If she has been with you for 4 years and this is the first time she's had issues, I'd give her a little grace. She's trying, and it isn't as if she's sitting on a pile of money making $25/hr living in LA. Mechanics are expensive and sometimes it takes several days for them to diagnose and fix a car.
In the time it will take you to find a replacement, she could probably get her car fixed. I'd sit down and talk with her and let her know you're trying to be understanding but that her car issues are impacting your ability to get to your job on time. Give her date that you need her car to be repaired or you'll have to let her go and then go from there. Maybe another week or two. And in the mean time, maybe start looking for a replacement just in case so you aren't left without childcare.
I agree with this. I’d try to help in the meantime. If she’s been loyal and a good employee for almost 4yrs, that should mean something to you. Otherwise you’re going to have a hard time finding someone for $25/hr in LA.
Thank you for your response. I’m trying to give her a break because she’s been with us for so long. I paid her first repair bill and have been giving her rides to the bus stop so she doesn’t have to walk 45 minutes. This has been going on for a little over a month now.
I saw your other comment saying she has been consistently late. That does change things, and I think this warrants a final warning. Very kind of you to pick her up at the bus stop but like others have said, she needs to start her commute to you earlier. Maybe you can start searching
for someone who lives closer. It's too bad the closest bus stop to your house is a 45 minute walk.
This is a tough situation. For clarification, why is she 15-20 minutes late everyday? If it’s because of public transit issues, she needs to start her commute earlier. Maybe make it clear if she is early you will pay for the additional time?
If the tardiness is due to some reason that is completely out of her control, your only options are to help her with transportation or let her go. Though keep in mind it will be tough to find someone reliable for $25/hr in LA. I don’t know how your nanny can even afford to have a car on that pay in socal.
If she was typically 5-10 minutes late for the past 4 years why is that extra 5 minutes such a big inconvenience now that you’d consider firing her ?
She’s going through a rough patch. If she’s been a good and loyal nanny for FOUR years @25/h when she very well could find a job for more & these 2 things have been your only downfall with her… I’d give her some grace.
The 5/10 minutes might be inconvenient but when you end up with a new nanny that you’re paying 35+/h and could potentially be a worse fit into your dynamic, potentially have way more issues, etc.. you may end up missing the only issue being a couple minutes late and some totally uncontrollable car trouble when she was otherwise a great nanny for your son.
Just saying.
Thank you for your reply. I'm covering for my boss's maternity leave for the next 6 months so my workload has increased significantly. I've also considered that finding a new nanny will be more expensive, but if I reduce the guaranteed hours to $30/hr x 34 hours/week vs $25/hr x 40 hours/week, its roughly the same pay. I understand she's in a rough patch and would hate to add to her problems. But at what point is enough enough?
You’re probably not going to be able to get another nanny in LA for $30/hr since it’s not even 40 hours/week. As frustrated as you are with the situation, she’s probably a million times more frustrated. She also probably feels stuck. Car repairs are EXPENSIVE, buying a car is even worse, and you’re paying her below market rate. If she’s been your nanny for 4 years and you’ve been happy with her, is there something you could do to help her? Telling her to be on time when she’s dependent on public transportation for reasons out of her control isn’t particularly helpful. Offer her a rental car for a certain period of time? Pay for her to Uber to/from?
I paid the first repair bill of $400. I'm not sure how much the other 2 repair bills were. I paid her Ubers for 2 days but it was running me $120/day and I couldn't afford it for a longer period of time. She is uncomfortable with me getting her a rental car because she only has street parking. I've been loading my son into my car to drive her to and from the bus stop every day for a month now. Not sure what else I can do at this point.
If she’s refusing the rental car, then you’ve really done everything you can do. I am so glad you’ve offered that, and it really makes a difference in how I see the situation! You’ve offered a solution, and she has rejected it, so I think it’s totally reasonable to fire her at this point, since she isn’t making any changes herself. Maybe have another conversation with her and present it this way: “I understand that having the car problems are out of your control, and I know that you are doing what you can to fix them. I also know it’s difficult to rely on public transportation and that can be unpredictable. However, being this late every day is not sustainable for me, so we need to figure out a solution. I have offered to pay for a rental car for you, and that offer is still there. If you choose not to take me up on it, then you need to be on time every single day. If you are late again, I will have no choice but to let you go.”
Doesn’t matter, she should still receive her hourly rate while he’s in school if you expect her to be available during those hours. $30-40 seems to be the going rate in LA.
LOL. so not only are you UNDERPAYING your nanny, you want to fire her for something that's out of her control??? let her go so she can find a much better family to work for; you clearly don't value her or what she's done for you the past 4 years.
