Nanny holiday tipping

Hmm...

enough to pay for the overage on mobile minutes and text messaging she incurred while watching your kid(s)?

Don't have kids myself, but hang out on UrbanBaby enough to tell you that the standard Xmas bonus is one week's pay...

ali r.

i was wondering myself - We were going to give her a gift card for may be 200
she is getting 14 an hour for 32hr a week

nobody wants a gift card. cash is king

I have a few part-time babysitters $15-17/hr:

Sitter #1 - on average 15 hours/week - $250
Sitter #2 - on average 5 hours/week - $50
Sitter #3 - 3 nights/month - $100

GA - you are low vs. standard of 1 week's pay, and why oh why a giftcard? cash cash cash

BTW - Ali - UB is over ... youbemom.com is much better.

Is one week really enough?

I am guessing the giftcard is coming from some source that will result in less money out of pocket for GA. ie credit card point redemption

Scoots: depends on the other benefits.

My PT sitters don't get paid vacation, casual basis, no notice required.
If you had a FT sitter (say >30 h/week), I would expect that you have had some discussion as to:
1) Paid vacation time (yours and theirs), length, notice required
2) Sick leave
3) Notice required
4) Annual review, raise (?), bonus
5) Transportation, food
6) Overtime

Gift cards are easy for the giver, FABULOUS for the retailer, & limiting for the receiver. I know 'cause I've still got some.

Interesting, you guys are pretty stingy, it makes me wonder if I pay above market, or if the current sample is cheap. I do an extra week pay, plus a paid week off, so that the third week in December she gets 3 weeks of pay (for the one just worked, the extra bonus, the one between Christmas/NY.)

They are just cheap. I pay my nanny 3 weeks salary as bonus plus she gets a paid week off at christmas. I have always paid her for the vacation time I take. It is not her fault I go on vacatin so I pay her for when we are away. If you pay somebody well (as you expect to be paid at your job) you never have to worry about them quitting on you. She has been with me for over 6 years and I am sure she will be with me until I no loner need her. If you are cheap and pay people badly- they will look for a new job. Most of my friends also pay between 2-3 weeks bonus depending on the length of time they have worked for them. If the person is new (less then a year) I would pay 1 week bonus- 2 years I would pay 2 weeks bonus and I would max out at 3 or 4 weeks. A nanny is the single most important person working for you- make sure they are happy.

I don't know if I'm cheap. Never had any PT sitter quit on me. Plus they have the (wonderful) benefit of my home-cooked meals :)

Rob, same here; she's worked for us for almost 6 years. Isn't it worth it to have a dependable, happy, loving sitter?

The first year I paid 1 week bonus and 1 week paid vacation between Christmas and New Years. The second week 2 weeks bonus and 1 week paid vacation. She did receive annual salary increases, max bonus was two week salary and the annually she received the week between Christmas and New Years off paid. I was on vacation from work that week. I guess that would be 3 weeks salary and 1 week paid vacation. Happy nanny = happy baby and happy baby = happy mommy!

Worth every penny! I appreciated her caring attention, timeliness and the beautiful happy little person I have as a result of her devotion to her job! Not to mention the close friendship that resulted after my child outgrew a nanny!

As a housewife who sees a ton of nannies day in, day out, I can tell you that the quality of childcare is NOT necessarily related to how well a nanny is paid.

My nanny is paid $15/hr for a 50 hour week = $750 a week. Last year, bonus was $1,000. Not sure what to do this year. And like Rob, she gets the last week of the year off as well as 2 weeks of her own choosing during the year - and any time that we travel. Some years we travel a lot. Other years, not much.

I don't know much about FT nanny compensation. But this I know, do not pay her less than $1000 or you will have a very unhappy nanny. I don't claim that this leads to an change in the childcare dynamics - IMO, should not, but your relationship with the nanny may sour unless there's a good reason for reduction in bonus due to your own economic circumstances.

I wasn't going to pay her less! Either $1k or more. Just wasn't sure exactly how much/what precedent to set ....

My gosh. My housekeeper is getting 2 weeks bonus and she cleans my toilets versus raises my children. It is dispiriting to read on these tipping threads how reluctant people can be to graciously share the wealth they are blessed with (yeah--wealth...if your family income is >$250,000 you are doing better than 98 out of every 100 people in the U.S. And please don't tell me how this really isn't a lot of money or how hard it is to live on this amount--it is even harder to live on less.) Shame on many you.

