The working life of a nanny or carer can be unpredictable. One moment your employer arrives home late and the next they are asking you to work on the weekend! Before you know it you’ve clocked up a 65 hour week but your pay slip says 40.
If this sounds familiar then you need to take action. There are laws in place to protect your rights at work. You are entitled to a minimum wage and to overtime payments for additional hours worked – check the UK Government website for more information.
Even when you know your rights it can still be a difficult task to speak to your employer about any salary issues you may have. We’ve identified 4 difficult pay discussions you might need to have as a nanny and provided suggestions for solving them.
- Unpredictable Working Hours
Solution: Busy parents often have busy work schedules, which is exactly why they need a dependable nanny like you. But you wouldn’t show up late without calling, and parents should extend the same professional courtesy to you. However, if these parents need a more flexible nanny, you might not be the right fit for them. Try making it work by saying, “I enjoy taking care of your children, but I’ve noticed the day ending an hour or two later than we originally discussed. I know unexpected delays can happen occasionally, but I need to know when you’ll be late because sometimes I have other plans. I also need to be paid for this time.” - Longer Hours Without Extra Pay
Solution: Remember, you’re not asking for anything more than you deserve. Start the discussion with your employer with this type of opener: “When I applied for this job, we talked about being paid £X for five days. But lately I’ve been working Y-hour days, without overtime. With the extra hours, my salary doesn’t meet the National Minimum Wage. Can we talk about renegotiating my salary or changing my hours?” - You Are Paying for Petrol When Driving the Children
Solution: If your employer says they only need you to do it for a week, you have the right to say no if it makes you uncomfortable. If they ask you to drive on a regular basis, you need to have a discussion about extra insurance coverage, gas and mileage. But if you don’t want to use your car, then don’t. Try saying, “I’m happy to drive the kids, but only in your car. If anything happened, I would be liable.” - You Work Extra to Help with Events
Solution: Remember, you’re a professional and your time is important. Let them know you expect to be paid more because you went over your normal 40-hour week. Bring up the event and the pay. You might say, “I’m glad I could help with the kids during the party on Saturday, but I noticed I wasn’t paid overtime. Since that was beyond my normal week, I would like to clear this up.”If it’s a child’s birthday party, and you’re invited as a guest, but you still help out (because you don’t really fit in the bouncy castle), don’t expect to be paid. You’re being a helpful guest.
There are a couple of steps you can take to head off any future problems. Whether you’re starting a new job or already a year into one, draw up a contract that specifies your expected hours, salary, holidays, benefits and overtime stipulations.
There are a couple of steps you can take to head off any future problems. Whether you’re starting a new job or already a year into one, draw up a contract that specifies your expected hours, salary, holidays, benefits and overtime stipulations.
In the end, don’t be afraid to tell your employer when something isn’t working. Hopefully, you have a good relationship where you both want to make the situation work for the family. Then start keeping good records of your hours, your mileage or whatever might be in question. Create time sheets and receipts for each week. When you’re underpaid, bring it up. If you’re inconvenienced by repeated late hours, tell them. If you’re the right caregiver, your employer should want to pay you for the time you are devoting and eliminate any possible problems.
Your Next Steps:
- Childcare Jobs: Getting the Salary You Want
- Nanny Contract & Payslip
- 4 Ways to Get Your Employer to Pay You Professionally