Exploring Employment Benefits
What are the standard benefits for nannies & what else should be included…
Hiring a nanny is not just a financial transaction; it's an investment in the well-being and development of your children. As such, it's important to recognize the valuable contributions that nannies make and to provide them with fair and competitive employment benefits. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the employment benefits that nannies commonly receive and why they are essential for not only attracting but retaining top talent in the childcare industry.
Standard Benefits
1. Competitive Salary
First off is salary. One of the most important employment benefits for nannies is a competitive salary that reflects their skills, experience, and responsibilities. Household employees often perform a wide range of duties, from childcare and household management to transportation and educational activities. A fair and competitive salary not only compensates nannies for their hard work but also demonstrates that their contributions are valued and appreciated.
2. Paid Vacation
Just like any other employee, nannies deserve time off to rest, recharge, and attend to personal matters. Paid vacation is an essential employment benefit that provides nannies with the opportunity to take breaks and spend quality time with their own families. Offering paid vacation also helps to prevent burnout and promote overall job satisfaction and well-being. North Sound Nannies recommends offering 2 weeks (commensurate with their weekly hours). For instance if your nanny works 20 hours in a week, they would receive 40 hours of paid vacation each calendar year. It should be stated that in order for the time off to count as vacation, the nanny must be able to choose the dates and times they would like to take off. Nannies should not be asked or coerced to take vacation at the same time their employers have scheduled a vacation. If the family has a planned vacation and does not need the nanny to work during that time, this time off would fall under guaranteed hours (See Point 4).
3. Paid Sick Leave
Just like anyone else, nannies get sick. And Paid Sick Leave is another standard benefits in the nanny industry. Yes, it’s true that many families and nannies share their germs and illnesses with one another (taking care of mildly sick kids is part of the job sometimes). But giving paid sick leave allows the nanny to rest and recuperate and can help the spread of germs. In some jurisdictions, providing paid sick leave is not just a matter of good practice but also a legal requirement. By complying with these regulations, families ensure that they are operating ethically and legally, avoiding potential legal consequences. North Sound Nannies recommends offering the Washington State Sick Leave policy which state that the employee will accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked.
4. Paid Holidays
Offering paid holidays can be structured a couple of ways. You can offer specific holidays paid, unspecified floating holidays or a combination of both. We recommend offering 6-8 paid holidays annually. Most often North Sound Nannies advises parents to offer the following federal holidays paid: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence day, Labor day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Of course these can be changed or swapped depending on what Holidays are important to you nanny, just make sure to address them in your contract prior to the start of employment. And while paid holidays are an industry standard, observed holidays are not. For instance, if your nanny typically works Mondays and Christmas falls on a Monday, your nanny would receive Christmas Day off paid. However, if Christmas falls on a Sunday and is federally observed on a Monday, your nanny would be expected to work the normal shift for normal pay.
5. Guaranteed Hours
If you haven’t already check out our blog post dedicated to understanding Guaranteed Hours. In a nutshell, guaranteed hours is a childcare industry standard which ensures that your nanny can count on earning all the hours they expected to work. Should you release your nanny from their duties for any reason (you went on vacation, you had family members in town, you wanted to get a jump start on the evening and let your nanny leave an hour early, etc.) your nanny can expect to earn the full amount of money they were contracted to earn, even if you didn’t utilize them for all those hours.
Additional Benefits
1. Health Care Stipend
If you have a nanny, you are technically and legally an employer. However, unlike most businesses, you don’t have the ability to offer a typical health care plan. Since most nannies don’t have health benefits through their employer they typically will purchase insurance through their state’s open marketplace. As an additional benefit, many families choose to offer a Health Care Stipend that will offset the out of pocket premiums their nanny will pay. Offering a health care stipend can help attract qualified candidates and demonstrate that you care about your nanny's overall health and well-being.
2. Family Specific Benefts
Many families have the ability to offer benefts that are specific to their circumstances. For instance, if a family has an extra vehicle they don’t use, they may offer the nanny the option of using it as a “company car”. Some families are business owners and can offer free or reduced services to their nanny. I have had families offer free gym memberships, yoga classes, car repair services or even Lasik eye surgery! If you have something you could offer your nanny, consider what you might be able to contribute to their benefits package to further show your appreciation.
Remember that employee benefits are something that of course benefit that nanny (it’s right in the name!) but also greatly contribute to employee satisfaction. Employees who are happy in their work and feel appreciated by their employers produce higher quality work, enthusiasm for the job and are more likely to remain in the position for as long as your family needs childcare.