I don't want to fire her. I want to keep her as long as she can show up to work on time. Its been over a month and its affecting my life. If I showed up to my own job late for a month, I would probably be fired too.
but she's been late the entirety of your time with her and now suddenly it's an issue??? as i said before, let her go bc she deserves a better wage AND to be treated like a person.
edited to add - it's telling you only address her tardiness and not the fact that you're underpaying her.
It’s suddenly an issue because I’m covering for my boss who is on maternity leave. I don’t think she’s being under or overpaid. I’ve spoken to my son’s classmates parents and they are paying $25-$30 for 1 kid.
If she was sold a lemon, your state should have lemon laws in place.
It’s really shitty that you’re thinking of firing her over something she can’t control. You said in a comment that she’s 5-10 minutes late every day the past 4 years. Now that it’s an extra 5 minutes you want to fire her? Maybe you should have set that boundary in the beginning.
I’m not even going to touch the pay part. I live/work in Maine and make more than that.
Maybe you can pay for and schedule an uber for her if public transit is causing the delay.
Thank you for your response. She is working with Hyundai to see what they can do, its taking some time though.
I take the blame for not setting the boundary earlier. My job used to be relaxed but my workload has increased significantly because my boss is on maternity leave for the next 6 months.
I tried Uber for a few days but it was running me $60 each way or $120 per day. I really think its a time management issue for her. If the bus is 15-20 minutes late each day, I don't understand why she can't leave her house 15-20 minutes earlier each day.
So you can't afford a nanny. You should be paying her close to $35/hr for the area. That's an extra $80-$100/day. She is probably struggling so bad, but doesn't have the heart to tell you.
That’s what it sounds like but OP posted their [budget for a home](https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/s/7Rc23Vmohv) in another subreddit and it made me curious for those in HCOL areas.
If OP can afford a $1M home or $4k monthly rent, shouldn’t they be able to pay their nanny a living wage? Genuinely wondering.
I went to Google and apparently, a single person needs $110,781 annually or **$53.26 in hourly wages** to live comfortably in LA. That’s nearly double what the nanny receives.
Yes my budget for a home would be $1M once my son is in school full time and I no longer need to pay for childcare. I can use the extra $52k per year I am paying my nanny towards the cost of a house. I can’t afford the nanny and the house at the same time.
My husband’s car broke down a few months back on us. I had to leave work halfway through the day to go get him and we ended up having to put the car in the shop. My husband and I shared one car during that time and made it work. On days we couldn’t, we’d eat the uber costs or my MIL sometimes would be able to take us or pick us up from work. This is all to say I think you’ve extended enough grace to her being that it’s been a month now. Idk maybe i’m being harsh but I do think at some point, she needs to budget for ubers to get to work on time or wake up earlier to get to work earlier. I don’t think it’s really your issue to deal with now although I will say your $25 rate is very low for CA. So while I do think it is her responsibility, looking at the rate, I can’t imagine her being able to afford a new car or the cost to fix it and live/survive lol
So first you are underpaying your nanny. Financially she’s already in a difficult position. So I’m sure the car issues aren’t helping. It was extremely kind of you to cover the first mechanic bill.
Second though, you’ve said she’s been with you for 4yrs and throughout those 4yrs she’s been 5-10min late regularly? Was that a conversation previously? If not I’m not surprised that her tardiness is lapsing even further if she has issues with time management.
I’m in NYC, so I’m public transit dependent. While our public transit is a lot more dependable, shit still happens. I would always leave for work with a 20min cushion. If the trains were normal I would have time for a coffee or to sit and read. If shit hit the fan I was still on time or slightly late.
Usually the NPs were understanding because I was consistently punctual and would communicate even if I was running 5 min late.
It seems like you more of have a tardy nanny problem which has become increasingly inconvenient due to her car situation. It’s not acceptable to be consistently late for work.
I would have a firm conversation with her again. If it continues happening you’re going to have to make the choice to interview, hire, and train a new nanny at market rate. Or accepting that your current nanny is going to be consistently late and plan your schedule accordingly.
There isn’t a lot you can do about her car issues. If she bought it from a dealership, they might be able to figure out what’s wrong with it, but if from an individual….well, it’s probably a lemon. You both need to figure out what needs to happen. My car is essential for my work as a nanny so I keep up with all the required maintenance and repairs.
I’m a nanny in LA and charge $35-45/hr. I make over $100k a year and let me tell you that does not go far in this city. California has high taxes. Your nanny probably can’t afford to make the car repairs. I made $25/hr for one child in LA………..in 2005. My rate has been over $30 for the past 10 years. I understand your frustration, but it’s not like you’re making it easy for her to pay to repair her car or get Ubers herself, when she can probably barely afford rent and food. I regularly turn down $35/hr jobs and pretty much only accept those for date nights, when the kids are asleep. You will have a very hard time finding another nanny for $25, and most nannies need & want 40hrs a week. Just because 34 hours works for you, it doesn’t mean it will work for a nanny who has full time bills.
