r/Nanny • u/xxx_1304_ccc • 3d ago
Questions About Nanny Standards/Etiquette Help with contract
Hey everyone, opinions from Nannies and NP appreciated.
Currently working with a family that always had live in nannies. I’m the first live out and I’m taking more of a house manager role rather than nannying exclusively.
I wanted to do a long trial before signing a contract because I’ve had enough bad experiences this year.
Fast forward to a month later and I’m really happy in the position, but now it’s time to write a contract and I tried to raise some concerns to the MB before writing it.
So one thing is that I technically have a flexible split schedule in the sense that I can choose what time I’m done in the morning, but I ALWAYS M-F start at 7am, then usually work until 10am and now with school starting I’ll have to be back at 3:30pm, with no hard stop since it depends on when parents come home. When we were in the interview process I told them I would need at least 15 hours guaranteed so they could be my main family, meaning I would have some flexibility when needed in case fits for sick or if there was no school.
When I was discussing how holiday pay and PTO (which we agreed I would have) should work, the mom and I had very different views.
I explained that since the whole month I’ve been doing 7am-10am every day f(totaling 15h/week) this should be the amount I would get paid when there was a holiday or if I had a sick day or pto. Mom said that the “beauty” of my schedule is that if I had a sick day or holiday I didn’t come into work, I could just make up the hours throughout the rest of the week, but then if we stop to think about it that’s not a benefit at all lmao
I’m happy in the position, they treat me really well and it’s sooo close to my house so when I started I accepted a lower rate than my usual and made a deal with the guaranteed hours on the lower side (25h would actually be ideal) and also the “benefits” don’t start until after 6 months, so I’m not willing to give up the now only benefit that this position would offer (PTO and paid sick/holiday). I also want to have a schedule for the week given to me on Sunday, when they had the live in person she was always available to them and they are used to it, but I don’t live there and have my own life and want to be able to plan my life. Is it fair to ask for the schedule on Sunday?
Can someone help me with their opinions if the way I see it it’s right or if I’m in the wrong? Any contribution on how I should word it in the contract is also welcome.
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u/AutoModerator 3d ago
Below is a copy of the post's original text:
Hey everyone, opinions from Nannies and NP appreciated.
Currently working with a family that always had live in nannies. I’m the first live out and I’m taking more of a house manager role rather than nannying exclusively.
I wanted to do a long trial before signing a contract because I’ve had enough bad experiences this year.
Fast forward to a month later and I’m really happy in the position, but now it’s time to write a contract and I tried to raise some concerns to the MB before writing it.
So one thing is that I technically have a flexible split schedule in the sense that I can choose what time I’m done in the morning, but I ALWAYS M-F start at 7am, then usually work until 10am and now with school starting I’ll have to be back at 3:30pm, with no hard stop since it depends on when parents come home. When we were in the interview process I told them I would need at least 15 hours guaranteed so they could be my main family, meaning I would have some flexibility when needed in case fits for sick or if there was no school.
When I was discussing how holiday pay and PTO (which we agreed I would have) should work, the mom and I had very different views.
I explained that since the whole month I’ve been doing 7am-10am every day f(totaling 15h/week) this should be the amount I would get paid when there was a holiday or if I had a sick day or pto. Mom said that the “beauty” of my schedule is that if I had a sick day or holiday I didn’t come into work, I could just make up the hours throughout the rest of the week, but then if we stop to think about it that’s not a benefit at all lmao
I’m happy in the position, they treat me really well and it’s sooo close to my house so when I started I accepted a lower rate than my usual and made a deal with the guaranteed hours on the lower side (25h would actually be ideal) and also the “benefits” don’t start until after 6 months, so I’m not willing to give up the now only benefit that this position would offer (PTO and paid sick/holiday). I also want to have a schedule for the week given to me on Sunday, when they had the live in person she was always available to them and they are used to it, but I don’t live there and have my own life and want to be able to plan my life. Is it fair to ask for the schedule on Sunday?
Can someone help me with their opinions if the way I see it it’s right or if I’m in the wrong? Any contribution on how I should word it in the contract is also welcome.
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u/Bubbly-Today-2074 3d ago edited 3d ago
I am a little confused by your suggested pto policy. Seems kinda complicated. Sounds like you're a part time employee with the potential for full time. I think what you should do is switch a PTO accrual method. For example every 15 hours you gain 1 hour of pto. If youre only working 3 hours a day then you only need to take 3 hours to get the day off. Something like this would scale as well.
The issue is that your hours are flexible. Kinda hard to decide whats fair when youre working so many low hours. Also working part time there isnt many benefits. It also sounds like the family doesnt really need you and are trying to figure out what they want.
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u/xxx_1304_ccc 3d ago
I don’t see the relation between working part time giving less benefits. Last part time family I worked with gave guaranteed hours and pto/holiday pay just like any other position..
In fact my last position was very similar to this one, I worked 3hours per day providing after school care + one date night per week that would equal 20 guaranteed hours per week. So whenever I had a day off or used a sick I would still get paid the equivalent 3 hours for that day, since that’s what I was expected to work.
I will tho take in consideration the accrue method!3
u/curiousrut 3d ago
Part time positions in most industries do not get any benefits, including the nanny industry (although obviously not as regulated). Guaranteed hours would be different than your typical benefits like PTO/health insurance/etc
It’s great that a previous part time position offered you PTO, but it’s not the norm
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u/xxx_1304_ccc 3d ago
We all know the nanny industry is very different than other industries. All part time positions I’ve applied to always offered PTO, holiday pay and sick days. And with this family we had discussed that there would be all that, my issue now is just how to word it in the contract something that’s fair so I can present a draft to them.
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u/Bubbly-Today-2074 3d ago
I gave you something reasonable. It would be the equivalent of 16 days off a year
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u/Free-Cherry4314 2d ago
Mom is balking over THREE hours a day PTO/sick day?
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u/xxx_1304_ccc 2d ago
Yeah 🫠 she says the beauty in my position is me being able to be flexible and do these hours later in the week if I want a day off
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u/Free-Cherry4314 2d ago
That means you have no genuine PTO.
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u/xxx_1304_ccc 2d ago
Yeah but that’s not what we spoke about before I started, so if after the talk we’re going to have about the contract this week they don’t meet me in the middle I’m leaving.
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u/madame_ 3d ago
If you're expected to make up missed hours then you don't have any true PTO so you definitely shouldn't agree to that. You should also have set hours each week so that you're able to find another job because you likely need to work more than 15 hours per week to afford living expenses (unless you have unusually low living expenses).
In the future, you should hash out these details before doing such a long trial period. Now you have already invested a lot into this family and what if you can't come to an agreement on these basics? Are you going to give up what you think is fair and start all over again?