I am a live in nanny for a family of 5: Mom, Dad, 5 yr old girl and boy/girl 2 yr old twins. I work about 60 hours a week, M-F. I have only been working for this family for a few months. That being said, they want to go to another state for Thanksgiving to visit family. I also have family in the same state. It will be the Monday before Thanksgiving until the Wednesday after. I know the weekend days I will receive vacation days in exchange for working. But, my question is: What do I ask for in return for working Thanksgiving and the day after? They are generally paid holiday days. If they weren't going away, I know I would have them off paid to spend with my family. How do I approach this? In my mind, I should get paid double for working those two days, or at minimum time and 1/2 or I should get those days off to spend with my family that lives in the area. Thanks so much for your input. (:
Tuesday
Compensation for working Holy Grail of Nanny Holidays...
Received Tuesday, August 3, 2010
I am a live in nanny for a family of 5: Mom, Dad, 5 yr old girl and boy/girl 2 yr old twins. I work about 60 hours a week, M-F. I have only been working for this family for a few months. That being said, they want to go to another state for Thanksgiving to visit family. I also have family in the same state. It will be the Monday before Thanksgiving until the Wednesday after. I know the weekend days I will receive vacation days in exchange for working. But, my question is: What do I ask for in return for working Thanksgiving and the day after? They are generally paid holiday days. If they weren't going away, I know I would have them off paid to spend with my family. How do I approach this? In my mind, I should get paid double for working those two days, or at minimum time and 1/2 or I should get those days off to spend with my family that lives in the area. Thanks so much for your input. (:
I am a live in nanny for a family of 5: Mom, Dad, 5 yr old girl and boy/girl 2 yr old twins. I work about 60 hours a week, M-F. I have only been working for this family for a few months. That being said, they want to go to another state for Thanksgiving to visit family. I also have family in the same state. It will be the Monday before Thanksgiving until the Wednesday after. I know the weekend days I will receive vacation days in exchange for working. But, my question is: What do I ask for in return for working Thanksgiving and the day after? They are generally paid holiday days. If they weren't going away, I know I would have them off paid to spend with my family. How do I approach this? In my mind, I should get paid double for working those two days, or at minimum time and 1/2 or I should get those days off to spend with my family that lives in the area. Thanks so much for your input. (:
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17 comments:
In a normal job you would get time 1/2 for working thanksgiving but black Friday isn't considered a holiday so most employees work for normal pay. Only working Christmas day do normal employees receive double pay.
Nannies have certain perks when it comes to holidays but they must be addressed in the contract. If you are suppose to have those days off then I would ask for them off to visit family in that state and return Friday evening. If you would rather work then ask for time and 1/2. I think asking for double is pushing it.
I would over look your contract and see what it says. If you don't have one then you need to work it out with family and hopefully they will be kind.
If your contract states that the Friday is a paid holiday, I would definitely ask for the double pay. Otherwise, you are essentially working at half your rate, because you would be getting your full pay anyway, even if you weren't working.
If they don't need you on Thanksgiving day, I think it would be nice to visit with your family, but either option is fair.
I don't think there is a standard. It's the kind of thing that needs to be addressed in your Work Agreement. If it's not, then it's up for negotiation. For Tgiving day, I would ask for time and a half or double, depending on how important it is to you. For day after Tgiving, that is regular pay IMO - not a federal holiday, nor a holiday for many people. If the family balks, then say you'll work this holiday since you agreed, but for the future don't want to work holidays anymore.
What about epic mom fails... this was on a blog today that is in my reader... needless to say the caption was "what happens at aunties stays at aunties" and let me put it this way... we are no longer friends after this blogging incident (oh and she thinks it is hilarious and is bragging about it to everyone).
She is a St. Louis mommy... so all you St. Louis gals... double think about who you let watch your children! They might think it's funny to slip your kids drinks of their martinis and then post images on the net via their blog.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_m3NgPpsIjbk/TFYa4-5WHdI/AAAAAAAACeE/7sQPwrTdRvs/s320/100_5330.JPG
I think LDS Mom is on LSD.
Time and a half. Be smart, recognize what you have in this economy!
Try for double..if they balk then try time a half. Thanksgiving and Christmas are both comparable holidays in my book. Both are usually spent with one's family.
But it is up to you.
Double days sounds good to me. I think double for Thanksgiving for sure, I think double for Friday too, and single for Saturday and Sunday. That gives you six vacation days.
My question is, why are they giving you vacation days instead on money? If I were you, I would want six full days of pay. Screw this trading off days. And exactly which days are you trading for? Sometimes that gets lost in the mix, or you get one at a time on their schedule, not yours. It becomes a convenience for them.
If they want you to travel with them and be away from your family over the entire holiday, they can PAY you for it. That's my opinion.
LSD mom:
what in gods holy name are you even talking about? run along!
My question: Why aren't they spending a family holiday with their family? Why can't they for one day- a day about family and love and being thankful for what you have- spend the day with their little ones, making memories, without trying to hand them off to you?
Double both days seems fair to me, but I can see the point others have made that Friday is a regular day and deserves only regular pay.
another nanny is absolutely right. IF both Thanksgiving and the day after are listed as paid holidays in OP's contract, she should either get them off or get paid double. However, I don't think OP mentioned a contract. If there is no contract OP is not guaranteed Thanksgiving off, paid or non-paid.
Indeed, AuPerson, indeed. Wiser words were never spoken. Very sad, the way people treat their kids like nothing but bothers.
When I traveled/worked over Christmas, my family offered me additional vacation days - of my choosing - for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, which are in my contract as paid holidays. I tacked them onto Presidents' Day Weekend (I have the Monday as a paid holiday) for a five-day weekend, a solution with which we were all happy. Regarding pay, I was paid my regular travel rate for the days we were away and my regular vacation/holiday rate when I took my own vacation.
If it were feasible, I would ask for Thanksgiving and the day after to spend with my nearby family. Holidays are important family time, both for you and for them. Not to mention you are going out of your way to help them: going on vacation out of state with them, working on weekend, using your vacation time without it actually being your vacation. If they won't let you get away, ask for double pay for at least Thursday--from what I understand, this is a general standard.
If you are meant to have those days off and paid (if you have already discussed this/in a contract/etc) then you should get time and a half for that day, and then either an alternative day off paid when you usually have to work to replace the holiday, or also get your regular salary pay for that day and the time and a half is on TOP of that. If you just said no, you would get the time paid anyways, so to make it worth your while to work on the holidays you definitely deserve an extra time and a half rate to work (so really you would be making 2.5x your regular rate for this holiday unless you get an alternative day to take as a holiday off). Hopefully this makes sense- not quite sure how to explain but it is what my bosses and I do when I work days I am meant to have a holidays according to my contract.
Just be honest with the parents. If they're reasonable then everything should be fine. If not, then you may not get the pay you want. But that's why it's important to have these things sorted out before you start. Even nannying needs a contract these days.
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