Parent FAQ ~ Schedule

If you have an executive position, one that offers a high-end salary and benefit package ($800 or more per week plus benefits, $1,200 or more per week plus benefits in NYC), you have more flexibility than the typical employer when setting your nanny’s schedule because you are not only paying for quality childcare but for personal convenience as well. However, you still need to be aware of your nanny’s need for adequate time off. Even the most dedicated caregiver needs down time to relax and reenergize.

Daily Schedule

One of the attractive benefits of having a nanny is the extended childcare hours and flexibility available in comparison to a daycare or preschool. Whatever your scheduling needs are, you can find a nanny to meet them.

A full-time nanny generally works 5 days a week, 9 to 12 hours a day. A typical day begins between 7 and 8 am and ends between 6:30 and 7:30 pm.

A part-time nanny’s schedule varies greatly depending upon the needs of the family and the availability of the nanny. Some part-time nannies work a 12-hour day, 1 or 2 days a week while others work a few hours each day.

When you set your nanny’s schedule, remember to allow for any overlap time you need (e.g. you leave the house at 7:45 in the morning but you’d like your nanny to start at 7:00 so you can shower and dress, you get home from work at 6:10 but would like your nanny to stay until 6:30 so you can change out of your work clothes, go through the mail and hear about your child’s day). This overlap time is particularly important if you have young children that cannot be left alone or if you are a single parent.

Danger! An employer that doesn’t respect the daily schedule is the number one complaint among nannies. An employer that regularly walks in 10, 15, 20 minutes late, that rarely gives notice or gives notice so late in the day that it's pointless, is simply not playing by the rules. If your nanny is supposed to be off work at 7:00, be home and in charge by 7:00. Respect her time as if it were your own. There will be times when you are simply running late and your nanny will understand that. But those times should be the exception rather than the rule. If you work in a job that requires you to stay late often, build the needed flexibility into your nanny’s schedule.

Brownie Points If you get home early, let your nanny take off early too. Most nannies will stay until their normal end time unless a parent gives them the okay to leave so let your nanny know when you’re ready to take over.

Daily Schedule with School-Aged Children

A nanny’s schedule (and by extension her salary) reflects the time she needs to be available to work, not the actual time worked. If you have school-aged children and need your nanny to care for them when they are home sick, dismissed early for snow, etc., her schedule should include the hours they are in school. If you choose not include school hours in your schedule, your nanny is free to make another commitment during that time (a second job, a class) and may not be available to work.

Days Off

Generally, nannies receive 2 consecutive days off a week. Most nannies require Saturday and Sunday off although there are a significant number that will work Saturday and receive Sunday and Monday off. Having Sunday and Monday off is a less desirable schedule so it is usually offset by a higher salary or increased benefits.

A 4-day work week is also gaining popularity although it is far from being the norm. In these cases the nanny usually works Monday through Thursday or Tuesday through Friday allowing for a 3-day weekend. This schedule usually reflects a flex schedule worked by one of the parents.

Danger! A day off is a full 24 hours off of work. An employer that asks her nanny to “just listen for the kids on Saturday morning while I run to the gym” or “provide a little coverage on Sunday afternoon while I catch up on errands” is not truly giving her nanny a day off. Nannies, especially live-ins, have a very difficult time refusing these simple “favors” but over time, feel taken advantage of and put upon. If you need this type of coverage on your nanny’s day off, treat it as overtime or hire a babysitter.

Late Nights and Overnights

Because of work or social commitments, many parents need their nanny to stay late or work an overnight from time to time. This is a common requirement of a nanny position. Unless a caregiver clearly states she cannot work any evenings or overnights before she is hired (or negotiates it into her work agreement after hire) she should be available to extend her typical schedule. When you need your nanny to work late or overnight, give as much notice as possible, ask rather than tell (there is the possibility that she has an equally important event planned), and offer fair compensation for the extra time.

If you find you need this type of coverage frequently, build flexibility into your nanny’s schedule. You’ll receive the coverage you need and your nanny will feel her needs have also been taken into consideration.

Danger! Many nanny employers work demanding jobs that require them to put in more than a few late nights. Nannies understand this and take the extra hours in stride. However, an employer that walks in late because of personal, non-urgent reasons (e.g. “I stopped for a manicure on the way home”, “I wanted to run to the mall without the kids”) is taking advantage of her nanny’s flexibility.

Brownie Points Of course there will be those times when an employer cannot give notice or plan ahead. Traffic jams or meetings that run late just happen. Nannies understand this and will work hard to accommodate their employer’s schedule. If you have a last minute late night, call your nanny as soon as possible, ensure she doesn’t have any plans for the evening that she can’t miss, and give her a guesstimate as to when you’ll be home. When it comes time for your nanny’s performance review, remember all the evenings you didn’t have to cut a client off or leave a meeting early because you had a flexible caregiver at home.

