Wednesday

Need advice from nannies or parents who have nannies

I am a nanny for a 1 yr old girl in Sacramento, CA. I usually work anywhere from 30-35 and occasionally 40hrs a week at 12.00/hr. I have been working with this family for almost a year. I do not receive any benefits nor do we have a contract.

At least once a week i am watching their other child, which I am not paid any extra to do. As well as other duties that have nothing to do with my charge, up until this point I did not mind one bit doing all the extra stuff but my father passed away this week and I missed 4 days of work, I asked my charge if I can have paid leave for the days I was not able to come in. She replied that technically I am a part time employee and am not entitled to that benefit, but she offered to pay me a quarter of lost wages.
I love my charge and I love this family but I feel like after everything I do, this is not fair.
I want to bring up a contract because now I see that I have to make sure I am protecting my best interest as well as theres but how do i go about that now that it has been a year? Please give me any advice that may help, TIA

13 comments:

Taleia said...

Honestly, I would be more upset that you'd given so much to this family and they cared so little, than be thinking of how to put a contract in place. :( Sad but true - good people will treat you well no matter what, and a contract won't protect you from people who take advantage of you.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, they're most likely not going to agree to a contract this late in the game. You'd be asking them to change things they're already used to, or asking them to pay you more for those things. Not going to happen. And honestly, you're not entitled to bereavement. I lost my mother while I was working for my last nanny family and I did have a contract, but I had to use vacation time. Why? Because I wasn't full-time and t wasn't stated in my contract. Just saying. CONTRACTS PEOPLE!!! Not that they prevent all problems, but they prevent a lot of them.

Unknown said...

You are underpaid. You can make more with benefits working at McDonalds.

Unknown said...
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Anonymous said...

Yes your underpaid, make your demands bc they won't want to lose you . It's kind of like gambling, but remember they need you and they can search for someone knew but I guarantee after they search they will see how lucky they are. That the going rate is $18 hr. I know how you feel though, and I am sorry for your loss. You obviously care more than they do. I really need my job but I make sure to let the families know I don't work for them, they don't work for me , we're a team and anything I don't wanna do or agree upon I'm going to speak up. Don't be taken advantage of, most of the time they need you more than you need them.Good luck and don't be afraid to stand up for yourself.

Unknown said...

You're underpaid and have no contract protecting you with guaranteed hours/sick/vacation/emergency days off. What do you expect? Don't let them take advantage of you! And don't listen to some who say that it's too late to get a contract. It's never too late, however it doesn't seem like this particular family will react all too well to it.

Anonymous said...

The key to being a good nanny family and making good nannies want to stick around is making them feel appreciated and ALWAYS compensating (if not overcompensating) for your time. The fact that you were not paid full wages after a death in the family is a huge red flag to me. I make $20/hr as an experienced nanny and additionally get money for gas every week. I get paid the same even when one child goes to school and is not with me for most of the day and I still get paid when both children are at school and there's an overlap. This arrangement encourages me to work hard as a nanny and makes me appreciate my NF so much. They've even offered to let me stay with them in times of hardship. Look elsewhere. You can find something much better.

Anonymous said...

Always discuss with a nanny family your expectations and whether you want a salary or hourly rate prior to them hiring you.

Unknown said...

You may not necessarily be entitled to full wages for the time off if you're normally working part time - but after a year, I would definitely be requesting a wage increase to at least 16 an hour to allow for longevity, performance and inflation. If they refuse to do that, then I would look for a new family.

Anonymous said...

FYI 32 hours and up is considered full time so if you get at least that more than not than you are entitled to benefits

NiqueKristan said...
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NiqueKristan said...

Minimum wage is 10/hr in California and most minimum wage positions don't automatically come with benefits so I'd disagree with you.

mandynanny said...

Wow..sorry to hear about your loss..I'd definitely start looking elsewhere. How could they be so heartless not to let you grieve at least a week. .If I was you I'd put on a two week notice and just be honest that you're not happy with the employment arrangements and you feel undervalued. This happens all the time in our industry and if we don't speak up families will continue to just take advantage of the next nanny after the next after the next! Ughh .I've been where you are and it's so hard to leave when you love the children but it's the only way to make sure you are taken care of;emotionally and financially!
And yes you are way underpaid! $22/hr.for two kiddos is my rate not including the PTO & HOLIDAY pay!
Good luck to you let us know what happens!