Each year, families across the country unlawfully categorize their employee by providing a Form 1099 (Form 1099 is used to report money paid to an independent contractor). The IRS has ruled that household workers are employees of the family for whom they work; attempting to classify them as an independent contractor by giving them a Form 1099 is considered tax evasion and does not absolve them of their household employer tax and legal obligations.
Of all the errors we see, this one is at the top of the list. The confusion stems from the IRS 20-point test to determine worker status. Many of the questions are ambiguous and/or subjective. Worse, a worker may appear to be an independent contractor on some of the questions and an employee on others. Which answers are right?
If even one of the 20 answers points toward employee, she’s an employee. To save you the hassle of the test, the IRS has ruled definitively that household workers should be classified as employees. Therefore, the family must handle all household employer tax and labor law obligations. Tax breaks make it cheaper than you’d think and if you use our recommended nanny tax provider, it is effortless.
Note: The IRS views worker misclassification as tax evasion and recently announced a major expansion of auditors to augment their enforcement efforts in this particular area. As further warning, the household employment industry was cited as one of the primary targets.
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Nanny Benefits, Nanny Compensation, Nanny Employment, Nanny Employment Agreements, Nanny Industry, Nanny Pay, Payroll and Taxes
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Nannies have been fired for texting and calling on their cell phones excessively during working hours. What makes the nanny profession so different from any other child care job is that nannies are largely unsupervised.
The nature of the nanny profession can entail isolation and often work long hours, up to 10-12 hours per day. Nannies are asked to work 24/7 while parents are out of town. Some nannies barely get to the bathroom during the day. They rarely work a 40 hour work week and lunch time means feeding the kids, and they often don’t get a real break. If they can find windows during the day to get a few personal things done: making a doctor appointment, paying a bill, calling a sick relative, making a play-date with another nanny, or using their GPS to get directions, that’s good. Sometimes it’s the only adult contact they have during the day. This isolation can be hard for nannies; however it also makes it easier for them to misuse this time to advance their own social agenda. A day care worker has a supervisor watching her!
There is a time and place to make personal calls during the day: nap time or waiting in the car for children to get out of school. Parents want and need to reach the nanny during the day, and many of our Moms prefer texting rather than phone calls for changes in schedules or last minute grocery items. And what parent doesn’t love getting a photo or video of their child while they’re at work?
Nannies are paid professionals whose job is to pay attention to the children and put the family ahead of their own needs during working hours. And they are paid well, getting benefits, overtime, bonuses, holidays and paid vacations. We encourage our families to openly discuss cell phone use with their employees so expectations are clear, and there is a place in our working agreement to address it.
Open-ended discussions and trust bring better results than micromanaging.
A great nanny is present, observant and interactive, and having your cell phone with you at work can be useful, but disruptive. It is really hard not to get caught up with connecting all the time. Nannies and parents can be plugged in to the outside world but miss the wonder, creativity and joy of the children in their care. It’s actually refreshing to throw yourself into the life and needs of another so you have no time to think about yourself. Children discern their value from caregivers who give them eye contact, interact playfully and are fully involved. Use common sense, stop and think—don’t just react to the ringtone. Here are some ideas to help you stay balanced:
- Turn off your ringer and set it to vibrate, or have special ring tones for different people.
- Use your cell phone only for important calls. Ask friends and family to call you after work.
- Let the phone calls go to voice mail. It is more time efficient to check messages than to take the call and tell the person that you cannot talk.
- Put your cell phone up when it is play time, meal time, bath time, when driving, and only have it on you when it’s nap time or the children are at school.
- Turn off email, twitter, and facebook-all you need is the phone at work.
Be all there, turn down the ringtones and you’ll have a lot more fun on the job!
Beth Weise, CEO
Occasionally a nanny or housekeeper will work for years for a family and then get a bad reference, no reference, or a 2 minute phone interview after 5 years of loyal service. Her career is basically over.
There could be several reasons why a family refuses to give a reference.
· The employee really wasn’t competent, or she wasn’t as good a fit as the children got older and the duties morphed.
· She gradually took more and more advantage of the family’s good will and the family wasn’t decisive. Dad is saying, “Get rid of her!” but Mom is hedging, “But she loves the children so much! Or “I don’t have time to deal with this now!”
