Trends in nannying

Published: 30/04/2020

It feels a little bit like the world has been flipped on its head. Every corner of society seems to be changing, and this applies to nannies and their employers as much as anyone.

Over the last few weeks we have been keeping an eye on emerging trends and changes in the world of nannying. 

Here are our observations:

 

Nannies are becoming more flexible

Historically, nannies have had very clear visions about the kind of job that they would be open to taking.

Live in or live out. Part time or full time. Permanent or temporary. Most nannies have a very strong preference for a specific combination of these factors.

However, since lockdown began we have seen a shift.

Everything is feeling very uncertain at the moment and so parents are tending to start with temporary positions with a view to going permanent. This isn’t really that different from a probationary period when you think about it. Nannies need to be open to this, and many of them are.

We have also seen a rise in nannies being willing to take live in positions, even if it is just for a few weeks. As many nannies and parents are putting safety first and want to avoid public transport, most will only agree to work together if the nanny either lives within walking distance or is willing to live in for the time being. This means nannies who previously would never have considered a live in position are much more flexible in this regard.

Nannies are also having to adapt their role as many parents now have a preference for nanny housekeepers. This is in part due to the fact that most domestic cleaners are not working as their job requires them to go into multiple homes - something that is not advised given current lockdown measures. With children not in school and parents WFH nannies are having to take on more cooking and cleaning.

 

More nannies are working as self-employed

One of the big changes that has come about is that many nannies are now self employed. The reason for this is because lots of nannies are now in temporary rather than permanent positions. It makes much more sense to work in this way when only on a short term contract as it gives more flexibility.

This is a brand new concept for many nannies who are used to being legally employed by parents. We see this as a temporary trend rather than something that will continue long term as once more permanent placements are going ahead, nannies will become official employees of families.


Fluctuations in rates

People in a whole array of industries have had to take a pay cut because of coronavirus. And nannies are no exception to this. What we have largely observed is that nannies are still paid the previous market rate, but they are paid it in gross rather than net. This follows on from more nannies now being self employed. Nannies who are self employed will be responsible for declaring their income at the end of the tax year and should pay accordingly. When nannies become the employee of parents they receive benefits such as pension and national insurance contributions, as well as parents paying their taxes.

For the 2020/21 tax year, the standard personal allowance for tax is £12,500. That means if any nanny earns more than this whilst self employed they will have to declare it and complete a tax return.

 

Parents WFH implications

Nannies who are typically accustomed to parents not being around (i.e. sole care) are now having to adapt, as much of the country is working from home.

This can be a struggle, especially if boundaries are not communicated from the outset. Both nannies and parents are having to adjust and find a way of working that suits both parties. It needs to be clear who various responsibilities lie with and what this looks like. It can be hard for children to understand who to go to. This can be a particular struggle for live-in nannies when it’s the weekend. Children don’t always understand that their nanny isn’t working and can be confused as to why they are at home but not spending the whole day together. Equally during the week, their parents may be around but WFH this can be hard to comprehend for children. Additionally to this, children tend to play up more when their parents are around. This is something that is hard to avoid and means that communication is more important than ever to establish clear boundaries.

It is clear that both nannies and parents are having to adapt to these new times we are in. Both are having to adapt and find new ways of working together. With good communication parents and nannies can find a set up that benefits both.

If you want to read some personal experiences of nannies affected by coronavirus, check out their stories here.



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