What Should Our Nanny Do While We’re On Vacation?
When the time comes to go on a summer vacation, some families try to save money by giving the nanny time off without pay. While this may seem like a thrifty way to trim the budget, it’s The Institute for Families and Nannies' experience that nannies who are not paid for 52 weeks per year end up finding new families to work with. To make sure this situation doesn’t happen to you, we’ve come up with some ideas to help keep both families and nannies happy over summer vacation.
Ask the nanny to if it’s possible to schedule her vacation time during your vacation. Once you know your vacation plans, give the nanny as much notice as possible to see if she is able to take the time off too. This can be part of her paid time off, and it will be less stressful than trying to scramble for childcare than if she took vacation at a different time of year.
Arrange for her to do special projects around the house while you’re out of town. This could be anything from sorting the kids’ clothing or toys, making birthday party plans or making appointments. The point is, the nanny is still working for you and thus getting paid.
Ask the nanny if she’s comfortable with pet or house sitting. If you have animals or plants, ask the nanny if she’s be willing to be your house sitter while you’re gone. She’ll be happy to receive pay for the week, and you’ll be happy to have someone you trust watching over your home and pets.
Ask your nanny if she’s willing to accompany your family on vacation. Maybe it makes sense for your family to take the nanny on vacation with you, so while you’re away she can watch the kids while you have a romantic dinner or a day at a museum. This option will be more costly as the family will be responsible for paying the nanny’s travel expenses, but it could be well worth it to have help with the kids while you’re on the road.
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