· A nanny begins quietly judging your parenting style, has crossed boundaries or broken confidentiality.
· A bad judgment call resulting in immediate termination.
If I feel it’s a misunderstanding, I will encourage the nanny go back to the family and hash things out.
In these tough situations, the family needs to discern whether the nanny was just not a good fit for their particular family, or ages of children, or skill sets required, or if there are serious character flaws that should not be foisted on another family. Was it a onetime problem? Could she learn from it? Some Moms would prefer to let their nanny go rather than addressing things like macaroni and cheese left on the counter all day. They really don’t like the manager part of their role, and I can relate to that. I had to have a friend ‘hold my hand’ as I let my first employee go. It was painful, but she just wasn’t a good fit.
However, in these tough economic times, a family doesn’t want to cause someone to be struggling financially simply because personalities didn’t mesh, or they don’t like communicating.
Here are some guidelines to ease the pain.
1. It’s crucial to make distinctions, since the well being of other families and children are at stake. Reliability, trustworthiness and honesty are core values that you deserve and your children need to see lived out daily.
2. Sometimes personalities don’t mesh, communicationstops, and attitudes and work habits worsen. If this is what happened, try to see both sides and be fair.
If you never told your nanny what frustrated you about her lack of effort, is it fair to put that on her reference? But if you told her and she didn’t improve, then you’re right.
3. When talking to another family, ask questions first. Maybe the problems you had won’t apply and she would be a better fit for them.
4. Bring out the good as well as the bad.
5. As an alternative, consider writing a letter of employment verification.
6. At her exit interview, gently and frankly tell her why you’re unhappy and can’t give a reference. This will give you peace of mind, and she will know her status and can move forward. You will save her weeks of wasted effort, giving your name out as a reference and wondering why no one hires her.
7. Learn from the experience and let go of it emotionally.
In October, Caring Nanny staff enjoyed a fabulous APNA (Association of Premier Nanny Agencies) conference at the Firesky resort in Scottsdale, just two blocks from our office. Premier agencies from all over the country came to learn from each other and discuss our shared issues. Since we work in an unregulated industry, we find that we have to create and maintain ethical standards for self regulating.
Ann Klein from White House Nannies (author of the book by that title), taught us how to deal with difficult situations. We discussed how to recruit top nanny candidates, how to recruit and train quality housekeepers, building and retaining a great office team, and psychologist Ann Wycoff Ph.D. shared with us how to assess personality traits to select the best candidates for our clients. A team of attornies discussed legal questions. We got into small groups and hashed out sticky, nitty-gritty ethical questions.
Above all, we made friends with great people from all over the country who we realized we have a lot in common with. We all want to make our clients happy. We want them to like us and we can’t sleep at night if they don’t. We are an ethical group. We really love children and care about who is with them in their formative years. We like to laugh.
It took a lot of work for Caring Nannies to join APNA, and APNA works hard all year to make this industry professional.
Because of APNA’s high standards and rigorous screening process, only the best and brightest agencies belong. Nearly 4 years ago, we had to make significant changes and have all of our documents, applications, website and contracts scrutinized. We had to stop asking illegal questions, we must conduct ourself ethically and uphold professional standards. APNA spies called and caught us explaining that sometimes a nanny can just fill out a 1099, rather than a W-4 tax form. (We thought there were some exceptions, but they actually can’t.) Joining APNA means we commit to excellence in everything we do.
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Add new tag, Ethics, Nanny Screening, Payroll and Taxes, Personality Assessment, Professional Training, Recruiting Candidates, Relationships
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The INA (International Nanny Association) surveyed 667 in home child care providers, including nannies, Babysitters and Newborn Specialists, who work full and part time. The survey revealed that Nanny salaries range from $300 per week to $900. Twenty-seven% made $4-600 per week, 33% made $6-800 per week and 20% made $800-$1000. The average full-time live out nanny is Arizona makes nearly $15 per hour, as compared to California staff averaging $18 and Nevada Nannies at $10 per hour.
Babysitters working hourly on short term assignments ranged from 54% earning $15-$20 per hour, 22% at $12-$15 and 17% at lower rates of $7-$11per hour.
