I really need help!! I baby sit Monday-Friday..7:30am to 5:30pm for $160 a week! At first this was fine for me as my boyfriend was giving me money. Now that he is jobless I do not have that extra income. I have bills that I need to pay and is struggling.. How do I go about asking for more money??
35 comments:
You can come right out and ask the family, but seeing how cheap they are to begin with I wouldn't count on them wanting to pay you more. Your best bet would be to find a new position.
WHAAAT? I work those hours for 700/week.
Find a new family asap. Even if they give you a raise, it won't be much since it's only 160 to start with =[
I never understand how people get up and go to work every day when they're barely making any money. Maybe I'm just more selfish or something but I would resent going to work everyday if I knew I wasn't going to be compensated for my work. Even if you loved the kids and had fun everyday, you still need to pay your bills and have money to live. I don't understand why your boyfriend would just be handing over money to you when you could have been making more yourself. I just don't think that's anyway to live, which I'm sure you now realize.
Anyway, I don't think asking the family for a raise would be beneficial since they are getting away with paying you so little. The raise would have to be huge in order for you to be making what you deserve, and I am guessing they won't go for it. I think it would be best to quit and find a new job that will start off paying you a fair amount.
$3.20/hr for FT work?!?
That's crazy! Why in the world would you let anyone take advantage of you like that? that is an insane price for all those hours! Tell the people you work for that you need to raise your rates and if they don't go for it, then find a new family to work for. And, never ever count on someone else giving you money to survive, make sure that you are making enough for yourself!
This is why it is hard for nannies to find a decent paying job. So many nannies let families get away with paying way, way less than minimum wage. We all need to stick together and demand at least enough to live on. A lot of parents think of nannies as babysitters, who need money for a prom dress or something. It's time to make them realize that nannies are adults with bills to pay.
OP, minimum wage and OT for live-out nannies is THE LAW. Please don't ever take another nanny job for less than minimum wage plus OT. You should be making almost $400 a week at the very least.
And there is not much you can do at this point except find a new job and set your rate according to both the law and your nanny experience level. If you're a complete novice, minimum wage - $500 a week, with a few years experience $500 a week or more.
What Strawberry said. I calculated it all up and at the bare minimum, you need to be making $362.50 before taxes. I am sure you're not paying taxes either...or rather, the family isn't deducting taxes from your paycheck, which is illegal.
I also noticed you said you babysit rather than you are the family's nanny. I have no doubt in my mind that all you do is babysit because no quality nanny would ever accept a job for such paltry wages. If you want to make nannying a career, you need to make it a priority to research the job and the pay for your area.
If all you are doing is trying to make a few bucks while you're looking for a "real" job, well then I have no sympathy for you. You're just making it harder on the rest of us. And taking money from your boyfriend? Come on! Get some respect for yourself!
You could make more money working anywhere else, doing anything else. This family should be ashamed of themselves.
I used to work 7-4:30 for $275/week and I thought THAT was bad (and, it was). You need to LEAVE. There is no way this family is going to give you more if they are already taking advantage of you that bad.
Leave, leave, leave NOW! I did and it was the best decision I ever made. You can flip burgers for more money.
If you are serious with this post just quit there is no way the family is going to start paying you a fair legal wage and doing things on the books. There are hundreds of so called nannies out there who will work crazy hours for that wage. On the slight chance this is a real post get some self respect and get paid.
I'm trying hard not to get snippy, but it's people like you that make it difficult for nannies to be taken seriously.
We have sites like Care.com that think it's ok to list $5/hr as option for wages and people like you who accept jobs like this for $160 a week. I now know why parents act surprised when they respond to my ad and I tell them I only work on the books and will take no less that X amount for fulltime work. If you want to be a babysitter please stick to Saturday night gigs and leave the actual nanny work to the pros.
Question: how long have you worked for this family? Do you care for the child at your own home?
The pay you are getting is low for babysitting. It is not, however, necessarily low for in-home care depending on what area you are in.
p.s. to Kate,
some people cannot afford nannies, but need childcare and a babysitter is an option for them.
Furthermore, jobs are hard to find now. It's a reality and many of us are working for less pay than what we are worth, in many different fields.
Oh I understand working for less. Working 50 hours a week for $160 isn't less it is a crime.
And if you can't afford to pay someone the legal rate take your $160 to a daycare.
I pay $135 a week for a school-age child to be at a family daycare. He gets care 2 hours after school, holidays, if there is a delay for snow, and summers. She has many other children. The thought that you get only $25 more for 50 hours a week is criminal....
