A common question when families hire a caregiver is: do nannies get paid overtime? The quick answer: not necessarily. But if it’s in their contract, they can. If they aren’t aware of how this works, that potentially leaves a lot of nannies short-changed or paid off-the-books for their overtime work.
Working overtime is a difficult task for anyone but especially for nannies with families of their own. Whether you’re hiring a nanny or you are a professional nanny, here’s what you need to know about overtime pay.
Do nannies have to be paid overtime?
In short, no. UK law states that employers do not have to pay workers for overtime but their average pay for the total hours worked must not fall below the National Minimum Wage. The maximum amount of hours a person can work is 48 hours a week (or 40 for anyone under 18). In the case of domestic employees like nannies and babysitters, the type of work they do means they are exempt from this standard working time regulation.
But while employers are not required to pay workers overtime, it’s common practice to agree on an overtime rate for any hours worked on top of the standard maximum hours per seven-day working week as specified in a nanny contract. This is true for both a full-time or part-time basis and must be negotiated between the nanny and the employer and included in the contract. The reality is that nannies may often be required to work longer than their contracted hours and it is important to be upfront about how this will be dealt with before work starts.
How much overtime should nannies be paid?
As mentioned, there is no legal requirement to pay overtime, but a general rule of thumb for overtime in the UK is time and a half (1.5 times the hourly rate) for each hour worked on top of the contracted working hours.
What about a live-in nanny?
There are no additional rules to be aware of for live-in nannies. For more on live-in nannies, read this article.
How should you keep track of overtime?
For any nanny who regularly works more than 48 hours a week (or 40 if they are under 18), set up a system to keep track of hours so both the employer and childcare provider know how much the nanny should be paid. You can use a time-tracking app or set up a shared spreadsheet using Google Drive to keep the nanny’s time on the clock organised. Then, come pay day, add up the extra hours and the agreed overtime rate.