Regular Overtime

Many employers include regular overtime (e.g. one weekday evening every other week, one Saturday evening a month) in their basic job description. This ensures that on your date night or catch-up evening in the office, you have coverage from a caregiver you (and your child) know and trust. Regular overtime should be reflected in the nanny’s base salary or paid at the nanny’s overtime rate.

Danger! If the time scheduled as regular overtime is not used, it cannot be carried forward (e.g. if a family requires a commitment of one Saturday evening a month but doesn’t use that Saturday evening during October or November, they cannot expect their nanny to work 3 Saturday evenings in December).

Brownie Points If you know you will not need your nanny to work the regularly scheduled overtime, let her know as far in advance as possible. This simple, courteous act is just another way to say that you recognize that she has a life outside of her job.

Regular Weekend Care

If you need regular weekend coverage, there are two main ways to arrange for quality, consistent care.

First, you can hire several nannies to work rotating weekends. As you plan the schedule, remember that most weekend nannies also work a full-time job during the week. Too many weekends assigned to one nanny will lower the quality of care she provides and will cause her to burn out (read quit). If you include your weekday nanny in the weekend rotation, make sure she wants to work the extra hours rather than feels obligated to. Also, make sure she receives adequate time off to relax and rejuvenate.

Second, you can hire a full-time weekend nanny. This requires a larger financial commitment (usually nannies need to earn a full-time salary even if working a shorter schedule) but it offers consistent care with a great deal of built-in flexibility. Your weekend nanny can double as your back-up childcare provider, filling in when your weekday nanny is sick, needs to take personal time or is on vacation.

On Call Time

Due to the nature of the business, many nanny job descriptions include on call time. Nannies can be compensated for on call time by a) including on call time in the base salary, b) being paid a set rate for all on call hours, c) being paid a set rate for on call hours actually worked, or d) being paid a set rate for all on call hours and an additional rate for hours actually worked. Do not make any assumptions when discussing on call time with prospective caregivers. Make sure you clearly outline all aspects of the issue including how often she will be on call, if she needs to be in the home or within a specific range, and the compensation offered.

Danger! A nanny that agrees to be on call assumes that she will work only when her employer is called into work. An employer that asks a nanny to work during this time for non-emergency reasons (e.g. while the employer takes a nap, cleans the office, pays the bills) is taking advantage of the on call agreement.

24 / 7 Care

More and more families are looking for 24/7 coverage. The best way to arrange this schedule is to hire 3 separate nannies: a weekday nanny, a weeknight nanny, and a weekend nanny. Usually, the weekday and weeknight nanny divide up Monday through Friday with each one working a 12-hour shift or, if the child is sleeping through the night, the weekday nanny working a 10-hour shift and the weeknight nanny working a 14-hour shift. The weekend nanny provides 24-hour coverage throughout the weekend, usually beginning on Saturday morning and ending on Monday morning. Many family’s have their weekend nanny (if she works exclusively for that family) come in on Friday evening and stay until Monday evening to give both the weekday nanny and the weeknight nanny an extra shift off. The weekend nanny also fills in when one of the other nannies is out sick, needs a personal day or is on vacation.

Paid Holidays

For full-time nannies, it is standard within the industry to provide all major federal holidays as paid days off. For part-time nannies, it is standard to provide all major federal holidays as paid days off if the holiday falls on a day the nanny would normally work. Major federal holidays include New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. It is also standard to offer Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday, Washington’s Birthday, Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve as paid days off if you are off work.

Unpaid Holidays

Unpaid holidays are not a common practice within the nanny industry. If they are part of your job description, this should be discussed in the interview process and clearly outlined the nanny / family work agreement.

Working Holidays

In general, nannies are very flexible on scheduling. The majority of caregivers will work holidays if needed. However, many will not work “family” holidays such as Thanksgiving or Christmas. If you need your nanny to work a holiday, make sure you discuss this during the interview process and clearly outline the details in the nanny / family work agreement. Holidays are usually paid at double the normal daily rate.

Danger! While most nannies are willing to work holidays if needed, they would prefer to be off work to enjoy the day with their family and friends. If an employer is off work and yet expects her nanny to work, she is sending the message that she doesn’t value her nanny’s time or personal commitments.

Standard Vacation

2 weeks paid vacation is standard within the industry. Most families offer this vacation at the nanny’s discretion although some require it to be taken at a certain time. Obviously the less restrictions you place on your nanny’s vacation time, the more attractive the benefit is. If you do have specific parameters, be sure to discuss them during the interview process and clearly outline them in the nanny / family work agreement.

