How is your position going?
Regardless of whether you have recently started a new position or have been with your current family for years, communication is key to any successful nanny/family team. Now that the world is settling back into a more normal pace take some time to reflect on how things are going. Speaking about the kids and day-to-day activities may come easily, but are you also communicating about your employment relationship? Here are some tips on how you can take a deeper dive and get communication going.
#1: Make sure your pay stubs are accurate.
Do your paychecks have the proper taxes being withheld? Your employer is legally required to report your income and withhold taxes every pay period. If they are paying you ‘under the table,’ it is time to schedule a conversation about being paid professionally. Being paid off the record might seem tempting, but you miss out on benefits you are entitled to, and fixing tax issues down the line gets expensive.
If the state or IRS finds out, there could be hefty fines or back taxes owed. Not to mention, you won’t be protected. If, for instance, you need to file for unemployment, there may not be a record of your employment with the family, which could cause a delay in benefits. Additionally, you may find yourself without social security benefits when you want to retire, or your social security income could be lower because the proper taxes were not withheld.
Thankfully, HomeWork Solutions is well-versed in helping families prepare payroll and file taxes for their household employees. Encourage your employer to reach out to our experienced team for assistance in covering these critical details. Education is a big part of our mission, so consultations are always complimentary. This gives you the peace of mind you need, knowing that your paychecks are accurate and all taxes are correctly withheld.
#2: Review your benefits.
Is your employer providing health care, paid time off, sick time, or paid holidays? Make sure you know what your benefits are, how they are being tracked, and how to claim them. If it means coordinating a vacation ahead of time so the family can plan for childcare in your absence, make sure you give the required notice of your request. If you have sick time built into your compensation package, which is required by law in many states, then go over the procedure for alerting your employer. Perhaps benefits weren’t offered when you were first hired. Consider negotiating benefits now and establishing a written work agreement with the decided details.
#3: Take advantage of review periods.
If you have regular review periods or check-in times with your employer, take advantage of those opportunities if you don’t, consider adding them to your work agreement. It’s a great time to bring up questions or concerns you might have about children, schedules, duties, supplies, or employment. It’s also an excellent time to bring up the idea of raises or added benefits, such as mileage or education reimbursement. It can also be used as an opportunity to talk about adding health care reimbursement (QSEHRA) to your total compensation package, which is a tax advantage for you and your nanny family. Adding this benefit can help stretch the dollars in the family’s compensation budget and help the raise make an even more significant impact for you.
Your position as a nanny is an important one—you are providing a valuable service to a family that relies on you to love and care for the children in their absence. But working as a household employee means you also need to take care of yourself by advocating for legal pay and benefits. Legal pay benefits everyone. It protects you and the family and elevates the nanny profession and the industry as a whole. HomeWork Solutions has been helping nannies and families for almost 30 years. Let us walk you and your employer through setting up legal pay and benefits. We also encourage you to check out our Knowledge Center, where you’ll find more information and articles about all things regarding nanny taxes and payroll.