@ Curious... It doesn't matter if you call her a babysitter or a nanny, it is still illegal to pay someone that little for work. Just because someone can't pay a "nanny" doesn't make it ok to hire a "babysitter" for less money. That's just a matter of the title you put on it, but bottom line is that at the very least, this nanny/babysitter should be paid fairly. If the family can't afford childcare in their house, they need to explore other options such as daycare, a family member or government assistant if that is the case. Barely paying someone to come to your house and watch your kids is definitely not an option, or at least it shouldn't be. IDK how this MB sleeps at night.
It is certainly not illegal to pay a babysitter that little. If it were a company or a corporation, then it would be illegal. But for private childcare, there is no law saying a parent can pay a babysitter anything they want to. That's the legal end to it: it's not criminal and to say it is is just being dramatic and emotionally invested. I If the family can't afford childcare in their house, they need to explore other options such as daycare, a family member or government assistant if that is the case. It is not illegal, nor is it uncommon.
As to the comment: "If the family can't afford childcare in their house, they need to explore other options such as daycare, a family member or government assistant if that is the case..." well. This is an extremely ignorant comment. I shouldn't even dignify it with a response, but I want to educate this poster. It is really quite simple. Many mothers need someone to come to the home because of the hours of their job. And childcare centers are extremely expensive in many cases.
I feel like I'm talking to an idiot. This really is pretty simple. Do I think 160 for full time is enough or fair? No. Do I understand parents who cannot pay more for childcare? Yes. Some retired teachers, grandmothers, or high school or college kids make wonderful childcare providers.
I am all for the rights of childcare workers, but I disagree with the poster who made the comment about how this sets nannies back, and stick to babysitting on the weekends, etc. That's just ignorant. People need freaking jobs. People need freaking babysitters. Grow up and face reality. It's just the way things are.
I'm so disgusted by some of the ignorance of these posts. I really am.
Disgusted which are you
1. A cheapskate parent
2. A "nanny" who accepts extremely low wages under the table
3 Just plain stupid
@ disgusted there are actual laws dictating what you must pay your nanny or fulltime or regular sitter. I suggest you look them up if you are a nanny/sitter or employing one.
I stand by what I said.
Disgusted, just because many people choose to ignore the law does not mean the law does not exist or that they are not breaking it.
I highly doubt you'd be so flippant about wages if you were on a board of doctors. I seriously doubt you would say "sorry times are tough Dr. Jane take your $160 a week and be greatful you are working.
Being a nanny is a profession and just like evry other worker nannies deserve a fair wage. $160 for fulltime is not a fair wage.
Have some respect for the person who allows you to go into the office.
I'd seriously doubt you'd hustle at your job for $160 a week. WHy expect differently for a nanny.
Your attitude is one a see as common in this society a serious lack of respect for childcare providers and educators.
OP, I believe your are telling the truth and that your are being underpaid.
Unfortunately, I doubt you'll be able to get more money from this family,so I would start looking for another job. Go for at least minimum wage ($7.25) you can also try a pay estimate calculator for your area.
I don't know your background , but maybe you can look into a job at a daycare.
I wish you luck, and hope things get better for you and your boyfriend.
OP I seriously doubt this cheap skate family will offer you a fair raise. The best thing to do is to look for another job and make sure you are being paid what you should be.
This family doesn't give a damn about their kid(s). If they did, they would NEVER offer you such a low wage. I feel sorry for the poor kiddos. :(
@ Disgusted, I am the one who said that the family should look into other options and I stand by my opinion. Not only did you copy and paste one of my sentences, but you also made yourself sound like the idiot here.
I agree that some parents cant afford to pay for in-home child care but how does that make it OK to barely pay someone for their work? So the parent has to work to pay their bills and support their family.... well so does the nanny! It is not the nanny's fault if the parent cannot afford to pay a fair wage. Why should the nanny work for less?
And I don't understand why it is offensive to you that I said the family should look into other options. The family cannot afford the LEGAL minimum wage to pay someone to come to their house so they should try and come up with another solution for their kids to be taken care of. That is what a smart and proactive mother would do, not try and get away with paying someone close to nothing. The mother can't just take the child to a daycare and say "oh I can't pay your fee because times are tough, can you accept me paying less?" That just doesn't fly and the same should go for a nanny. If, in fact, the parents can't afford to pay, like I said, there is government assistant for those people. However, this is probably all irrelevant cause I am guessing the MB in this case is just cheap!
Getting government assistance is not as easy as you might like to think. It drives me crazy when people talk about things they have zero experience with.
There are many, many reasons why parents pay very little for childcare. Some parents are cheap. Some have no other options.
The bottom line is that as long as there are jobs available, people will take them. And there's nothing wrong with that. Childcare is a notoriously underpaid and often disrespected field. I don't see this changing any time soon.
@My opinion:
If all of us Nannies remain proactive in seeking fair pay, we can change things.