Extra Paid Vacation

In addition to the standard 2 weeks paid vacation, many nannies receive additional time off throughout the year when their employers take a family vacation or the children are away at camp or visiting relatives. Because the family chooses not to utilize the nanny’s services rather than the nanny requesting the time off, this additional vacation is paid time off.

Danger! A nanny’s job description does not change because the children are not home. An employer that asks her nanny to do things not related to her normal duties (e.g. cleaning out the garage, dog walking, watching the neighbor’s child) is not respecting the boundaries outlined in the nanny / family work agreement.

Brownie Points Asking your nanny to do child-related tasks while you and/or your child is away is a legitimate request. However, you would be far better served to offer that time as extra paid vacation and allow your nanny to relax and reenergize. This will prove to be much more valuable to you (and your child) than having an organized closet.

Unpaid Time Off

Unpaid time off is not a common practice in the industry. Nannies rely on a regular paycheck. For many, a day without pay can effect their ability to meet their financial obligations. If unpaid time off is part of your job description, this should be discussed during the interview process and clearly outlined in the nanny / family work agreement.

Sick Days

3 to 7 paid sick days per year are standard within the industry. These days are in addition to vacation days. Many employers don’t address this issue in advance, thinking, “Well, of course I’d give my nanny time off if she were sick!”. Unfortunately, that approach leaves the nanny out of the process and unsure of her options. You should have an official illness policy outlined in your work agreement. Also, make sure that you have backup childcare in place before your nanny is sick. Many companies sponsor an emergency drop-in daycare service for parents that have their child’s information on file. Most areas also offer babysitting service that can be called upon in a pinch.

Danger! Many employers offer sick days but make it next to impossible for their nanny to use them. They don’t develop a backup childcare plan then when their nanny calls in sick and they find themselves in a tough spot, they put the responsibility back onto the nanny. Employers who say “I have a meeting today that I can’t miss.” or “Can’t you just put the kids in front of the TV and take it easy?” or “If you can come in now, I’ll try to come home early.” are being unfair to their nanny. These tactics only result in the nanny feeling resentful and angry.

Brownie Points If your nanny is clearly sick but comes into work anyway (a very common scenario), help her out by planning a play date at a friend’s house or coming home a little bit early. Anything that gives her a break will be greatly appreciated and remembered when you need her to go that extra mile for you.

Weather Days

Although it is not (yet) standard in the industry, if you live in an area where winter weather can make travel dangerous and you employ a live-out nanny, you should provide 1 to 3 paid weather days per year. These days are in addition to vacation days.

Danger! An employer that asks her live-out nanny to stay over the night before a big storm to avoid transportation problems the next morning has unrealistic expectations. Unless that employer is willing to spend the night at her office to ensure she will be at work the next morning, she should not expect that of her nanny.

Danger! Employers who take the day off because they cannot safely make it to work, should not expect their nanny to endure the hazards of winter driving either. When a nanny struggles through hours of traffic, fender benders, and dangerous conditions to get to work, she does not want to be met by an employer that announces she is taking the day off because the weather is just too bad to go in.

Brownie Points If you see the weather taking a dangerous turn during the day, try and get home a little bit early to give your nanny a head start on the drive home. Small, considerate gestures such as these go a long way in showing your caregiver her needs are important to you.

Professional Days

As the industry grows, there are more and more continuing education opportunities available to nannies. Many employers encourage their caregivers to stay current on child related issues by offering paid or unpaid days off to attend these workshops, conference, classes, etc. These days are in addition to vacation time.

Brownie Points Paid professional days are a great way to show your nanny that you consider her a professional. An employer that includes this benefit in her package speaks volumes about the type of caregiver she wants to employ.

Personal Days

Paid personal days aren’t a standard benefit in the industry but more and more employers are making them part of their benefit package. Nannies work extended hours and government offices, professional service providers and many smaller businesses are closed long before they get off work. Caregivers can’t take an extended lunch hour or a morning off to see the dentist, renew their driver’s license or have their taxes done so a few extra hours off here and there is an attractive benefit.

Danger! Every nanny, whether she has paid personal days or not, will have to take personal time off at some point. If an employer doesn’t officially offer paid personal days, she would be well served to pay her nanny anyway for time taken off for unavoidable reasons. The employer that docks her nanny for attending a funeral or getting a cavity filled is sending the message that she has no real concern for the nanny as a person.

Schedule at Summer House

When a family and nanny head off to the shore or the mountains for part or all of summer, the regular schedule often changes. Many parents need fewer actual hours but much greater flexibility. It is important to think about your needs in advance and present them to candidates during the interview process. The details of a summer away can often sway a nanny to accept or decline your position so be as descriptive as possible.