Is Brexit costing nannies or parents?

Published: 21/02/2020

If you’re a parent who currently employs a nanny from the European Union, you may be wondering about her future with your family. 

At myTamarin we’ve continued to be flooded with applications from overseas nannies since the Brexit vote happened, so there’s been no sign of decline. What we have noticed however is that more and more parents are pushing to lower the average hourly rate of their nannies which almost certainly has come about due to the uncertainty around Brexit.

Specifically, in London we’ve seen a steady decline in live-in nanny salaries that parents are offering from £450 to £500 net per week to £350 to £400 per week. Of course, not all nannies are happy with this but we’re seeing more and more of them accepting these lower rates just to have a stable income to be able to live in such an expensive city as London. 

Interestingly and contrary to popular belief, the salary at the lower rate of £350 to £400 net per week is still relatively good. And as one parent explained: 

“Compared to any other employee who isn’t provided with food and accommodation, a live-in nanny can expect to save at least £700 a month on rent in London, another £150 a month on groceries, and an additional £150 on commuting.

If you combine these savings with their salary, live-in nannies are earning in value £2,500 to £2,700 net a month, or £41,000 to £45,000 a year gross. This is a notably higher figure than the the average London salary of £36,000, but you need to consider the hours which will typically be longer than the average 40-hour week.

So, what about live-out nanny salaries?

If a nanny makes £11 net per hour at 55 hours a week that’s around £2,600 net a month. This is roughly the same as the “all-in” value of the live-in salary. Of course, they normally have more privacy than live-in nannies, although on the other hand they also spend time commuting which can considerably eat into their free time. 

Weighing all in, the parents who argue that £400 net per week for live in nannies is a good salary seem to be right. 

So, it does look like Brexit is affecting live-in nanny salaries, but the adjustment may be fair when compared to live-out nanny rates. Beware though, many nannies are still looking for £450 – £500 a week for a full-time live-in job, so there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to find (and more importantly keep!) a live-in nanny if you offer the lower salary.

If you’re looking for either a live-in or a live-out nanny, or would like to discuss salaries for nannies, feel free to schedule a call with one of myTamarin’s childcare specialists.

For more information on how Brexit might affect you, check out our blog The "Brexit effect" on childcare.


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