How to Ensure Success with Your Nanny Contract
If you have young kids, I presume you know the importance of hiring a nanny. The first step to a successful relationship with a nanny is hiring the right expertise. Also, determine whether you want the nanny to live in or out and draft a contract setting out the terms of engagement. This is the trickiest part of the hiring process and can bring out a lot of misunderstandings if not done right.
Here’s how to ensure success with a nanny contract:
- Agree on the working hours
Nowadays, you can hire a nanny with ease, thanks to the many staffing agencies available. But, due to the nature of the work, you may expect your nanny to work during odd hours. This is particularly true for live-in nannies and can bring about misunderstandings later on.
It’s wise to set boundaries for the first day and include the terms relating to the working hours in the contract. Ensure that both parties are comfortable and discuss any issues beforehand.
- Outline the responsibilities
There are many tasks in the home, and your nanny can’t attend to all of them. An effective contract should state the key responsibilities of the nanny and your expectations regarding their discipline. This should include the salary, pay date, benefits and deductions as per the state tax laws. Also, include who’s responsible for certain employment taxes, and be familiar with the state’s requirements s and compensation insurance for nannies.
What should be included in the contract?
The engagement contract includes various issues like salary, benefits, working hours, benefits, rules and more. What’s more, it should clearly state the nanny’s base salary and the expected timeline salary. This should be based on reviews and accomplishments. The contract should also list the benefits such as sick offs and vacation days and clarify if these are paid or not.
In case of health emergencies, the contract should state whether the off is paid or not. Moreover, the contract should state the expected working hours in a day. However, there should be a provision for special requirements.
What of the kids? The contacts should state the number of kids under the nanny’s care and the time. In case of out-of-residence activities, it should be clear whether the nanny will be responsible for accompanying them.
Should a lawyer draft the contract?
There are cases of a child’s injury, and it may not be clear how this happened. If there’s no written agreement between the parents and the nanny, this can get tricky. A contract states the legal names of the nanny and their residence. If the nanny leaves abruptly, this makes it easy to trace them. Although such cases are rare, it’s crucial to have a legal binding document when hiring a nanny in your home.
Wrapping up
Your nanny will be caring for your baby, and you should hire the best. Engage one from a reputed agency and certify that she has the necessary experience for the job. Also, ensure they have all the essential documents list everything in the nanny’s contract. This will come in handy in case of disputes.