I've never given a nanny bonus/present -- not even half a pair of socks -- and I've never heard any complaints about it either.

It is an interesting thread. Kyle you are bit off base as if you follow what most are paying even if you earn $250k or more, a large chunk is going to this childcare provider on an aftertax basis. My father even jokes with some tax clients that at the rate they pay it would be more beneficial for the wife to just stay home. but that is not the point of this thread.

We pay our nanny year round, whether she works the full time her salary is based on or not. She gets vacation when we take vacation, which prior to my daughter just starting school was at least 4 weeks per year. On top of that she got a bonus weeks pay twice a year, not based on year end, but actually on the other two new years that we celebrate. Since she does not go on vacation ever, it has never been an issue for us to dictate that she is off when we are off. This has now worked for over 4 years and recently with my daughter starting school and the hours less, we reduced her salary to reflect hours worked.

In addition we have no stated sick policy as she was never sick, until recently when unfortunately she needed surgery, she is now back. I found after seeing some of our friends think giving sick days was the right thing to do, nanny's were just taking advantage and calling in sick because they had the day. This does not work when the whole reason you have the nanny is so you can get to work.

""We were going to give her a gift card for may be 200
she is getting 14 an hour for 32hr a week ""

For real?? It's almost better to give nothing. That's really stingy, sorry. But yes--cash is always better than a gift card. I still have a few of those rattling around from my wedding... five years ago.

@ Mikev: my comments were not directed at someone acting as reasonably and seemingly as generously as you. I think you articulate a pretty darn kind and thoughtful approach.

Alan - ha ha.
I'm out of this market now, but I used to give a week's bonus, a week off (ie 5 weeks pay for 3 weeks work) and a nice pair of gold earrings. A good nanny is a jewel without price. You'd be worse off if she left you than if your husband did. After 5 years, I gave her $1000 to open an IRA and went with her to open it. I paid her taxes (both sides) and paid her 53 weeks a year, but no pension, so I thought that was the least I could do. She was with us for 8 years total. At the end I paid her tuition to hairdressing school.

geez 10023 - how are you finding people willing to watch 3 kids for $15-17/hr?? maybe i'm overpaying ($20/hr for 2). i'm not cooking them meals though.

UWSmom - are you looking for full or part time? I think for full time, $15/hr is the norm. Part time is more per hour. There are also some college grads who make extra money on weekends babysitting and many of those charge $20/hr. In my experience, a professional nanny is better and slightly less expensive.

FWIW - My nanny is fantastic and is worth every cent. I don't begrudge her one dollar that I pay/she earns.

scoots - yes, $20/hr for very part-time. actually, she quoted $18/hr, i didn't want to think that hard, so i rounded up to $20 :). but, i'm done trying to be supermom. i'm seriously leaning towards a PT dually gifted nanny/housekeeper. i don't care how much she costs. in fact, she can move in. that sounds so nice. even better if she can make ME wonderful meals.

UWSMOM...hi, happy holiday...if I had children and had a nanny I would pay more than they expect because they have the most important job of all.

Julia, if I had children I'd sell them so I could afford a fulltime housekeeper and laundress. And cook.

And farrier.

Hi Julia. Happy Holidays to you!! Yes, it's important to take care of your childcare providers. I hadn't even thought about tipping, so this is a great thread. Another luxury we try to offer is ordering our evening sitters car service (through husband's employer) instead of cab fare if we're out later than midnight. My husband gives me a hard time about this and thinks it's a bit much (is it??) but I think it's a nice gesture.

This thread just isn't complete without nycmatt's input! Come on Matt, let them have it!

> enough to pay for the overage on mobile minutes and text messaging she incurred while watching your kid(s)?

lol lol that's the most popular activity of nannies hands down when i see them in the playground and during story time at the library. they might go just crazy with the texting in the privacy of the kid's house.

If your kids are older and you have room for a live-in, au pairs are lovely. They come on a 13-month student visa and you pay their tuition for one course and a stipend (in my day it was $100/week.) The organization I used was called Au Pair Homestay (orginally the Experiment in International Living.) We had girls from Holland, Austria, Germany, France, and Belgium, and we're still close to most of them.