May be WISHful thinking, but I hope it happens.
OP,
Disgusted doesn't know what she is talking about. You are working full time plus overtime as a household employee and you are covered by the minimum wage law.
Many states have minimun wages higher than the current federal rate of $7.25. In that case, the higher state wage applies. Check here.
www.4nannytaxes.com/news/stateminimum.cfm
You and your employer are both breaking the law if you are being paid off the books, and neither of you are paying taxes. You would probably not owe much on your whopping income of $8,320 a year, but you and your employer should each be paying 7 1/2% into your S.S.,
Dept. of Labor: "Effective for calendar years 2009, 2010 & 2011, the wage test that obligates the nanny employer (or any household employer) for the withholding and remittance of Social Security and Medicare taxes is $1700 of wages paid in the calendar year. This wage test will rise to $1800 of wages paid in calendar year 2012. "
I strongly advise you to find another job ASAP, and check with local agencies and parenting boards to find out what the standards are for nanny salaries in your area.
I never said it was easy to get government assistance, "my opinion." And also, I DO have experience with government assistance for childcare as I work for a non-profit and we deal directly with some families who qualify, thank you very much.
I know that there are limited options for parents who may not have the funds to pay for childcare. Obviously most working parents would probably love a full time nanny to come to their house but often that is not affordable. What I am just not understanding is why they would think it's ok to barely pay someone to take care of their kids. I am not a mother but if I were and I were hiring a nanny, I would question why someone would agree to work for me for less than minimum wage. That person wouldn't seem very bright and certainly not very smart with money if they think they can spend that much time working for so little money and still be able to pay their bills. Even someone who is living with their parents and paying no rent also has to pay for gas and food at the very least. Wouldn't you question these things as a parent?
Even so, if the parent doesn't care to wonder why someone is working for so cheap, it is sad that, to them, it is an option to try and get away with this. As we have seen, some people will work for this little money and that is a shame. Even if I were sitting on my butt all day at this job, I still wouldn't work for this family. I just don't get it.
The rate OP is getting is fair for a home daycare client rate.
OP: are you caring for the child in your home or theirs?
I might take a beating for saying this but isn't it a bit of the OP's fault for accepting the position anyhow? No one MADE her accept the position and she was perfectly okay with making such cruddy pay prior to her boyfriend losing his job.
But now that things are not how they used to be for her, she's expecting more pay?
Yes the parents suck for thinking it's okay to pay someone that low to take care of their own children but I think the nanny is at equal fault for accepting the pay.
You've got yourself stuck, don't think for one second that the family will be okay with raising your pay. Start looking elsewhere and acknowledging that you deserve much more pay that what you're currently making and do not settle for less...start cleaning up your mistakes and move forward!
Good luck!
that isn't even minimum wage...if you need more money, ask them for it or go work at Target, starbucks or mcdonalds...you will make more there than at this job
I completely agree with you Chelle. OP was fine with making peanuts because her boyfriend was supplementing her wage. That's why I told her to get some respect for herself. That's why I also think she is just marking time at this job while she waits for a "real" job to come along...or more likely she is just waiting for her boyfriend to get another job and to propose so she won't have to work anymore.
Disgusted, you have NO IDEA what you are talking about. If someone comes into your house on a regular basis and cleans it or watches your kids, they are considered a domestic employee and are entitled to fair wages just like any other employee in this country. You are their employer and so it is your responsibility to pay them at least minimum wage and to deduct all applicable taxes and to provide them with a W2 at the end of the year. I suspect that you don't consider nannying a "real" job so you don't think nannies should be respected as "real" employees.
disgusted: "It is certainly not illegal to pay a babysitter that little. If it were a company or a corporation, then it would be illegal. But for private childcare, there is no law saying a parent can pay a babysitter anything they want to. That's the legal end to it: it's not criminal and to say it is is just being dramatic and emotionally invested."
Please feel free to experiment with this belief of yours by hiring a household employee who will earn more than 1800 in one year, paying them less than minimum wage and then daring them to report you to the IRS and the FLSA enforcers.
I dearly want to hear what sort of fines and other penalties you will owe for breaking the law.
Since OP has not chimed in yet, I am assuming that she does home daycare. In her own home.
MsMannah, your comment "more likely she is just waiting for her boyfriend to get another job and to propose so she won't have to work anymore" is pretty judgemental.
I am finding that there are a lot of regulars on here who are extremely judgemental. And catty and really without valid, solid, intelligent opinions. More interest in one-upping and cat fighting. It's sad.
Yes, yes it was judgmental. Your point being?
Why are you making that assumption? The OP did not say she runs a daycare. She said she babysits and she indicated it was for only one family.
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