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Tel: 0044 (0)208 392 1658 Fax: 0044 (0)208 392 2386 email: sarah@aegisnannies.co.uk Why set up a contract? home page childcare types salary scale external links contact us The benefits of a signed contract What a contract should cover The mechanics of the process Can a contract be made binding? The benefits of a signed contract It is a good idea to go through the process of drawing one up. If you're an easygoing person and your Childcarer is agreeable, you might not want to go to the length of writing a formal agreement, but at the very least you should have a detailed conversation about the ground rules of the engagement, and setting them down in a contract adds clarity which might prove very beneficial at a later time. A written contract is a source of guidance if a problem arises in the future. You can refer to it as you and your Childcarer try to resolve the issue. What a contract should cover Anything and everything related to your Childcarer's job -- no detail is too small. If you're providing room and board, for example, you may want to pay for the Childcarer's phone line but not for long-distance charges, or Internet access. You should spell out any benefits, such as paid annual leave, Bank holidays, and sick days. You're not obliged to offer paid annual leave, but it's standard practice to do so; after all, most of us feel more positive about our employers if we have such benefits. Your contract should have information on: The basic parameters of the job. Set down a job description, since the work of being a Nanny, for example, means different things to different people. Work hours. (For example, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.) Benefits. Set down whether you're providing health insurance (if so, identify the plan). Specify how much paid holiday, including Bank holidays your Childcarer can take. State how far ahead of time you want her to let you know about time off. Pay details. Indicate the gross amount and when you'll provide it; for example, every other Thursday at the end of the workday. Regular duties. Write down any household chores -- folding the childrens laundry, helping your son tidy up his room -- or other tasks you'd like your Childcarer to do. If, for example, you want her to take your daughter to and from piano lessons on certain days, put that in and discuss the logistics. If your Childcarer has her own car, will you reimburse her for the fuel costs? If she'll be using your car, who's responsible for filling the tank? Living/eating arrangements. If your Childcarer will live in your home, you should spend plenty of time on this topic, with an eye to her privacy needs as well as yours. Will she join the family for dinner every night, for example? You may want to state how often she can use the car, the TV, the VCR, and the washing machine. Don't shy away from discussing issues of taste: If she loves sugary cereals that you don't allow your children to eat, make it clear that she's buying them with her own money. Special arrangements. Try to think of any complication that might arise and a response that's fair to both of you. If you must work late, for example, you'll let her know by three in the afternoon and pay her an extra £5 an hour for the overtime. If she's sick, she should call you by 7:30 a.m. etc. Emergency plans. Clarify the steps you want your Childcarer to follow if your child gets sick or injured. Also, work out the best response if it's your Childcarer who suddenly gets sick: Give her the name and phone number of a neighbour or nearby relative who can help. Foreseeable changes in your arrangement. If you're pregnant, or having a relative come stay with you for the summer for example, talk to your Childcarer about how the arrangements will affect her. The mechanics of the process Although you may think of a contract as a daunting legal document, writing one is relatively straightforward as long as you think through what to include. You can use the categories above and add others that apply to your situation. If you like, you can have a lawyer review the agreement when its complete. Make sure both you and your Childcarer sign and date the contract. Each of you should keep a copy. If you make minor changes (for example, you agree that she'll end her day at five o'clock instead of six), you both should initial the amendments and each get a fresh copy. You may want to include a clause that you and your Childcarer will revisit the contract on a certain date (a one-year anniversary works well). When that time comes, the two of you will discuss anything either of you wants to alter. Of course, you'll have to redo the agreement sooner if there's a major change in your household, such as a new baby, or in your work schedule, such as longer hours at the office. Can a contract be made binding? As with any employment agreement, a Nanny contract for example, is hard to enforce. Never count on being able to do so. But having worked out so many details ahead of time, you're far more likely to enjoy a smooth relationship with your Childcarer. Aegis Nannies, Ltd. Aegis Nannies, Ltd., 12 Treen Avenue, Barnes, London, SW13 0JT Tel - 0208 3921658 Fax - 0208 3922386(London) Monday to Friday: 7:30am - 8:00pm sarah@aegisnannies.co.uk ©2000-2008, Aegis Nannies Applications - All rights reserved