Yes, keep overpaying and overtipping so the pay keeps rising and rising. Enjoy. It's all good until you find out your nanny is on the phone all day while your kid cant figure out how to walk because they sit in a stroller all day.

gcondo - most generous by far - overpay your nanny, to cripple your child, to employ physical therapist. tis the season.

gcondo...what about the babycam?...lol..

kyle : That seems quite harsh, yelling about shame. Maybe some people aren't making 250k, or need to economize for some personal reason you're not privy to. Maybe they give a lot to their church, or charity or whatever.

> My father even jokes with some tax clients that at the rate they pay it would be more beneficial for the wife to just stay home. but that is not the point of this thread.

not a joke. add childcare to super high marginal tax rates of the 2nd earner and most working wives in high tax areas end up putting energy into a hobby more than into a career. as far as i can see the mtg interest deduction is the only tax break they get but it's kind of a trap as the couple ends up budgeting for housing costs that require 2 incomes, if they downsize to 1 income the full overprice house comes back with a vengeance.

buyerbuyer: If you hire the help, treat them well--especially if you think highly enough of them to have them help raise your children and essentially spend more time with your kids than you do. Don't tell me you can't tip the nanny because you gave your discretionary income to the Pope on Sunday. It isn't an either/or. But you misread my comment in any event. Let me be clearer. For those who could afford to tip two weeks wages but somehow feel they just don't want to, that isn't nice. Or christian. And to have someone work for you year-round and give them no paid vacation is stingy. Shame. Shame. I stand by what I said.

kylewest - why 2 weeks? why not a month? or 2 months? if you work on wall street and get a bonus that's 5x your base, should you do the same for the nanny?

2 weeks is no more arbitrary than 1 week or 1 month. once you are within norms, the decision is up to person. and bonus is just part of the overall package. you can't judge it in isolation.

tis the season to flaunt your wealth uwsmom

impressive

flaunt? wealth? b/c i pay an extra $2/hr for a babysitter that i use less than 10 hrs a week? b/c i didn't want to send a young woman out to hail a cab in the middle of the night and opted to pay $10 more than the cost of a cab for my own peace of mind? ok. cheers!

how much do you tip the dog walker...
I know it's not a child... but how much?

Well. Popular thread.

I rarely leave all the kids with one sitter. Mostly 'tis the youngest, while I schlep the others to some activity that isn't baby-friendly. Or if we are going out in the evening, I make sure the youngest is asleep. I always round up to the nearest $20.

For night sitters, I usually get someone who lives in Manhattan, to cut down on cab/car fare. Is that cheap of me?

http://www.ny1.com/content/124674/paterson-signs-landmark-bill-of-rights-for-domestic-workers

"Domestic workers in New York are now guaranteed more rights than anywhere in the nation."

"It guarantees overtime pay, a minimum of one day off every seven days, three days of paid leave per year, and protections against sexual harassment and racial discrimination.

The bill also mandates that a feasibility study be done to see if there is a possibility of these workers unionizing.

The law covers the estimated 270,000 domestic workers – including nannies, housekeepers and caregivers – employed statewide, and is being hailed as a civil rights victory since the majority of the workers are not only women, but also women of color."

nyc10023,uwsmom...you both sound like terrific parents....kind and generous to the people that care for your children...kylewest...your post sounds the best of all.

like I said:

yes, $20/hr for very part-time. actually, she quoted $18/hr, i didn't want to think that hard, so i rounded up to $20 :).

Another luxury we try to offer is ordering our evening sitters car service (through husband's employer) instead of cab fare if we're out later than midnight. My husband gives me a hard time about this and thinks it's a bit much (is it??) but I think it's a nice gesture.

flaunt? wealth? b/c i pay an extra $2/hr for a babysitter that i use less than 10 hrs a week? b/c i didn't want to send a young woman out to hail a cab in the middle of the night and opted to pay $10 more than the cost of a cab for my own peace of mind? ok. cheers!

ick

Wbottom, nice gestures.
I am serious about the dog walker question

I tip my dog walker an extra $100 and I also always give a thoughtful gift - one year I gave a box of hand warmers, another a Starbucks gift card (I know dog walker well enough to know this was appreciated) but $100 cash is the main holiday gift. FWIW, we pay $15/walk or $75/week.

thanks Sunday for the link! really nice measure as it also covers those working off the books (most of them) and protects them regardless of their legal status. it's key for them not to fear suing their employers if that's what is appropriate. most of the time it's the employer's choice to hire off-books, not the employee's, why punish them for that?

