When you’re deciding whether or not to work with a particular family, you’ll be considering the big picture as well as the fine details of your employment agreement. Once you’ve established must-haves, like legal pay and a nanny contract, you’ll want to discuss the benefits you’ll be offered. While an extensive benefits package isn’t exactly a given, many employers are aware how competitive the industry is and understand the importance of providing certain standard employment benefits—and sometimes, benefits that go beyond the basic.
Each nanny will have their own priorities when it comes to benefits, while many families will value certain benefits over others.
From paid time off to mileage reimbursement or even gym memberships, there are a range of practical supports and extra perks that can boost security for both you and your employer.
Here are 13 benefits you should feel empowered to explore with a potential or current family employer.
The basics
1. Paid time off
Workers in the UK who work a five-day week are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks, or 28 days, of paid holiday a year (known as statutory leave entitlement or annual leave). Part-time workers get this entitlement on a pro-rata basis. An employer can choose to include bank holidays as part of a worker’s statutory annual leave. You might also want to discuss separate days allotted for bereavements or adverse weather conditions.
2. Overtime
Make sure that an overtime rate of at least time-and-a-half for all hours worked in excess of the standard maximum hours per seven-day working week (generally 48, or 40 for anyone under 18) is specified in your contract, as you may often work longer. Whether you’re working on a full-time or part-time basis, there is no legal right to paid overtime (although your average pay for the total hours you work must not fall below the National Minimum Wage.), so you must negotiate this with your employer and have it included in your contract.
3. Sick days
Nannies are entitled to statutory sick pay (SSP). It is paid from the fourth consecutive day of absence instead of, or as part of, the nanny’s normal rate of pay, and can continue for up to 28 weeks. The first three days are known as “waiting days” and any payment of salary to the nanny for these days is at the employer’s discretion, so you will need to negotiate this.
4. Paid bank holidays
The UK has eight bank holidays per year; as noted above, an employer can choose to include bank holidays as part of a worker’s statutory annual leave. It is important to establish whether you will be expected to work on bank holidays, and to specify any extra pay that applies in this case.
5. Guaranteed pay
It’s also wise to make sure that you are guaranteed payment for a set number of hours per week. Guaranteed pay or hours are especially important if your employer goes on holiday without you. Your bills don’t stop when your employer’s away, and negotiating guaranteed hours will protect your income.
It also protects the family you work for, as they won’t risk losing you to another employer should you need to take on new work while they’re away.
6. Mileage reimbursement
It’s a good idea to ask for mileage reimbursement benefit so you can recoup the cost of using your own petrol to run errands or take your employer’s kids to activities. Most nannies are paid Mileage Allowance Payments (MAPs) of 45p per mile; this is the maximum the UK government will allow without a reporting requirement or tax liability. Mileage is paid for up to 10,000 miles per annum at 45p per mile. In the unlikely event that you exceed this limit, the rate drops to 25p per mile.
7. Open kitchen policy
This benefit makes it clear that you can eat anything in the house while you’re working, and that if certain foods are off limits they will be put in a designated spot. This allows you to focus all your attention on the children without worrying about supplying your own meals, taking up space in the family’s fridge or ordering lunch from an app.
8. Household account
Talk to your employer family about setting aside a petty cash float or giving you a credit or debit card to be used for various expenses incurred on the job. You may need to buy art supplies or take the children out to lunch, and some nannies report having to fund these activities out of their own pocket.
Discretionary benefits
9. Mobile phone cost reimbursement
While this isn’t as common as paid time off or sick pay arrangements, some families will provide reimbursement for your mobile phone bill or offer you a separate work phone. But if the family gives you a dedicated work phone, leave it at their home. Don’t use it for personal calls or take it home with you, as this may inadvertently give the family access to private information, including where you live and where you’re going after work or at the weekend, which you might not be comfortable sharing with your employers.
10. Professional development/continued education
Some nannies have employers who are willing to assist financially with continued education or professional training. You can try and negotiate a contract with the family employing you that covers a set amount of funds and days that you can put toward professional development.
Nannies can suffer from burnout and taking an all-day class as part of a nanny training programme or attending events like The Great British Nanny Conference can be stimulating and ultimately make you a better nanny. It is money well spent for both the nanny and the family.
You could begin by asking for just one day or £100 to put towards continuing education and then request more later. Or if you’re already in a contract with your employer, this is something you could ask for at your annual review. Families will be impressed that you want to become an even better nanny.
11. Flexible hours
Nannies sometimes have other jobs. For example, if you are an actor, you may need your employer to be flexible regarding your hours so that you can go to auditions. In this case, you might ask for a set number of flexible hours per month—in addition to paid time off—to be used as needed, provided you give the family as much notice as possible.
Above-and-beyond extras
12. The pipe-dream perks
There are some “pipe dream” benefits that nannies might receive, such as a pension scheme where the employer matches the nanny’s contributions (generally offered by families with a high net worth who have several domestic employees), paid time off in excess of the statutory minimum, or a locked-in percentage for annual raises. While it may be challenging to secure any of these during initial negotiations, nannies and employers can revisit them during an annual review.
13. Recreational bonuses
Depending on an employer’s line of work, they might have unique sweeteners to offer. This could be a chiropractor who does free adjustments, use of a holiday home for your holidays, or season tickets. Or what about weekly car cleaning—a nice gesture if the family’s children are smearing food into your car seats when you’re ferrying them around. Other benefits along these lines include gym membership, tickets to concerts or other live entertainment, or airline miles.
How to prep for your benefits talk with a prospective employer
Get clear on your must-haves, ideals and dealbreakers
Listing the benefits you need most is a key first step. Define your dealbreakers and most important requests ahead of time. While you might not frame them that way in negotiations with your employer, you’ll have them uppermost in your mind, which can help inform an open, honest discussion.
Seek support
If you’re nervous about conducting negotiations and discussing the benefits you want, call a friend or ask an agency or fellow nanny to walk through it all with you.
When in doubt, get it in writing
Though every family’s contract will be different, it’s always a good idea to get the details in print. It is best practice to have all your benefits in your contract with your employers before you start. You can always adjust your contract as time goes on and if you feel that you should be better compensated for your work.
The bottom line
Ensuring that you have the benefits you need is integral to securing a stable working relationship that lasts. If you have an employment package that builds in long-term protections, you can relax and focus on your work.
