Full-Time Nannies and Overtime
As with most jobs, a nanny should work on average about 40 hours per week. If you are in a full-time nanny position, you should expect to be paid for 40 hours of work per week. Anymore than your designated and approved hours per your contract should be considered overtime.
If you are a full-time live-out nanny, you are allowed to be paid time and a half for any hours over the agreed upon 40 hours. The Federal Fair Labor Standards Act states this and also states that this act applies to nannies that live outside the home of the family in which she nannies for. Therefore, if you are a live-out full-time nanny that is asked to work more than 40 hours per week, you are entitled to overtime. If you are salaried for your 40 hours per week, you will need to determine what your hourly salary is and then calculate what time and a half would be broken down to. It is important that you and your employer have discussed overtime and that it is part of your contract before beginning a full-time nanny position.
If you are a full-time live-in nanny, you are also required to be paid overtime, but the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act states that you should be compensated for every hour of work that goes over your agreed upon amount. You are not by law entitled to time and a half if you are a full-time live-in nanny. You should discuss with the family before signing a contract what you will be paid for overtime if you are a live-in nanny and are required to work over the designated normal 40 hours of work per week.
Full-Time Nanny Benefits
Are you interested in full-time nanny positions? Are you worried that your chosen career will lack benefits such as health and dental? Don't let the possibility of not having benefits change your career path, especially if being a full-time nanny is what you really want to do.
Nowadays, many families that hire a full-time nanny will also offer full-time nanny benefits, including health and dental benefits. After all, being a full-time nanny is considered a career and in most careers you are offered benefits. Families are now realizing this. Families are also realizing in order to get a top-notch nanny they are going to have to sweeten the pot and offer more than just base pay.
For the most part, a person in a full-time nanny job should be offered paid vacations, paid health insurance (from 50 percent paid to fully paid health and dental) and paid holidays off, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving.
If you are thinking twice about becoming a nanny because of the lack of benefits, think again. Times are changing for nannies and benefits are pretty much the standard!
Full-Time Nanny or Full-Time Governess?
Are you being hired as a full-time nanny or a governess? You may not realize the difference between the two, but generally if you are responsible for the following things, your job title should be that of a "governess" rather than that of a full-time nanny.
A governess is normally a college-educated person who most likely has a degree in early childhood education. A governess would be responsible for daily activities with the children; activities that are very closely related to things a parent would do. A governess would do housekeeping that is related to the children under her care, rather than doing housework for the entire household. Besides the typical nanny job requirements, a governess would also be in charge of educating the children in her care. Many governesses home school the children in their care. Many times a governess isn't in charge of young children, instead she is responsible for the care and education of school-age children.
If you are hired to do a job that is described as above, if you have a formal college education in a teaching field, you should be considered a governess rather than a full-time nanny. With your qualifications and the fact that you are providing schooling for the children in your care, your pay should be a bit higher than that of a standard full-time nanny.
Full-Time Nanny Support Groups
If you decide to take a full-time nanny position and then begin wondering if you made the right choice and are feeling lonely, you should know that you are not alone. You should also know that there are support groups for nannies, especially for those in full-time nanny jobs where they may be away from home.
If you search on the Internet for "nanny support groups" you may find support groups in your area. If you have found your full-time nanny job through an agency, your agency should offer groups for their nannies to join that will allow them to network with other nannies in their area, to attend classes and to talk about their nanny jobs as needed. Check with your nanny agency to see what is offered.
Live-In vs. Live-Out Nanny
If you are considering becoming a nanny and you can't decide between being a live-in nanny or a live-out nanny, here are some things to consider.
A live-in nanny will live in the home of the family in which you are hired to nanny for. Most often you will be given one room in which to live with hopefully your own bathroom provided. If you think you will feel comfortable living with people you don't know well (at least at the beginning) and are comfortable sharing an eating area with a family who isn't your own, then being a live-in nanny may not be uncomfortable for you. You may not feel the level of privacy you would have living in the home of the family you are a nanny for, but if this does not concern you, then you may feel comfortable being a live-in nanny.
If you aren't comfortable living with your employer around the clock, then perhaps you should look into live-out nanny positions. Many live-out nannies enjoy having their own space outside of work, a place where he or she can unwind without little ones or others around. This is why a live-out nanny position may be for you if you feel the need for your own space and privacy.
If you are looking for a full-time nanny job, you need to think about your own comfort level and whether or not you would feel you have enough privacy being a live-in nanny verses a live-out nanny.
Staying Safe as a Full-Time Nanny
When you are preparing to meet with a family for a potential full-time nanny job, you will want to keep in mind a few things that can help keep you safe. You can never be too careful when it comes to your personal safety and if you ever feel uncomfortable with a family, go with your gut and leave the situation. Most often if you are going through a nanny agency, the family is screened thoroughly before meeting with any nannies for interviews.
It is highly recommended to verify that the address the family has given you is actually the proper address for them. You can easily access this through an online search site that can verify a phone number and a name for you. If the family's name or phone number doesn't match what is given to you, a red flag should go up for you.
To keep yourself safe as a full-time nanny you will want to ask any family you are interested in to provide you with a list of references. Call each and every name on the list. Checking references is essential to ask past employees if he or she would work for the family again, if they received a paycheck on time and if the reference has anything else to share. If the reference doesn't check out, you may want to look for another family to nanny for.
When arriving for an interview for a full-time nanny job, don't go alone. Try to bring a friend or a family person with you. Make sure you visit the home of the family several times (not alone) before accepting a job with that family.
If you at anytime feel unsafe or uncomfortable in your full-time search or position, leave! Your personal safety is more important than anything else.
Traits of a Good Full-Time Nanny
Many people think that they can nanny, however, a full-time nanny position can be a difficult one. You should have some of the following traits if you are looking into a full-time nanny job:
- To be a full-time nanny you need to be patient and you need to be prepared to spend, at times, from 10 to 12 hours a day with the children. Do you have enough patience and stamina to do this without losing your temper? A good full-time nanny will be able to handle long work hours with patience.
- A good full-time nanny will follow the family rules given to you when hired by using her own techniques, but not overstepping the family plan for discipline. A good full-time nanny will do what the family asks of her when caring for the children.
- A full-time nanny will be able to complete any light housework and errands needed without neglecting the children in her care. This means being organized enough to get things done but yet spends quality time with the children.
If you have the traits that are mentioned above, you may have just what it takes to be a good full-time nanny!