What is the breakdown of live-in verses live out Nannies?
Personally, I have seen a sizable increase in the popularity of live-in nannies in Phoenix since the recession, but the trend seems to be decreasing overall from 16% in 2006 to 13% in 2008. Perhaps this increase I see is from families moving to the area from the East and West coast and Canada, where these arrangements are more standard.
How did most nannies find their jobs and who are their employers?
Professional couples employed 66% of the respondents, and 12% of the families had an at home parent. Another 12% was a couple with one or both parents working from a home office. 46% of the nannies found their current position through a local brick and mortar nanny agency.
How do most families deal with taxes and Health Insurance?
Families withholding both federal and state taxes were at 61%. Fewer families are offering health insurance, as 100% fully funded healthcare dropped from 20% in 2006 to 17% reported in 2009. However, another 12% of in home childcare providers received 50% paid health insurance.
Most families, 63%, pay for national and religious holidays, and 62% give paid sick days. Twenty-nine percent give paid personal days. Over 86% offer one to three week paid vacations. Sixty -four percent receive reimbursement for use of their vehicle or use of the employer’s car for errands.
How much should nannies ask when traveling with their families?
Out of the 37% that did travel with their families, 13% reported receiving no additional compensation, and 15% of others received additional payment ranging from $150 to $50 per day. Eight percent received other types of compensation.
Overnight Care
When staying overnight, 25% of nannies received $50-$75 additionally and 37% were given between $100 to $150 extra. Fifteen percent received no additional compensation and 25% received other types of compensation.
When your employer doesn’t need you to work, do they pay you for the time you have off?
Three-fourths of nannies reported that they are paid their normal salaries and 15% said that if they aren’t needed, they don’t get paid. Eight percent are asked to make up the childcare hours.
How much does the average nanny receive in year-end bonuses?
One to four weeks’ salary was reported by 29% No bonus or gift was reported by 16%. Twenty-nine percent told us they received a generous gift or gift certificate between $100 and $500 or more and 4% received an extravagant gift in excess of $500. Only 18% of employers reported financial year-end gifts as income that was taxed.
How much education do nannies have?
Nearly half have been to college! Nineteen percent reported having two years of college and 28% reported having a BA.
Professionalism
Nannies interest in investing in their professions has increased, as nanny conference attendance grew from 22% in 2006 to 29% reported in 2009. That seems to be a nationwide trend as the unemployed in all fields are increasing their skill sets to become more valuable to their employers.
Nannies are also researching child care findings online or in books at the rate of 79%, and 29% attend community colleges or continuing education classes, and 25% attended meetings of local nanny groups and 22% attended professional conferences.
Eighty-three percent kept current with CPR and First Aid training.
Our staff at Caring Nannies works hard to recruit the most qualified Nannies in the Phoenix area. It is wise to be aware of current market conditions when planning your benefits package for your nanny when hiring and at annual reviews so as to be competitive. To see the entire survey, click here.
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Add new tag, Arizona Nanny Benefits, Arizona Nanny pay, Arizona Nanny salary, Phoenix Nanny benefits, Phoenix nanny pay, Scottsdale Nanny Benefits, Scottsdale nanny pay, Scottsdale Nanny salary
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Now that Obamas Health Initiative has passed, health insurance is on everyones mind. So that you know what may be expected as an employer, heres a quick summary of what youre responsible for.
First of all, the new legislation isnt in effect until 2014. Families are exempt from the requirement to provide health Insurance for nannies, since only businesses with 50 + employees are obligated.
Although the new legislation wont impact you directly, it is becoming more and more important for everyone to get Health coverage. There are benefits to offering your household employee health insurance. Several of our families are offering insurance as part of their benefits package and it is attracting nannies they may not otherwise have access to.You can contribute up to 100% of your nannys premiums. This is non-taxable compensation, meaning neither you nor your nanny pay taxes on that part of the pay.
For a sample of the tax savings you and your caregiver, download the PDF Health Insurance or give us a call.
We are here to help you, your family and your nanny with any payroll, tax or labor law questions. And what we dont know, we know who to refer you to.
