For 2012, the domestic employee wage threshold under Federal law for paying Social Security taxes will rise to $1,800. Earnings below this amount will not be subject to Social Security taxes. This limit is up from $1,700 in 2011.
Under California law, the thresholds will stay at $750 and $1000. Specifically: You must register with the Employment Development Department (EDD) as a household employer for California payroll tax purposes when you have paid cash wages totaling $750 or more in one calendar quarter to one or more people who work as employees in or around your home. The amount of wages you pay in a calendar quarter will determine the payroll taxes you are required to withhold and pay. If you pay …
- $750 to $999, then you have to withhold State Disability Insurance (SDI).
- $1,000 or more, then you have to withhold SDI, PLUS pay Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Employment Training Tax (ETT).
Thus, if you, as an employer, pay more than $750 in a quarter or $1,800 in a year, you will have some tax reporting requirements.
Posted on December 15th, 2011 in category Childcare, Employer Information |
Many of our clients seeking to hire a Nanny start their searches focused on finding a live-in candidate. The reasons are many, but in our experience, the two main reasons family consider a live-in Nanny are (i) to get increased coverage, and (ii) to save money.
In our experience, a live-in Nanny is not necessarily going to be able to address these two needs.
Often families will expect a live-in Nanny to be willing & able to provide a significant level of coverage with flexibility to meet changing needs (i.e., “24/7″ coverage). From the Nanny’s point of view, this is still a job and a source of income. They seeking set schedules for 40 to 55 hours per week. And while they do often have the flexibility to work unusual schedules, they still want to set their work schedule in advance.
Cost savings can also be difficult. Wages for good Live-in nannies are only slightly lower than for live-out Nannies. It is important also not to underestimate the indirect costs of providing housing, utilities, often also food, as well as the cost of lost privacy.
The challenges of finding a live-in Nanny
Qualified childcare is difficult to find under the best of circumstances, and even more so for the family is seeking live-in help. In our experience, the vast majority of professional Nannies prefer live-out positions. Often, both Nannies and employers alike find it challenging to maintain boundaries during non-working hours when the Nanny lives in.
The search for the right Nanny is also complicated by the fact that many live-in candidates live out-of-state and are seeking to move to California. Screening & interviewing out-of-state candidates adds a level of complication that can add undue pressure on the family’s hiring decision.
The challenges of employing a live-in Nanny
The three most important success factors for employing a live-in Nanny are Chemistry! Chemistry! Chemistry! The chemistry match with your Nanny is incredibly important, even more so with a live-in Nanny. Hiring a live-in employee is like hiring someone to join your family. There needs to be a very strong foundation of mutual respect, shared child-rearing philosophies and superb communication between both parents and Nanny.
It is also important that boundaries are maintained during non-working hours. It can be difficult not to ask for or expect help on a Saturday afternoon as you’re struggling with a crying baby in your arms and a toddler scrambling for the stairs.
Posted on November 21st, 2011 in category Employer Information |
Finding just “the one” can be tough no matter what the economy and the unemployment situation is. Currently, one of the trends we’re seeing is that great candidates are not taking the risk to search for a new job due to the current state of the economy. Those who have years of experience under their belts and are contently employed are simply not interested in making a change right now. Working in someone’s home requires a solid, mutually rewarding match which can take months to establish in a new job. Here at T+C, we’re finding that many stellar candidates aren’t interested in taking that risk for fear of being unemployed in the months ahead due to a mismatch or a client eliminating the position unexpectedly.
Posted on September 1st, 2011 in category Traveling |
Families often have questions about traveling with their Nanny. If you are planning to take your Nanny on a trip with you, here are some basic guidelines to consider:
It’s always best to discuss the trip and your expectations with your Nanny before you leave. Remember, it is not a vacation for your Nanny. No matter how luxurious the accommodations or where she sits on the plane, she’s still working for you and should be compensated for all of her working hours, especially if they exceed her normal working hours/schedule.
