I have a question regarding EMPLOYER rights with Nannies.
I have heard of cases where nannies can come into this country and leave you without any notice even as soon as a day or two of entering into the country. As a prospective employer I have the following questions:
a> Is there anyway of flagging such Nannies who do this so that other employers and Immigration Canada are aware of it?
b> Will my chances of sponsoring someone else be harder?
c> I have heard from friends that nannies can come up with stories that the employer is bad and they had to leave with with no notice and Human rights will be on their side? Is that true????
d> Also I heard that agencies in Canada are going to charge an insane amount of money to hire overseas nannies - If that is the case is there no regulation that protect our recruitment fees?
I would like to know the facts before diving into this road.
I've been perplexed recently, because I've just started to learn how many Canadian families hire nannies in this way - using an agency to find a nanny from overseas. Why do they do this?? How much is an overseas nanny paid in this situation?
ReplyDeleteMy advice to you is to hire a Canadian citizen! I am sure there are wonderful natives who are great at their job and don't carry with them the complications that nannies from overseas bring.
great advice, citizen nanny. I totally agree.
ReplyDeleteto OP: people only want to hire overseas nannies and au pairs because it is cheaper. your friend who tell you nannies "make up stories" about employers being bad? well: your friends are the bad employers, FYI. Au Pairs are not expected to do certain things, and people hiring them who are displeased are often expecting things of them that are unfair and illegal.
If a nanny is in a bad situation in a foreign country, she may give just a day or two notice. The same as you yourself would.
Hire someone local. They may be wise to how retarded you are and have a better knowledge of the laws, which is I guess the down side for you.
Protecting your recruitment fees? How about protecting your child and hiring the best?
You get what you pay for. Don't skimp on your kid. Unless you want to be a dick, that is.
I have to agree with everyone else here, your best bet is to hire local. Hire a citizen, do a background check, and ensure your child's well being. You eliminate the fear of someone simply walking out on the job, a potential language or culture barrier and many other headaches. There are TONS of wonderful local nannies (who work with local agencies, if you prefer the agency route) who are reasonable with their rates, and are qualified. I've never understood why so many people go the foreign route when seeking nannies, when they wouldn't dream of "outsourcing" to hire a qualified candidate at their day job. You get what you pay for, and as I stated prior, there are many nannies (even with agencies) who do work for a reasonable rate. (I'm not saying there aren't wonderful nannies in other Countries, but I am saying, you could avoid a lot of potential heartache and help your local economy by hiring a citizen.) Years back, I worked for a lovely Canadian Agency while I finished my teaching degree. I chose my own rate (the agency didn't force one upon me) and even lowered it slightly when I found my "dream family". There are many different Canadian agencies (legitimate, with track records, whose nannies are certified in CPR, ECE etc) who are happy to give you nanny placements that are solely in your price range.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Nanny from Canada, but I am a Canadian citizen and was not brought in from overseas. To answer your question, CititzenNanny, overseas Nannies are paid minimum wage ($10.25/hr here in Ontario) PLUS have #369 deducted off their net pay for room and board. From what I've gathered from talking with people in my area, oversea Nannies typically work longer hours and do a lot of housekeeping in addition to childcare.
ReplyDeleteI think if you seriously want answers to these questions, you should approach an agency or other professional who deals with these issues. But here's my situation and insights, for what they're worth.
ReplyDeleteFirst, ask yourself what kind of nanny you want and what sort of risks you are willing to take. I think hiring a local Canadian nanny is lower risk than bringing a nanny you have never met from another country, but I would certainly consider hiring a nanny from overseas who is already in Canada.
Right now, I am an employer of a live-out Canadian nanny. Yes, she is more expensive than a nanny from overseas, especially a live-in nanny. But we reduce the cost by sharing her with another family. The cost is a big chunk of our income, but it is not forever and she has overall been worth every penny - this is our child we are talking about. She is a mature, Canadian educated, English language speaker with an ECE diploma. She grew up in this city and is a homeowner with verifiable references, and we went through a quite thorough interview process before hiring her. She has a driving licence and knows her way around the city. She is bubbly and fun and bright, and she and the kids love each other. We don't really get any help around the house, but that pales into insignificance compared with the health and happiness of our children. Our daughter is now old enough to go to our local and very good pre-school/daycare so we are unfortunately letting our nanny go - though she is wonderful, she is not providing the stimulation and variety that the daycare offers and we just can't justify the cost anymore when pre-school is so much more reasonably priced and offers longer and more flexible hours of care.
Having said all that, I would consider hiring a live-in nanny if we had another child - if we have 2 kids we could then probably use a bit more flexibility with hours, and help with school runs and around the house. I would really try to be a fair employer in terms of hours, duties and providing nice accommodation and decent pay. But I would be super careful about the hiring process - preferably interviewing candidates already in this country who I could get references for. I think I could not hire someone to look after my children who I had never met! Particularly since there seem to be plenty of people already in Canada looking for work.
My attitude comes from my experience with my current nanny, and also because for emergencies or hours the nanny doesn't work I have four times used temp nannies / babysitters who have originally come here from overseas as live-ins (I have hired them from a reputable agency). They had been in this country for more than two years, leaving their live-in arrangements once they had their permanent work permit. I think that is not uncommon, and I wonder if one of the reasons they leave is because they can get better pay and work conditions with a new employer once they have their permit. Some of these temp nannies were a big disappointment (poor English and questionable childcare skills) and some were fantastic (good English, wonderful at childcare and lots of help around the house).
My impression is that overseas nannies are usually 'economic refugees' who originally trained in something quite different from childcare, and they are looking for a better standard of living and a way to save money for the future and their families back home. Fair enough for them for trying, but I think any such nannies therefore run the risk of disappointing their employers, and all of them, whether genuinely qualified for or interested in childcare or not, run the risk of being hired / exploited by employers who just want cheap domestic labour.
Two sayings to bear in mind in this situation, one of which has already of course been mentioned: you get what you pay for, and if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
I have the same problem with a Nanny that I sponsored from Hong Kong (Phillipino). In 2 months she wants to leave saying she is not happy. When asked her to talk to us, she says she wants to leave. We have never treated her bad in any way. Before she got here she told us she is alone and no friends in Canada. In a week calls start pouring in at our home during her work hours and we realised her Philipino friends telling her that she can leave now and find a job anywhere and your employers can do nothing. The Immigration Services protects the Nanny and not the employer. This is a one hand clap. YES...the only way they can come to Canada is land as a Nanny and then leave and no one can deport her back. What an unfair law to pass. Why does'nt Toronto Star do an investigation into this....This could be a great story too
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