Quick Tax Facts
$1,700: If Your nanny makes this much per year, you need to pay Social Security & Medicare
$2,500 : Total amount of tax breaks you can utilize when paying legally.
1.5: If your Employee works more than 40 hours per week, this should be her pay rate.
$0.50: Mileage reimbursement rate
$7.25: Arizona minimum wage
55: IRS estimate of annual hours needed to manage household payroll
$2: Daily cost to have a nanny tax service keep you in line with the law
Each December, our staff likes to take a look back at our past year. We look at all the aspects of our nanny service from practical results as well as more important personal goals.
We invite our families and nannies to stop and consider the progress they’ve made in the past year in these infinitely more important dimensions.
We label our progress:
1. Doing Tremendous!
2. Making strides, but still a ways to go
3. A challenge area
4. Oops! Do I really have to do this?
You’ve had a good year if:
You spent more time evaluating your past year and planning for the direction of your life. We all have room to grow. How was your year?
Your family relationships strengthened.
Did you spend more time of richer quality with your spouse and children?
Did you make more time available to your spouse and less to your hobbies or business?
Did you spend focused time teaching your children values?
Did you eat dinner together as a family more and watch less TV?
Is your love and service to them greater than it was last year?
We can only bring to our career what we already have in our lives and in our homes.
Our outward achievements are only a reflection of our inward success.
If you saw yourself more as servant to your employees, clients, peers, and suppliers, with a goal to make them more successful, if you’ve made the effort to encourage and edify others, then you’ve had a good year.
You are even slightly less acquisitive.
The urge to acquire things is very human, and there’s nothing wrong with having it, but stuff doesn’t truly satisfy. We know that there’s no joy or peace in material things. In fact, the more we get, the more were distracted, and the more work we have to clean it, organize it, insure it and store it. If youve extricated yourself, even a little, from its grasp, if you’ve reduced your debt, even a little, you’ve had a good year.
You are more grateful and content.
What do we have that we deserve? We live better than kings and queens in the past, so how can we not be grateful? Can you say I have more than I deserve or need and really mean it?
You have more peace in your heart.
Its been a rough year economically for many. If our peace depends on the Dow average, it comes and goes.
If you see blessings in all your circumstances, both good and bad, more clearly this year, you’ve had a good year.
You became more proficient in your job.
If you consider that your business or occupation is a gift that you’re to lead with passion and youve been learning and using better ways, you’ve had a good year!
You took better care of your body.
Did your exercise and diet prove you’re developing more self-discipline? Mastering yourself is a key to maturity. If youre in better shape than a year ago, you’ve had a good year.
I hope you have a wonderful 2010,
Beth Weise
In horror, we all watched the Amber alerts Christmas afternoon on freeway signs and on TV.
I recalled a conversation with one of our nannies earlier this month. She had been at a park with her charges along with several mothers and their children. She noticed a man who didn’t seem to have any child attached to him, talking with the five-year-old girl she cared for full time. She immediately called 911, and before the mothers realized what was happening, the police were escorting him out of the playground in handcuffs. “What just happened?” they asked her. He was a Level 2 registered sex offender.
We recently updated our Child Safety Quiz that every nanny takes when they come in for an interview to include questions about the dangers of internet safety and abduction. We invite our families to take advantage of several internet child safety quizzes designed for children, their families and caregivers.
Internet Safety Quiz: http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=714
Abduction Safety: http://pediatrics.about.com/od/missingkids/Child_Abduction_and_Missing_Kids.htm
For the Children’s Sake,
Beth Weise
The holidays can be more stressful than fun. On top of our regular schedules, we have to find gifts for everyone, send out cards and packages, bake cookies, attend parties and pack for trips. Even a recession-proof household can feel the pressure of all these extra activities. When our children see expensive gifts on TV, we wonder how we can squeeze one more to into their bulging closet.
Here are ten ways to use the holidays to develop new skills and values and have more fun year round.
Give to people who can’t give back.
We aren’t designed to be receptacles, but conduits of what we’re receiving. When we are giving, we feel like we’re really living. Look around you. Is there an elderly neighbor who lost her spouse this year? Invite her to your home for dinner. Holidays are a lonely time for many, and the gift of your time means more than you can imagine. Caring Nannies is collecting new children’s jackets for Neighborhood Ministries in South Phoenix, one of the four charities that we donate $25 of your Family Application to. You can drop off a jacket at our office or one of our staff will gladly pick it up from your home.