In addition to her regular hourly wage, it is your responsibility to pay for her:
- Travel
- Lodging
- Food
- Activities while on the job (for example, ski lift tickets or rentals if she’s skiing with the family)
We recommend looking at the entire vacation schedule with your Nanny and confirming which hours she will work for you and which she will have off. Discuss whether you’d like her to dine with you or not, and if not, what her daily food budget will be. (Please keep in mind that hotel restaurants are sometimes pricier than one would expect.)
Some families pay a flat daily rate so they don’t have to keep track of their Nanny’s work hours. Many families also offer a daily bonus of $50-100 to compensate the Nanny for being away from home, and a few families simply add 25% or more to their Nanny’s weekly salary. Extra financial compensation isn’t a must; some families provide the privacy of one’s own hotel room, ski tickets, a spa treatment, or other non-financial considerations.
Travel salaries can also vary depending on workload. If the Nanny is responsible for watching a second family’s children as well as her employers’, she may receive double pay or a premium on her base salary. It is also necessary to compensate your Nanny if you have her sleep in the same room with the children or care for them overnight. For the sleeping hours, we recommend a flat rate of $75 per night for school-aged children and $100 for infants and toddlers.
What is most important is that you and your Nanny sit down together when planning the vacation and discuss schedules and compensation. Taking the time to discuss these factors ahead of time will result in a more enjoyable vacation for you and your family.
Posted on August 1st, 2011 in category Temporary Nannies |
Summer vacation for preschool, grade school, or middle school can present challenges for many families. It can be difficult to decide which activities to participate in and how to piece it all together so that everyone in the family can have a fun, enjoyable and well balanced summer.
Last summer, we opted to get a “Summer Nanny” for our children. Our Summer Nanny was on break from our local college and had spent previous summers working as a counselor at summer camps. Peter wanted someone who would play basketball with him and Anna wanted someone who would get in the pool and go swimming with her. First and foremost, Jens and I wanted to find someone who would make sure our kids were safe and well cared for, but we also wanted someone who would enthusiastically engage with our kids in all their summer activities and help to create a unique, personalized and stress-free summer experience for all of us.
Our Summer Nanny exceeded everyone’s expectations. It was a wonderful summer for our entire family and the kids still talk about their “Summer Buddy.” Our Summer Nanny was able to connect with our kids, show an admirable amount of care and concern for our children, AND provide them with an amazingly unique summer experience! Here are some of the other things our kids did with our Summer Nanny that stand out in our memory:
- Taught the children how to make lanyards and friendship bracelets
- Played games like tag and capture the flag with the children in the back yard
- Packed up the kids and their bikes and went riding with them at a local park
- Cheered the children on at their swim meets and was thrilled when they achieved their personal bests
- Read to the kids when they were tired in the afternoon and needed some down time
- Taught the children about lacrosse (which our Nanny played in college)
- Took the kids to the local museums
- Took them to see a couple of very silly children’s movies
- Accompanied the children when they visited with their grandparents
- Helped the kids keep their rooms clean and picked-up
- Packed lunches before they headed off for the day’s activities
- Attended the summer swim team trip to the waterslides with both children
Both of our children loved their summer with their Summer Buddy. They were able to participate in their chosen summer activities and were also able to spend valuable time at home reading, playing, sleeping in, and relaxing. Having a Summer Nanny was like getting our own personalized camp counselor!
I am just about to call our Summer Nanny to see about this summer – the kids would be thrilled!
If a Summer Nanny sounds like something your family needs, our Town & Country Temporary Department can help. We have a pool of qualified and wonderful Summer Nannies that can help you. To see our Special Summer Nanny Pricing and to learn more about our Summer Nannies, click here.
Posted on July 1st, 2011 in category Housekeeping |
If you want to be Earth friendly, a great place to start is by making your own cleaners.
Many of our Housekeeper candidates are extremely knowledgeable about environmentally safe and green cleaning techniques. Here are a few of their safe and easy ways to make alternatives to common household cleaning products that work just as well as the chemical-filled cleaners. If you would like to find out more information about our Housekeeper candidates, click here.
To download your own copy of our Natural and Non-Toxic Cleaning Alternatives, click here.
