Do you pay your nanny for summer if...

[magnoliaparadise]

... you are going out of town for a big part of it?
- My nanny works about 12 hours a week. In the past, I always worked and stayed in town during the summer with my kids. This summer, we are going out of town.
Do I pay her for the 12 hours each week even if she isn't going to be here? Eeeek, that seems like a lot (over 1,000 dollars).
There isn't anything that she can really do when I'm not there, unfortunately (hopefully renters will be in home so she can't clean).
Could I 'bank' the time and have her make it up?
If I didn't like her, I would just use this opportunity to let her go and not pay during the summer and tell her that if I wanted to rehire her in the fall, I would. However, I really like her and very much want her to continue to work with us...
So I'm not sure what to do.
I'm leaning towards just paying her, but ugh, I am so sick of 'doing the right thing' and spending so much money.
I would love your thoughts.
Thanks.

[TxCat]

It's not full-time work, so you probably have a little more lee-way. If it was full-time (40 hours or more, or anywhere close to that), I would say that you have to pay her for the time you are gone. However, if you want to be sure that she will still be available to you in the fall, I say pay her.

[belovedgandp]

Maybe see if you can ramp up the hours for a couple weeks before and then at the other end, but if you like her I'd pay. Possibly offer 50-75% or something. With it being summer there are probably other short term gigs out there.

[jenfromnj]

I think that if you really like her and want to keep her, you should pay her. It's not so much doing the right thing, as paying a retainer of sorts. I know it seems like a lot of money, but I'm sure it's a lot of money to her too, KWIM? I'd be concerned that she'd need to find a way to make it up and not be available any longer when I returned from my trip.

[blisstwins]

I am a teacher and I pay for the summer even though I don't use my sitter hardly at all in the summer. I kills a little, but I can't expect someone to not get paid and hold a spot for me. I would talk to her and ask if she could do a little more before or a little more when you get back, but I think I would pay her. I don't think you can bank all or even close to most of the hours.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Could you ask her to do an overnight either before or after your trip in exchange for some of the time you'll want to pay her and not use during a regular week? It's not as hard b/c they'll be sleeping, but it gives you the chance to get something for that money.

[arivecchi]

It's not full-time work, so you probably have a little more lee-way. If it was full-time (40 hours or more, or anywhere close to that), I would say that you have to pay her for the time you are gone. However, if you want to be sure that she will still be available to you in the fall, I say pay her.
:yeahthat: perhaps you can discuss a reduced summer rate?

[hillview]

I would talk to her about it. See what might work for her, could you pay her and she'd owe you the extra hours in the fall?

[Nicsmom]

Talk to her and offer her a few options. "Banking" the time might work for her, perhaps increase her hours before and after your vacations so she'll make up for the time you are not here, negotiating a reduced rate might also be a good option for her, or think about creative ways for her to do some work for you during the summer -- for example our nanny stocked up or fridge with milk and other basics the day before we arrived from a trip (it was great not having to run to buy groceries after a looong flight).

[infocrazy]

What is your normal arrangement? If you don't need her for a day, do you still pay?

We have a sitter for 12 hrs a week as well, however, our normal arrangement is that we pay hourly, so if she doesn't work, then we don't pay her. I went on maternity leave with DD and did not pay sitter without issue, but we were not her "main" job given the limited hours--we just lined up perfect for her with school. What else does your sitter do?

Regardless, I would just sit down with the sitter and see what she was thinking about the time. Given that it is so part time, I wouldn't think she would expect to be paid while you were gone for the summer...but I am surprised that so far everyone is saying to pay her. I think paying ahead for future hours will be difficult to keep track of and/or a retainer.

I guess I am just nervous that even if you pay her for the summer, if she finds something else over the summer (with or without you in town really) or has a change of circumstances, you really don't have a guarantee that she will be back in the fall...but now you are out $1000. I don't think you could ask for it back, or if you did that it would be really messy trying to get her to pay it.