Room and Board
Food
Phone Costs
Cable / Satellite
Cell Phone
Professional Organizations
YMCA or Health Club Membership
Professional Development Reimbursement
Health Insurance
Retirement Account
Tuition Reimbursement
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Room and Board
Live-in nannies receive room and board as part of their benefit package. This includes furnished, comfortable living space, utilities (excluding private phone line), and groceries. This does not include personal items such as shampoo, lotion, etc although some employers do include those items in the family shopping as an extra benefit. If you are provided with a separate apartment (or separate kitchen facilities) you are still considered a live-in nanny and should receive a food allowance.
Food
The grocery component of a nanny job is a common cause of confusion and frustration simply because it is a unique employment issue and usually not discussed before there is a problem. To avoid any confusion, simply discuss how you will handle this issue.
If you are a live-in nanny, reasonable meals and snacks during work and personal time are a standard part of your benefit package. If you are a live-out nanny, reasonable meals and snacks during working hours are standard. It is a good idea to define reasonable before you begin work so there are no surprises. Differences in cooking styles and eating habits can impact, sometimes significantly, the amount a nanny increases a family’s food budget.
The actual food purchasing can be handled in several different ways.
* If you do the family’s grocery shopping, you can add what you need to the family shopping trip.
* If another person does the family grocery shopping, you can establish a central location for an ongoing list and you can add what you need to the family list.
* You can do your own shopping using money from the household account or turning in the receipts for reimbursement.
* Your employer can provide you with a set amount per week or month for groceries.
Phone Costs
Generally, employers provide a private phone line in their nanny’s quarters and the nanny is responsible for the monthly bill.
Cable / Satellite
It is standard to provide the nanny with the same options available throughout the house. If you would like to add options such as an additional cable channel or pay-per-view, you are responsible for the additional costs incurred.
Cell Phone
If you care for children in school or any program where they attend without you, your employer should provide you with a cell phone so you can be reached in case of emergency. You are responsible for paying for personal calls billed to the phone although many employers give their nanny the set number of free minutes that come with the plan.
Professional Organizations
There are several quality childcare organizations that offer wonderful benefits to childcare providers such as professional journals, networking events, and continuing education. Many employers will pay for membership to these organizations. We strongly encourage you ask for a membership to our two favorite organization, NANC, National Association for Nanny Care, and NAEYC, National Association for the Education of Young Children.
YMCA or Health Club Membership
Most Ys, JCCs, swim clubs, and country clubs allow a full-time caregiver to be added to a family membership at little or no charge. They don’t usually advertise this policy but it is worth a phone call to your facility’s membership department to find out if this benefit is available to you.
Professional Development Reimbursement
There are more and more professional development opportunities available for nannies. Many employers will offer time off and full or partial reimbursement for the event and related costs if prompted. We actively encourage employers to help nannies attend Nannypalooza or the annual NAEYC conference.
Health Insurance
Health insurance is one of the basic benefits that nannies often do without. Depending upon your age and location, you can expect to pay between $125 and $300 per month for adequate coverage. This high premium makes it cost prohibitive for many. We recommend that every employer provide full or partial health insurance coverage. Health insurance premiums are tax exempt. You can find more information under Nanny Health Insurance Info in our Nanny Resource section.
Retirement Account
Although retirement account contributions aren’t a typical nanny benefit, many long-term and career nannies are asking employers to match their yearly IRA contributions. This is a financially savvy choice since nannies don’t have a company pension plan to rely on and must be proactive in planning for a comfortable retirement.
Tuition Reimbursement
There are a growing number of nannies that are returning to school for personal enrichment or to complete their degree. This can be an expensive undertaking and help from an employer is an attractive benefit. Nannies that are finishing their degrees often commit to family long-term in exchange for full or partial tuition reimbursement.