Posted on June 1st, 2011 in category Share Care |
My husband and I shared a Nanny with our in-laws for more than a year. We entered the Share Care with great enthusiasm. Together, our families would certainly be able to find a great Nanny, and having all the cousins together was the icing on the cake.
We approached the Share Care like a small business. Before we started to look for a Nanny, we held meetings to talk about the logistics, what we were looking for in a Nanny, what our needed schedules would be, how we’d handle payroll issues, whose house would be used, etc. We wanted to make sure that we were all on the same page about how we envisioned the partnership. While we tried to get everything nailed down in our initial meetings, we found that there were still many smaller issues that arose over time that required us to adjust and modify our arrangement – that is, flexibility over time was at least as important as preparation up front.
Here are some of the things we identified and agreed on in our initial meetings, followed by what came up and surprised us once we started working with our Nanny.
• Illness policy. We borrowed the illness policy from a local preschool. We agreed that a child would not participate in the Share Care if they had a fever, cough, runny nose, diarrhea, skin rash or any other symptoms of illness. We asked our Nanny to be aware of how the children were feeling and to call a parent when and if she felt that a child should go home.
What we didn’t think about… What if a parent is sick? The same kinds of issues arise when a mom or dad is sick and needs to stay home where the Share Care is happening and the children are being watched. It is difficult (and maybe even awkward) to share the home with two, three or more kids and a Nanny when you really don’t feel well. Even worse, the parent could be contagious and the children would be at risk of catching the bug. We learned that our Share Care group had to have a back-up house to use that was adequately childproofed and any necessary equipment could be transferred there as needed.
• Meals and Snacks. We decided that each family would bring food for their own child. This included snacks and meals. In order to minimize confusion, we made sure that all of the food was clearly labeled and we provided a designated spot in the refrigerator and the pantry for the Share Care food.
What we didn’t think about… It wasn’t long before the kids started to notice what the others were eating and became more interested in the other children’s food. We learned that we needed to be much more flexible about the food we provided and make sure that we supplied enough for everyone to have some. When we were able to plan ahead enough, we also rotated responsibility among the families for supplying all the food for assigned days. We also found we needed to allow the Nanny wide latitude to decide what to serve the children each time they sat down to eat. Thankfully, we all had a similar philosophy about nutrition. This is something that is necessary to discuss upfront.
• Deciding Where the Share Care will Take Place. Share Cares can structure the location of the care in many different ways. Friends of ours have alternated days, weeks and even months, or agreed to have the care all in one home. We alternated weeks in our Share Care in order to minimize the number of times that the related equipment needed to be moved from house to house. This also meant that we were each experiencing the same wear and tear on our home, toys, and equipment and level of energy costs.
What we didn’t think about… What would happen when one home was not available for the Share Care and therefore, the other home hosted the Share Care every day? If one parent starts to work from home or a family starts a home improvement project, it can impact the location of the Share Care and can disrupt the original arrangements among the families. For us, for a variety of reasons one family ended up becoming the primary host family, and it took another round of meetings and negotiations to determine what would be fair and workable. While there is the benefit to the host family of not having to drop off or pick up your child, there is the added hassle and expense of having multiple people in and out of your home on a daily basis. These are very difficult things to measure and quantify so it is imperative that the families feel like they can discuss these issues in an open and honest manner.
• How To Split the Nanny’s Wages. Often, one of the main reasons families will set up Share Care arrangements is to get the benefits of an in-home Nanny while reducing their own costs by splitting the expenses among the group. In our case, we split the cost of our Nanny’s wages equally between our families. Seemed simple enough.
What we didn’t think about… From our Nanny’s point of view, this was her profession and her full time job. For her time commitment, we as a group had to be able to guarantee that she would receive her wages for her full time job. Over time, as needs changed, some families needed more or less time in the Share Care. Where one family ends up using substantially less time, they may want to reduce their share of the costs – but doing so means that the other families need to increase their contribution. Forcing a family to pay a full “share” when they were using considerably less also seemed unfair. Likewise, where one family starts needing lots more coverage, other families may feel that they are subsidizing the first family.
