A Nanny working in the UK is an employee like any other and thus is entitled currently (2009) to 5.6 weeks paid annual leave.
The 5.6 weeks can include Bank Holidays / Public Holidays or you as the employer can decide to off those days off in addition to the 5.6 weeks. If you need your nanny to work Bank Holidays / Public Holidays then they do not get any additional holiday entitlement... they still get the 5.6 weeks.
If your nanny works part-time - a few days per week, then use the BusinessLink Holiday Entitlement Calculator to calculate your nannies annual leave. The 5.6 weeks leave is pro-rata for part-time employees.
You should write a term into the contract which states the amount of annual leave provided plus the amount of advance notice needed to make a request to take annual leave. As the employer you are able to deny any requests for annual leave, if it is not convenient for you but you should aim to have a good working relationship with your nanny, so I suggest that you both try to come to agreement over holidays.
If you often go away on holiday and don't need your nanny to work, then you can ask your nanny to use some of their annual leave. Typically a nanny would expect to be told when to take 2 weeks of their annual leave... leaving the nanny to choose when to take the rest. If you go on holiday a lot then there may be weeks when you have to pay your nanny even though you are on holiday. It is your choice to go on the holiday, not your employees.
If you have school aged children you may want to limit your nanny to only be able to take time off during school holidays. This is perfectly legal to do but must be discussed with your nanny prior to implementing.
Keeping your nanny happy vs getting the most work from them is a balancing act. I would suggest that you consider how you would like a great boss to treat you and then treat your nanny as best as possible.
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Sunday, 7 June 2009
How To Recruit A Nanny - Part 2: Nanny Agencies
Before the internet parents who wanted to employ a nanny would typically approach a Nanny Agency who would assist parents in selecting a suitable nanny.
The internet in my view has changed the way nannies are recruited. Nanny Agencies can charge from several hundred pounds to several thousand pounds. Whereas internet recruitment websites may charge less than thirty pounds.
However parents still do use nanny agencies, especially if it is the first time they are recruiting a nanny. Why? Well I suspect it is to do with having someone else provide all the necessary information and advice, plus it removes some of the hassles of finding a nanny.
A nanny agency will typically have a selection of nannies on their books who they know are looking for work. The agency will try to match the parents requirements with a suitable nanny. If none of the nannies on the agencies books meet the requirements, then the agency will advertise for nannies.
Before accepting a nanny onto the agencies books, the agency will interview the nanny and check references, training certificates, make sure the nanny has an Enhanced CRB (Criminal Record Bureau) check, plus will discuss with the nanny about what positions they feel they are suited to. For example, when I have been interviewed by nanny agencies, I like to make it clear that I prefer working with babies & toddlers. That then helps the agency in placing me with a family whom has a baby or toddler.
Agencies will check a nannies references but due to the Data Protection Act it appears that if a parent wanted a copy of the reference, the agency may not be in a position to provide that. For more information and a discussion about this see: Mumsnet: Nanny References
The agency will provide you with a short list of nannies whom you can then choose to interview. When you interview the nannies, I would suggest that you ask them to bring with them written references and provide a couple of phone numbers of families you can chat with. That way you can see their written references plus obtain verbal references for yourself. That combined with the feedback from the agency with regard to the references they checked should be sufficient to help you make the recruitment decision.
The agency is there to support you. They should be able to provide you with advice with regard to the nannies contract of employment, taxation rules (they may run their own payroll service, or will be able to provide details of one - such as PAYE for Nannies), plus provide general advice about employing a nanny.
The internet in my view has changed the way nannies are recruited. Nanny Agencies can charge from several hundred pounds to several thousand pounds. Whereas internet recruitment websites may charge less than thirty pounds.
However parents still do use nanny agencies, especially if it is the first time they are recruiting a nanny. Why? Well I suspect it is to do with having someone else provide all the necessary information and advice, plus it removes some of the hassles of finding a nanny.
A nanny agency will typically have a selection of nannies on their books who they know are looking for work. The agency will try to match the parents requirements with a suitable nanny. If none of the nannies on the agencies books meet the requirements, then the agency will advertise for nannies.
Before accepting a nanny onto the agencies books, the agency will interview the nanny and check references, training certificates, make sure the nanny has an Enhanced CRB (Criminal Record Bureau) check, plus will discuss with the nanny about what positions they feel they are suited to. For example, when I have been interviewed by nanny agencies, I like to make it clear that I prefer working with babies & toddlers. That then helps the agency in placing me with a family whom has a baby or toddler.
Agencies will check a nannies references but due to the Data Protection Act it appears that if a parent wanted a copy of the reference, the agency may not be in a position to provide that. For more information and a discussion about this see: Mumsnet: Nanny References
The agency will provide you with a short list of nannies whom you can then choose to interview. When you interview the nannies, I would suggest that you ask them to bring with them written references and provide a couple of phone numbers of families you can chat with. That way you can see their written references plus obtain verbal references for yourself. That combined with the feedback from the agency with regard to the references they checked should be sufficient to help you make the recruitment decision.
The agency is there to support you. They should be able to provide you with advice with regard to the nannies contract of employment, taxation rules (they may run their own payroll service, or will be able to provide details of one - such as PAYE for Nannies), plus provide general advice about employing a nanny.
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