Whether the nanny is fired (involuntary separation, termination or discharge) or resigns (quits) voluntarily, state rules define how quickly the employer must give the final paycheck. Below is a state by state summary of separation payment rules as they apply to household employees.* May 2019 You MAY NOT withhold the final paycheck pending the return… Read more »
When your household employee – whether a nanny, housekeeper, senior caregiver or other – leaves your employment many states require that you pay out her earned but unused vacation time. Generally, it doesn’t matter if the separation of employment is voluntary or involuntary. If you have a separate bank for sick time, that is excluded… Read more »
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime rules and domestic employment are often misunderstood by the household employer. The temptation is to either agree to a weekly “salary”, agree to “average hourly rate” (pay $15 an hour for 45 hours for example) and or to average weeks (pay bi-weekly and average the two weeks hours to… Read more »
Household employers will incur significant incorrect Form W-2 penalties if there are name and Social Security number mismatch problems. The Social Security Administration returns incorrect forms W-2 (name and Social Security number mismatch problems) to employers for corrections. The Internal Revenue Service assesses penalties to household employers filing Forms W-2 with mismatched names and Social… Read more »
Our wonderful nanny will be leaving in September when our son begins full time school. How do we help her with a letter of recommendation? The nanny’s letter of recommendation from her former employer is an important part of her “Nanny Portfolio,” a collection of materials including her resume, work history, educational certifications, and examples… Read more »
Why Should I Pay Nanny Taxes In-home care is expensive. After the family’s mortgage payment, the nanny or home health aide salary is often the biggest expense in the household. Add the cost of taxes on top of this and many families wonder “Why?” If I don’t pay the taxes the nanny keeps more money,… Read more »
A little preparation and a few hours of new employee orientation greatly improve the comfort level of both the nanny and family. Before the nanny starts make sure you have all of her personal contact information as well as information you need for payroll processing – a completed W-4 form with her Social Security Number… Read more »
Nannies, like any other employee, are entitled to regular, scheduled salary reviews and performance appraisals. Many families link the two, others strictly review salary on an annual basis and performance appraisals may be delivered more frequently. Regular review of performance and compensation sends the nanny the message that you view her as a professional, a… Read more »
Do I give my nanny a holiday bonus or a yearend bonus? Many employers seek guidance on bonus and incentive pay norms for nanny employment. There is no “one size fits all” solution; there are as many creative ways to approach this as there are nanny employers. A cash bonus is by far the most… Read more »
The nanny candidate has just left your home. The meeting went very well. You felt a connection, an instant bonding. You think, “Hurrah! I found the perfect nanny for my family!” You are ready to make an offer — or are you? Whoa! Stop right here! Never make an offer to any candidate without checking… Read more »