Also - we pay for nanny's cab home if we come home after 9 pm any night. Midnight is a bit late, in my opinion.

"For night sitters, I usually get someone who lives in Manhattan, to cut down on cab/car fare. Is that cheap of me?"

do you pay for their cab/car? if so, then not cheap. i thought it was expected of the employer to pay for cab/car for night sitters.

maybe i'm a sucker, i also always pay the sitter for watching 2 even if she's only watching 1. oh well.

sometimes, when i ride in cabs, like the peasants, i'll give the cab driver a whole $8 for a $5 ride. sometimes, i tip my hairdresser or waiter/waitress more than 15%. borrowing from my 2 y.o. "look at me! look at me!"

sorry to ick you out W. Feel free to give me the big thumbs down anytime.

Uwsmom, ignore Wbottom. There was nothing wrong what you said.

We do the car service as well, but would do a cab if the sitter was in Manhattan

UWSmom & JM: I have had a lot of luck with sitters from Teachers College, Columbia.

Free to post http://www.tc.columbia.edu/careerServices/index.asp?Id=Students&Info=Childcare%2FTutoring+Positions.

Students have at least an undergrad (some have Masters) and almost all live on the UUWS.
They're young, energetic, and love children.

same thing here! i had 2 excellent nannies from TC last summer.

will they clean too? i would love someone who would be willing to do some housework during naptime.

You used to be able to get Columbia boys to tend your bar. I'm not sure they still do that now that the drink age has been increased to 45 or whatever they're up to. At least the de facto drinking age is still 15 as it always was in Manhattan.

you cannot ask them to do chores outside of what kids require. naptime is theirs basically. also food needs to be provided for if your schedule includes lunch time. all fair requests imho.

i also told them that they could take my toddler to run errands for themselves if they wanted, like going to the supermarket. they didn't do that a whole lot but liked the freedom (my toddler loves going to stores too, so it didn't hurt).

the fact that i knew where they were studying and that they were living so close by gave me a lot of peace of mine. they are basically columbia/barnard students. you could also check out Barnard's agency (actually, both nannies were studying there). it's used mostly by Columbia staff (professors and administrative).

http://eclipse.barnard.columbia.edu/~bbsitter/

"peace of mine" sure it was mine, but meant "peace of mind"

The Barnard sitters are 18-22, a little too young for my comfort.

As for chores, you can negotiate what you want done. A little housework never hurt anyone.

you sign a contract saying that you are not allowed to do that. it helps to prevent abuses i guess.

Just to clarify, that is for the Barnard sitters (from what I understand, it's a fixed rate).

There is NO fixed rate or contract for jobs you post on the Teachers College website (my preference).

Thanks for the advice I am not trying to be stingy I am new to this, there are good points about the gift cards would give her cash and paid time off. That was her call on the hourly pay but good to know what over people are paying. I always pay for her cabs and metro card. It’s a good thread I like her and want to make sure she is happy!

We just started with nanny 2 weeks prior to the holidays. Pay is $700/ wk for 50hrs. What's suggested tipping amount?

At least 1 week's pay.

We pay our nanny $750 per week and then $20 an hour for additional baby sitting. We usually tip $1,000 plus a gift and consider an annual salary raise. We work between Christmas and New Year so don't provide that as paid leave. We do, however, provide 2 weeks of paid vacation and take our nanny on one week of vacation during which she's on light duty and gets to kick back too.

You may want to check out some empirical data on this topic from Park Slope Parents. There's a section on bonuses, particularly slide 26 in the below PDF.

http://www.parkslopeparents.com/docs/NannySurvey2011.FINAL.pdf

While it may not be entirely representative of all five boroughs, it's a close enough benchmark.

Double the week's salary , that's the going rate these days

Don't be cheap

Reading these posts are depressing to me. While I want to be generous what if your household income is 170k and neither of you get bonuses. while I'll prob do a week since it'll be expected, it's quite a chunk of change for us. Seems Luke we have no business having a nanny.