Car Use During Working Hours
Car Use During Personal Time
Insurance Coverage
Insurance Deductible
Gas Costs / Allowance
Regular Maintenance and Repairs
Setting Limits
Value of Car Benefit
Return to Parent FAQ Index
Car Use During Working Hours
It is standard within the nanny industry to provide a nanny use of a car during working hours. Although there are a growing number of nannies willing to use their own cars to transport their charge, that is still the exception rather than the rule. Families that don’t provide a car during work hours, have a much smaller pool of quality candidates to choose from during their nanny search. If you do not offer this benefit, make this clear BEFORE you hire a nanny.
If you are not offering a car because you are not comfortable with your child being “out and about”, make your reasons clear during the interview and look for someone that is comfortable with your viewpoint. Most nannies want the freedom to take their charges out on regular outings so be prepared to search a bit harder to find a compatible caregiver.
Danger! If you are not providing a car for financial reasons, consider buying a used car, leasing an inexpensive 3rd car or paying a nanny to use her own car. Unless you live in a walking city such as Manhattan or Boston, it is very isolating to be an in-home caregiver without transportation. Also, your child will miss out on great social and educational opportunities.
Car Use During Personal Time
It is standard within the industry to provide live-in nannies with a car for personal use. Most employers have a 3rd car designated for the nanny. For safety or space reasons, the nanny will often drive the “kid car” (e.g. van, SUV) during the day and switch with a parent for evenings and weekends. Some employers that use public transportation for their daily commute leave their car for the nanny to use during working hours and then share their car with the nanny during off hours. This situation can work, but it has many potential problems and is not an option many experienced nannies will accept. There are some live-in nannies that bring their own cars to a live-in position but they are the exception rather than the rule.
Most live-out nannies use their own car during their off time but more and more higher salaried live-out nannies are asking for (and getting) a car for personal use as well. This is a new benefit to hit the industry but it is catching on. Employers are finding it a great way to attract and retain quality, long-term caregivers. Because the nanny doesn’t have to take on the cost of car payments, maintenance, repairs or insurance, this benefit translates into significant dollars for her. But to an employer that already provides the nanny with a car during working hours, the additional cost is negligible.
Insurance Coverage
Nannies aren’t automatically covered drivers on their employers’ insurance policy. Make sure you add your nanny as a regular driver to your policy before she takes the position.
Insurance Deductible
Generally, the employer pays the deductible if the nanny is involved in an accident during working hours regardless of who is at fault. This includes the time she is transporting children and any time she is doing household errands. If the nanny is involved in an accident during personal time, some employers pay the deductible in any circumstance, some pay the deductible only if the nanny wasn’t at fault, some don’t pay the deductible al all. This is really a personal decision on the employer’s part. Whatever your policy is, it should be agreed upon and outlined in your nanny / family work agreement. Also, make sure your nanny knows of and agrees to the deductible amount if she is responsible for paying it. Many families carry a much higher deductible than a nanny can afford. If that is the case, consider sharing the deductible amount with your nanny.
Gas Costs / Allowance
It is an employer’s responsibility to pay for the gas used during working hours. If the nanny uses the car during both work and personal hours, either you or the nanny can keep track of the work-related costs by tracking the mileage for work-related driving and figuring the corresponding cost of gas.
In many cases, the weekly amount will be the same (or close to it) so employers often pay a standard amount that only needs to be adjusted if the amount of driving or the cost of gas changes significantly.
Brownie Points Many employers pay for all the gas costs of the nanny car. Some do so because it is easier than tracking work vs. personal use. Others because it is another way of making their compensation package more attractive. Whatever the reason, this is a great financial benefit to the nanny.
Regular Maintenance and Repairs
As the owner of the car, the employer is responsible for the full cost of regular maintenance and any repairs needed. However most employers ask their nanny to schedule appointments and take the car in for service.
Setting Limits
As owner of the car, you have the right to set limits on its use. The key to setting limits is finding a fair balance between your needs and your nanny’s needs. Nannies understand and gladly live within reasonable guidelines such as staying within yearly mileage limits or not allowing anyone else to drive the car. All restrictions should be discussed and agreed to in advance and clearly outlined in the nanny / family work agreement.
Danger! Restrictions such as a curfew on the car, no overnights with the car, or not allowing passengers in the car are seen by nannies as insulting and demeaning. The thought is if a parent can trust her nanny with her child, shouldn’t she be able to trust her nanny with her car?
Brownie Points Allowing your nanny to drive the nanny car outside your local area is a nice perk. This doesn’t mean she will pack up and drive across the county. She may take a weekend trip to a neighboring city or go antiquing a few towns away. Like other benefits, nannies view a lenient car policy in terms of the actual benefit but also in terms of the employer’s willingness to go the extra mile.
Value of Car Benefit
Don’t underestimate the importance of the car benefit within your compensation package. Often the car benefit carries more weight than salary because many nannies can live with a little less money but they cannot live without a car. The many aspects of the car benefit greatly influence a nanny’s decision to accept or reject a job offer.