In our case, the first time we faced this issue, we managed to find a new ‘part time’ family to add to the Share Care when one of the original families reduced their participation. We never did find a perfect solution, but over time we ended up finding new families to join the Share Care as existing families left or reduced their participation. In hindsight, that solution worked financially, but we lost the “all in the family” feel of our Share Care group. If we were to do it again, we would only want to set up a Share Care where all families agreed that they would continue to pay their original share regardless of their participation.
The issues discussed above are just a few of the many issues you likely will need to navigate in order to ensure a long and successful share chare relationship. Here are some other day-to-day issues to consider as you enter a Nanny Share Care arrangement:
• How will you handle vacation time? Many of the families we work with give two weeks of paid vacation for the Nanny, with one week being scheduled for the family’s convenience (that is, the Nanny takes a week of her vacation to coincide with the family’s vacation), and one week is at the Nanny’s convenience (so the family could have to arrange for back-up care). In a Share Care, there are multiple families who will need to coordinate – will the families try to coordinate their vacation time?
• How often will you give the Nanny performance reviews? Do you have a similar philosophy regarding compensation increases and bonuses? What if there are disagreements on what feedback to give the Nanny? What if the Nanny’s feedback singles out one or another family?
• Who will supply what equipment? If the Nanny needs a portable crib or a high chair, who is responsible for supplying that and will it be kept at the house hosting the Share Care? This also includes items like diapers and a stroller that can carry more than one child.
• If your Nanny is sick, or needs to leave early, is one parent willing to step in and help and watch both children until the Nanny returns or the other parent picks up their child?
• Is the Nanny allowed to drive the kids? Who will supply the car (if the Nanny’s car isn’t large enough to fit a group)? What activities and destinations outside of the home are allowed?
Entering into a Share Care can seem complicated and risky. It does take extra preparation, patience and flexibility, but if all the families are willing to put in the extra effort both up front and throughout the relationship, it can be an incredibly rewarding experience for everyone involved. The children will enjoy one another’s company under the care of a wonderful Nanny; the Nanny will feel valued, appreciated, and confident in her role as the care provider; and the parents will have the peace of mind that their children are well cared for and in a safe environment. To view more FAQ’s about Share Care, click here.
Posted on May 1st, 2011 in category Ask Mary Poppins (aka MaryPat) |
Ask MaryPat
Mary Pat doesn’t fly around with a black umbrella, but she does have over 20 years of experience as a Child Development Expert. These post will answer questions about child development concerns & managing your employer/employee relationship.
Q. As my Nanny’s anniversary date nears, I want to give her an evaluation. How do I give her appropriate feedback and a fair compensation adjustment?
A. Managing a household employee is a very personal business. Your Nanny is, after all, caring for the most precious part of your life: your children. Regular, open communication is essential to creating a healthy, long-lasting relationship between employer and employee. We recommend giving your employee feedback and praise on a frequent on-going basis.
Conducting regular meetings with your employee creates a forum to discuss issues about the children, your family and job satisfaction. When you first hire someone, you may want to meet as often as once a week and then gradually extend it to once every month. At minimum, we recommend three to four informal meetings to “check-in” throughout the year, with a written evaluation on their anniversary date.
Prior to the meeting, review their work agreement, previous performance evaluations, and fill out the evaluation form. Meet with your Nanny in private and at a time when there will be minimal interruptions, such as while the children are at school. Begin the meeting with their strengths and offer specific examples. This is a great opportunity to acknowledge their contribution to the household and say “Thank you”. Next, discuss any previously identified areas needing improvement. Always ask them for their feedback about the job and for suggestions before introducing your ideas for improvement. At the end of the meeting make any revisions to the evaluation and provide the employee with a copy of this for their records.
While there is no clear industry standard for an annual salary increase for household employees, we have seen a range from 3 to 5% for an annual pay increase depending on whether the job (schedule & responsibilities) have changed over the last year, the employee’s performance, and their longevity in the position.
If you are a registered Town & Country Client, contact one of our Placement Counselors for more advice on employee anniversaries and to receive a sample evaluation form.