Involve the children in giving
Children are naturally self-focused. We have 12 + years to help them be other focused. Let them do extra chores, earn money, and shop a 99 cent store to pick out a gift for a needy child in the community or a sibling. The key is to have them pick out a gift they would like or that is similar to what they have. Make it a family event and go out for donuts afterwards. Have them make a gift for grandparents. Check out this website for some easy craft ideas.
Volunteer together
The best way to build character in kids is to volunteer. It seems like an oxymoron to give more time when you’re feeling so stretched for time just for the basics, but it gives you such a good feeling and nurtures the soul. Your church or synagogue may be volunteering at a soup kitchen, or you can go with another family. This reality check will soak in as kids serve food.
Delegate
Traditionally, Moms do most of the holiday preparation, so ask Dad to pick up gifts, and the kids to help with holiday baking, wrapping, and decorating.
Ask relatives to agree to cut back
Some families ask for a donation to a college fund or a donation to an organization in a developing nation in the child’s name. Kiva enables you to make a loan to an entrepreneur across the globe for as little as $25. H2OProject gives water to a village in a developing country–two other charities we sponsor. If you want to exchange gifts, consider scaling back by drawing names and exchanging gifts with only one family member. Give only one gift per person. Play the White Elephant Game, and give a gift you want to get rid of, or gifts set at an agreed on price.
Making Gifts
Our family enjoyed making gifts each year. We put on children’s character building story tapes, set up an assembly line, and painted, glued and wrapped home made crafts. The children also made Coupon Books for a free shoeshine, backrub, making dinner, washing dishes, going on a walk, or washing the car. Make your own wrapping paper with sheets of newsprint and potato stamps dipped in tempera paint.Kids can decorate place cards for holiday dinners. Offer your child’s teacher an afternoon of your time, or donate school supplies. Using your creativity makes for a more meaningful and memorable gift.
Create important family traditions
It doesn’t matter what you do, but do some family activities every year where you really connect with those you love. I always made a special pastry for Christmas morning. Together you can sing Christmas carols at a nursing home, attend services together or peel grapes for the holiday ambrosia. Consistency is the key—do the same things every year! My grown children still want to go to Grandma’s house to frost her cut out cookies and decorate them with sprinkles. Watch them create similar rituals with their children!
Lower the bar
From our childhood, we all have glorified expectations of what the holidays should be like. It can feel overwhelming to live up to those expectations. What will they remember 20 years from now? Probably not what gifts they received, but the feeling of closeness and those family rituals. So drive them to see the holiday lights in the neighborhood instead of shopping at the Mall. Go ice skating or ice blocking together. String popcorn on the tree. It is those intimate, warm moments that will make holidays to remember.
Get organized
Getting organized lowers holiday stress, and is a valuable life skill that can spread to other areas of your life. Start today and work at it consistently for 15 minutes per day. Then relax and enjoy the holidays.
Here are two helpful websites:
Flylady’s Holiday Control Journal
Christmas Countdown: Six Weeks to an Organized Christmas
The Recession is a boon for our families! We are able to offer the cream of the crop right now. Many nannies are eager to take on positions that they may have previously declined because the position was part time, or involved housework or was temporary.
Many of our nannies have lost their jobs or had their hours reduced. There are fewer positions, more available nannies, and the result is that qualifications for candidates have greatly increased! One of the last nannies we placed had her Master’s degree in education, taught two years, and nannied for four years! So now is the time to call to secure a trusted, dedicated nanny or home manager who can bring calm to your busy household. You can come home at day’s end to enjoy your family, knowing that the biggest challenges of the day have been covered, and that your children have been nurtured and loved.
Many families have found that they do need to cut their nanny’s hours, work from home part time, share a nanny with another family, or cut another staff member and ask their nanny to take on additional duties, but we have been surprised at how many families are still using nannies! I interviewed a dedicated nanny this morning, who wants to play with children, clean house, cook gourmet meals, and teach your children three languages!
Beth Weise, CEO and Founder, Caring Nannies