Nannies in Lexington (daycare, how much, home)

[DG001]

I am in the process of talking to nannies - moving over from the wonderful world of daycare to having a personal nanny for my 2 kids both under 5.

As mentioned in another thread, I am looking at a new job with a pretty long commute, so am looking for a full-time live-out nanny.

Anyone have any feedback/suggestions to share on what to expect, how much to pay, how many hours to ask for, vacation, sick time etc. - the whole bit! Also, once he or she starts, what should I look out for?

Also, what happens for taxes? Do we have to keep track of how much we pay, and then send MA the payroll taxes? Or is the whole thing "cash only", and it is expected that we don't pay anything extra? Could you share any "freind's experiences"?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[jlyang]

Hi,
We don't have a nanny ourselves, but people who have nannies, as well as nannies I've met at the playground, have said:
1. craigslist, care.com, and sittercity.com are where most people find their nannies. Reportedly there are many people responding to nanny-for-hire jobs now, due to the economy.

2. most nannies want to be paid cash or checks off-the-books with no taxes involved (technically illegal for both parties involved but it seems to be the most common arrangement). I think the going rate for 2 kids is about $15-16/hr plus tips, e.g., if you get home a half hour late, you'd pay the nanny for a full hour.

3. I think most want 40 hours/week or more, and want a time commitment of some sort, e.g., a year or longer. Whether there's an actual contract, I have no idea.

4. Nannies are paid their full rate when you are on vacation. They do receive some paid vacation time every year, I'm guessing around 2 weeks worth, but am not sure.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by DG001

I am in the process of talking to nannies - moving over from the wonderful world of daycare to having a personal nanny for my 2 kids both under 5.

As mentioned in another thread, I am looking at a new job with a pretty long commute, so am looking for a full-time live-out nanny.

Anyone have any feedback/suggestions to share on what to expect, how much to pay, how many hours to ask for, vacation, sick time etc. - the whole bit! Also, once he or she starts, what should I look out for?

Also, what happens for taxes? Do we have to keep track of how much we pay, and then send MA the payroll taxes? Or is the whole thing "cash only", and it is expected that we don't pay anything extra? Could you share any "freind's experiences"?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.