Posted on April 1st, 2011 in category Ask Mary Poppins (aka MaryPat) |
Ask MaryPat
Mary Pat doesn’t fly around with a black umbrella, but she does have over 20 years of experience as a Child Development Expert. These post will answer questions about child development concerns & managing your employer/employee relationship.
Q. Help! My Nanny is habitually late. She is a terrific Nanny for my son, however, she is typically ten or more minutes late everyday. How do I resolve this issue?
A. Managing a Nanny can be a delicate business. It can be challenging to maintain the balance between having her as a part of your family and being her employer.
If you haven’t already done so, I would recommend setting up a regular time for a meeting to discuss the children, household, and employment issues. Many Nannies find it hard to speak up and will appreciate the opportunity to communicate openly with you. Having weekly meetings can help you manage situations pro-actively and develop a solid working relationship.
Meetings should always start with the positive aspects of your employment relationship. This is a time for you to acknowledge your Nanny and thank her for specific contributions and work towards positive solutions to the challenges of family life. Rather than saying, “You do a nice job with Ethan,” she will appreciate more specific feedback like, “I like the way you take the time to let Ethan help you make breakfast in the morning. He seems to be learning a lot about taking turns, measuring, and following directions. And he’s having fun! Thank you.”
Next, identify the problem. In this case I would say something like, “I notice that you have been about ten minutes late to work lately. This causes challenges for my scheduling. I would like to talk with you about how we can get back on track. Are you having a scheduling problem in the mornings that I can help you figure out?”
It is possible that 1) the Nanny hadn’t noticed that she was late. 2) She does actually have a scheduling or transportation problem that can easily be resolved. Many times, a simple, honest talk with an employee will dissolve any employer/employee issue. Also remember to ask her if she has any issues to bring up and make a plan to follow-up and remember to schedule a meeting to check-in again soon.
Posted on March 1st, 2011 in category Online Public Image |
Do your household employees think that their email address or the information on their MySpace or Facebook profile won’t impact their professional image or their ability to keep their job?
They need to think again.
While having an online profile is all the rage and everyone has an email account, the details of this information could be more important to your employee’s professional image and your family than you or they may realize.
(While this is based on a true story, the names and details have been changed. The actual family and Nanny were not associated with Town & Country Resources.)
Allyssa thought she’d found her dream Nanny job. In her first meeting with the family there was an immediate connection and sense of comfort. The three days she did as a working trial went perfectly. The salary was great, it was a 15-minute commute from her house and the five-year-old boy shared Allyssa’s love of soccer.
The family also thought they’d found their dream Nanny and were just pulling together the details of the offer when they decided to do a little Internet searching on her. Sure enough, they found a MySpace account open to the public. Not only did Allyssa describe crazy all-night parties on a recent trip to Mexico with her friends, she also talked at length about the family she used to work for and specifically about the list of things that bugged her about the job.
For the family, it was a rude awakening. They were shocked by the new information they now had about Allyssa’s personal life. Worse, the lack of discretion and good judgment she had shown in violating her previous employers’ privacy was inexcusable. They now knew two things, that Allyssa wasn’t getting the job offer and that Internet research would now be part of what they would do on each potential hire.
Your employee might think they are okay because they don’t happen to have a MySpace or FaceBook profile, but don’t forget about the rest of their public image. A simple search on Google or Yahoo! may reveal things they didn’t even know were there and would prefer to keep private.
- Is their email address suggestive or otherwise unprofessional?
- Does their voice mail greeting have music or anything other than a brief, professional and short voice message?
- If they do have a profile on MySpace or FaceBook, they should make it private by requiring pre-approved viewers to log in. (This is a simple setting they can do on their account.) As an employer, you may want to add checking candidates’ online information into your due diligence process, and also ask that all information about your family be kept strictly private by your employee.
Here at Town & Country, we always do an online search of each of our candidates, as well as provide helpful tips and awareness to both our client s and candidates in regards to a candidate’s online public image.
When looking to hire a household employee, it is worth the extra effort to do some research online. Especially when searching for a job, employees need to take the time to make sure their public image is something they, and the family that they will be working for, can be proud of.
