That's just a thought. Otherwise, I think this sounds great and would quit my corp. job if I could find a nanny position like this.
Of course I'm in TN which is a little differnt from CA.
listen TN moron,
Reimbursement of GAS is NOT a benefit. If you use YOUR VEHICLE for your employer, whether you are driving around THEIR three year old or hauling office supplies, you get reimbursed. That is no way a benefit.
If that is the common sense you use at your corporate job, heaven help that corporation.
Comment to poster 8:08
Why are you so negative? Poster TN was trying to rationalize the OP's salary offer. TN is saying that the offer of gas and mileage reimbursement is fair. Some employers don't even offer you these types of reimbursements! They just expect it for free or in some cases think that these costs are included in the pay they offer.
Stop critizing people for their opinions. Heaven help us in having to deal with people like you who need to put other people down to make themselves look good.
Dear Moms and Nannies,
I am the OP of the salary question. I am happy to announce that I have found a very nice young woman who has accepted the offer to become my nanny. I made her the offer after checking her references and having her spend 2 days with our family. All offers are contingent upon her passing her background/criminal check. etc. So wish me luck! I am especially grateful to the posters who gave me great advice on how to deal with the vacation time issue. I have implemented several things that were suggested. I am even more grateful to those of you who criticized me because it made the positive opinions and good advice of the other posters more valuable.
With that being said, I want to thank Nanny Traci of North San Diego. Yes, we did make contact, however, it was not a match - unfortunately. Even after realizing that we were not a match - she gave me great advice on how to find and keep a good nanny (if not a great one!). I am appreciative on your offer of nanny advice any time that I may need it. I wish you the best in finding the right position for you.
While I am glad that the search is over, I am quite sad at the thought of having to leave my daughter after 2 years of being home with her full time. This has been the best 2 years of my life. I am not sure who will have the most separation anxiety, me or her, but I do hope that there will be enough kleenex in the ladies bathroom. Thanks everyone!
Meg, could you please explain exactly how I pay my nanny taxes?
How does my nanny file her taxes since I never took out of her check for taxes this past year?
I have to admit I am tempted to say something scathing here. Something along the lines of being fit to call yourself an "employer". Perhaps you should ask your nanny? She might know.
Since you didn't withhold taxes, the only fair way to do it retroactively is to figure what her taxes would have been and submit your taxes as if you withheld your portion of those taxes. Because you cannot act so unfairly towards your employee, you then need to provide her reimbursement for the full amount of the taxes she will now need to cough up.
This really isn't rocket science. This has more to do with leading your life as contributing member of American Society.
You no doubt have an agreement with your epmployee based on the fact that you had no intention of withholding taxes. If she is a nanny worth keeping, I would reccomend raising her GROSS salary so that her NET salary remains the same.
And if you are a working person and have health insurance through your employer, there is no reason your nanny should not be provided health insurance by you. The least of all common courtesies due the person charges with the care (and often raising) of your child.
If you find that you cannot lawfully employ a nanny and afford to provide her health insurance, I would suggest you look in to a daycare program for your child.
(You asked.)
We are in the greater Seattle area. I work full time and make decent income, so does my husband, in addition to our decent incomes I make money off of an LLC I own. Not a lot, but it's something extra. My special needs step daughter lives with us. She is in 5 different therapies and a few extracurricular activities. We have a live in nanny/ baby sitter who works for us 20- 30hrs a week. She is an older women who worked in a daycare for 30+ years and wanted something less stressful that offered room and board. She is on the clock daily from 6:30 to 8:30 am and then again from 3pm to 5pm, when she is not on the clock she is free to be wherever she wants to be, doing whatever she wants to do. Occasionally we use her on the weekends so that my husband and I can go on dates. I pay her $10 an hour... She is simply responsible for helping my daughter dress, bathe, warming up her meals, and schlepping her to all of her therapies. We allow her to use our third vehicle for driving our daughter to therapies and extracurricular activities and she is also allowed to use it for personal desires. We throw her $70 a month for fuel expenses. I cut her a check bi-weekly for her services and I expect that she manages that money accordingly so that she can afford adequate health care and so on... I am not a mini corporation, I do not dole out paid sick leave, vacation time, or benefits. She took a week trip to California to see her daughter 9 month ago, and in early January she was sick for 3 days. She is welcome to take time off but we still have to seek alternate child care during those times and simply can't afford to pay her, and an alternate child care provider. I sleep soundly every night free of reservations about my contributions to the morale derogation of society. Last time I checked this was babysitting not a 30 year career that offers 401k's and/or pensions? Early in my career I worked contracts. I received zero benefits, zero job security, zero paid time off, and zero sick leave, and I never once felt like I was preforming slave labor for any of the companies I worked for...
I have to say that I found Meg to be very rude with her answer! That being said, I have read many many rude attacks towards her from people from the west coast! Not only are the people attacking, and being rude towards Meg, but you are also attacking and being rude towards everyone who is from the east coast, I am from CT and I am not rude at all. I treat everyone respectfully, and kind. I am saddened to see that we have a battle going on about judging a person by where they live. It saddens me to see that this is what the world is like now.
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