Oncall babysitter/nanny rate?

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11-12-2018 12:34 PM
Oncall247

Oncall babysitter/nanny rate?

Hey everyone!
I need some help figuring out a fair rate for what I do. It's a little complicated but I will explain the best I can. I have been an on call babysitter for my friends daughter for a few years now. She started school this year and these are my dutys:*
-no set hours. Some days I have her from 7am until school drop off at 9 and after school until whenever one of her parents is done work. They both work different hours and never have set hours. Some days I dont have her at all. Some days only 1 hour some days up to 8 hours.
When I do have her my dutys are:
-breakfast, snack and dinner
-no prior notice to when I will be watching her so I am oncall everyday
-pick up and drop off to school which is a short bus ride away
-pick up and drop off to her sport activity
-no vacation or sick days.. I have her whether her or I are sick
-on occasion she sleeps here

They are paying me a weekly rate now and a small portion of my bus pass (we are located in Toronto). Dad is unhappy with the amount they are paying me right now. I just wanted other opinions on how much I should be paid. They would like to pay me a daily or weekly rate.
Thanks in advance!
11-12-2018 02:43 PM
Suzie_Homemaker

As a day care provider, I have no idea what nanny rates would be especially as they vary by area. But I do have some thoughts about the situation.

1. Because you are on call, effectively you are working exclusively for this family. Without a schedule giving you advance notice of when they need you and when they don't, you are unable to have a second part-time job because there's no way you could predict when you would be available to work it. These parents need to understand that you are solely dependent on this role for them for your whole income. If they don't want to pay for your availability for short notice work, then they need to give you a schedule at least a week in advance. How the hell do you even plan any down time? Or social events? If they want exclusive rights to your time and for their requirements to be priority, then there's a cost for that.

2. The should be paying for your bus pass because they expect you to take her to school on public transport and also sports activities. If you had your car, they would be paying for your gas expenses. While I can see it being your responsibility getting to and from your location of work, the in between trips are due to their needs.

3. Overnight care should be an extra fee. You are giving up your evening and your night and your time has a value. For reference, if a day care child were to be here overnight - it would only be agreed to based on my availability and there would be an additional fee of at least $100 for an overnight.

4. If you are sick, you are sick. Period. If your "friend" doesn't understand that you don't want to be looking after her child when you are vomiting or have an upset belly, then you need new friends.

3.

2.
11-12-2018 03:29 PM
Oncall247

Thank you for the reply!
Yes monday to Friday I do not plan anything outside of school hours incase I have her. I could not get another job. It would be impossible for them to give me a schedule as neither of them never know their schedules in advance.
They dont want to pay for the whole bus pass because I use it for other things as well and they feel the portion they pay is fair.
Over nights are few and far between but they do not pay me extra for it.
Last week I had the stomach bug and my husband had to go pick her up from school because neither of her parents could. So sick days are not an option.
I also pick her up from school when shes sick and have taken her to doctors and specialist appointments.
I want to be fair with my rate because they are my friends but I believe what they are paying me is fair already but the dad fails to see the value. A traditional daycare wouldnt work due to their strange worm hours.
Thanks again for giving me some things to think about!
11-16-2018 08:19 AM
Fearlessbaby

I agree. I think you need to be firm with your friends and set a weekly or monthly rate. Perhaps at least $500/week. The fact that you are on call means that they need to pay for your time, even if you're not watching her. Don't let them take advantage of you. That in the end will build resentment and end the friendship. Be firm and fair. Good luck!
11-16-2018 07:54 PM
Suzie_Homemaker

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oncall247

Yes monday to Friday I do not plan anything outside of school hours incase I have her. I could not get another job. It would be impossible for them to give me a schedule as neither of them never know their schedules in advance.

You work exclusively for these people due to their inability to set a schedule. CRA and Labour Standards would define this an your friends being your employer and you being an employee. They set the hours you are working, the tasks you will perform, the location of your work - those are the control which define them as employers. Legally, you should be getting min wage and they have other financial obligations towards you as their employee.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oncall247

They dont want to pay for the whole bus pass because I use it for other things as well and they feel the portion they pay is fair.

I imagine they would prefer not to pay it all since they have no issue in paying you nothing extra if you work all night for them!
If you lived within walking distance of them and therefore didn't use a bus pass yourself, they would have to pay the whole monthly rate for you to travel with their child. What would they do if you didn't have your own bus pass because you had no use for it? Would they pay for it all then?

Quote:

Over nights are few and far between but they do not pay me extra for it.

Then next time they ask, tell them no. No one works for free. You can bet they are being paid.

Quote:

Last week I had the stomach bug and my husband had to go pick her up from school because neither of her parents could.

Stop enabling them. They are the parents. Either they financially compensate you well or they have to figure it out when you are sick. You were too ill. It's not your responsibility to find someone (your husband) to fill in for you when you are physically unable to.

Quote:

I want to be fair with my rate because they are my friends but I believe what they are paying me is fair already but the dad fails to see the value. A traditional daycare wouldnt work due to their strange worm hours.

Think about regular day care as a vanilla service. They come to a location, in set hours, get a set service and at the end of the business day, they leave. Some day cares offer extended hours for an extra fee. Or if they are located close to a sports center they might offer tennis lessons for an extra fee or swimming lessons for an extra fee. The more bespoke a service, the more it's going to cost.

Your "friend" wants you on call with no notice. Your friend has established a clear min requirement of escorting to and from school and other activities plus other tasks. Your friend isn't paying for the bespoke extras.

Either they pay a fair flat rate which they are doing now with clear boundaries that overnight is additional since it's not a normal part of your week OR they pay an hourly rate which shouldn't be any less that $15 an hour. I suspect the deal they have now is likely the best and they are undervaluing your flexibility and looking to cut you back further. If they don't value you, let them try and find someone else for the same money. I bet it's not going to be possible.