Tips for a successful nanny / au pair placement

Many people who call us believe that paying a nanny / au pair means she has to do whatever she is told concerning the house and the children. In principle – this is true. The nanny / au pair is an employee in your home and she is responsible for everything you agree with her in advance. But it is important to remember: your nanny / au pair is not superman! She may agree to do many chores, but in reality she may be very busy and tired in carrying out her main task and that is – taking care of your children.

 We recommend not overloading her with house work, otherwise she will spend most of her time cleaning and doing laundry while your kids occupy themselves. It’s important that your nanny is happy and energetic and not overworked, feeling resentful or exploited. After all, she is the person spending most of the day with your children. The following is a list of things you should think about and agree upon with your nanny / au pair before she starts working:

Job position Define the days and hours you want the nanny / au pair to work, what she should do in case the parents are late getting home or if she herself is late arriving, her overtime pay, her general rights, etc.

Vacation Define the vacation days due to the nanny / au pair, when they can be taken, how much notice should she give before taking days off, can she get money instead of vacation days, etc. Also, define what to do on the eve of holidays. Please note:

• Ordinarily, the family’s vacation days are not deducted from the nanny’s vacation day.
• The employer has to pay the nanny / au pair for holidays.

Food It is important to define things such as; does the nanny / au pair cook for the whole family or just for the baby, who makes the decisions about what to cook, is the nanny / au pair required to do the food shopping and if so how is she to pay for the products, does the nanny / au pair bring her own food or does she eat the food that’s in the house, does the family / nanny keep Kosher and what to do in case one does and the other does not. Etc.

House work Define exactly what the nanny / au pair is required to do around the house, Is it only light housework, only taking care of the baby or full housekeeping. We recommend making sure the nanny / au pair has enough time to dedicate herself and spend quality hours with the baby. She may be able to do some light housework, but if the house requires full housekeeping – it is best to leave that job in the hands of someone who is not taking care of the baby.

Siblings Define if the nanny / au pair is responsible for the baby’s siblings as well. Does she pick them up from kindergarten or school, does she help with their homework, does she take them to afternoon activities or friends’ houses, If yes, what does she use for transportation. Our recommendation is to have her do only the most urgent tasks and not to turn her into the family’s driver.

Pets Define if the nanny / au pair is required to take care of the family pets. Does she take care of them in the house, in the yard, does she walk them. Find out if she is allergic to animals or afraid of them.

Other conditions Discuss and define other issues such as: can she talk on the phone, does she have all of the emergency numbers, when must she call you, what is your policy regarding medicine, going to the doctor, baby clinic, smoking, etc. can she invite friends over to the house.

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