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Handling Nanny Vacations, Holidays and Sick Days

When you hire a nanny, you̵7;ll probably talk about things like pay rates and schedules. But what about paid vacations, holidays and sick days?

Being a nanny is a job — just like any other. And nannies have lives of their own and should receive benefits like overtime, insurance and paid time off — just like the rest of us.

Lots of families forget to negotiate these things when they hire a caregiver. Talk about them before you officially hire someone. Then make sure you add all the details to your nanny contract. Here̵7;s what you should talk about:

Paid holidays

According to the 2017 INA Salary and Benefits Survey, 73% of employers provide paid holidays to their caregivers. Holidays tend to be busy for everyone, so it̵7;s natural to give your child care provider — especially those with kids and families of their own — some paid holiday time off. Negotiate the days based on what works for everyone.

Paid vacation

Everyone needs some time off to recharge. And nannies definitely need some rest and relaxation after caring for your children. Two weeks of paid vacation time is typical — and we suggest the same for your nanny.

Many families try to coordinate their nanny̵7;s vacation time around family vacations, so they̵7;re not left scrambling to find backup child care. Maybe your nanny takes one week off during the summer, while your family is visiting Disney World and then has one week to use whenever she want.

Set rules for using these vacation days. For example, how much notice does your nanny need to give you that she wants time off? How will she let you know: in-person, text or email? Can she split the days up or does she have to use it a week at a time?

Paid sick days

When a nanny is around kids all day, it̵7;s inevitable that she̵7;ll get sick. While paid sick days aren̵7;t as common as paid holidays and vacation, the INA reports that 67% of employers include paid sick days in their nanny benefits. It̵7;s most common for families to provide four or five days, but you should agree on an amount that is best for everyone.

Again, how much notice does your nanny have to give you — and how should she contract you to let you know?

Plan for your nanny̵7;s sick day now by weighing your options for backup care.

Providing this paid time off is a great way to show your nanny that you appreciate them and everything they do for your family.
 

Your Next Steps:

• Create a nanny contract.
• Find out what you should be paying your nanny.
• Set up a payroll account.