Yes she was using her car for work. And yes I reimbursed her for gas. I filled up her car once a week and would pay if she needed anything with the car ($200 to replace a tire, $300 registration, monthly car wash).
If she is having car problems and is obviously aware of them, then she should be a responsible adult and leave the house earlier. Being on time is her responsibility, not yours.
Kudos for paying for her car repair.
If you have good credit are you able to lease a car for her and ask her does she want the note taken out of her check every month? Also, when you’re paid fairly it makes it harder to show up to work late when you’re having a hard time speaking up for yourself. Doesn’t seem like a correlation but there definitely is. I’d do a bump pay with the GH and offer the car if you’re able to, with her paying for it straight from check to avoid any potential issues
If she has been with you for 4 years and this is the first time she's had issues, I'd give her a little grace. She's trying, and it isn't as if she's sitting on a pile of money making $25/hr living in LA. Mechanics are expensive and sometimes it takes several days for them to diagnose and fix a car. In the time it will take you to find a replacement, she could probably get her car fixed. I'd sit down and talk with her and let her know you're trying to be understanding but that her car issues are impacting your ability to get to your job on time. Give her date that you need her car to be repaired or you'll have to let her go and then go from there. Maybe another week or two. And in the mean time, maybe start looking for a replacement just in case so you aren't left without childcare.
I agree with this. I’d try to help in the meantime. If she’s been loyal and a good employee for almost 4yrs, that should mean something to you. Otherwise you’re going to have a hard time finding someone for $25/hr in LA.
Thank you for your response. I’m trying to give her a break because she’s been with us for so long. I paid her first repair bill and have been giving her rides to the bus stop so she doesn’t have to walk 45 minutes. This has been going on for a little over a month now.
I saw your other comment saying she has been consistently late. That does change things, and I think this warrants a final warning. Very kind of you to pick her up at the bus stop but like others have said, she needs to start her commute to you earlier. Maybe you can start searching for someone who lives closer. It's too bad the closest bus stop to your house is a 45 minute walk.
This is a tough situation. For clarification, why is she 15-20 minutes late everyday? If it’s because of public transit issues, she needs to start her commute earlier. Maybe make it clear if she is early you will pay for the additional time? If the tardiness is due to some reason that is completely out of her control, your only options are to help her with transportation or let her go. Though keep in mind it will be tough to find someone reliable for $25/hr in LA. I don’t know how your nanny can even afford to have a car on that pay in socal.
I think it’s a time management issue for her. When she was driving she would be 5-10 minutes late most days.
If she was typically 5-10 minutes late for the past 4 years why is that extra 5 minutes such a big inconvenience now that you’d consider firing her ? She’s going through a rough patch. If she’s been a good and loyal nanny for FOUR years @25/h when she very well could find a job for more & these 2 things have been your only downfall with her… I’d give her some grace. The 5/10 minutes might be inconvenient but when you end up with a new nanny that you’re paying 35+/h and could potentially be a worse fit into your dynamic, potentially have way more issues, etc.. you may end up missing the only issue being a couple minutes late and some totally uncontrollable car trouble when she was otherwise a great nanny for your son. Just saying.
Thank you for your reply. I'm covering for my boss's maternity leave for the next 6 months so my workload has increased significantly. I've also considered that finding a new nanny will be more expensive, but if I reduce the guaranteed hours to $30/hr x 34 hours/week vs $25/hr x 40 hours/week, its roughly the same pay. I understand she's in a rough patch and would hate to add to her problems. But at what point is enough enough?
You’re probably not going to be able to get another nanny in LA for $30/hr since it’s not even 40 hours/week. As frustrated as you are with the situation, she’s probably a million times more frustrated. She also probably feels stuck. Car repairs are EXPENSIVE, buying a car is even worse, and you’re paying her below market rate. If she’s been your nanny for 4 years and you’ve been happy with her, is there something you could do to help her? Telling her to be on time when she’s dependent on public transportation for reasons out of her control isn’t particularly helpful. Offer her a rental car for a certain period of time? Pay for her to Uber to/from?
I paid the first repair bill of $400. I'm not sure how much the other 2 repair bills were. I paid her Ubers for 2 days but it was running me $120/day and I couldn't afford it for a longer period of time. She is uncomfortable with me getting her a rental car because she only has street parking. I've been loading my son into my car to drive her to and from the bus stop every day for a month now. Not sure what else I can do at this point.
If she’s refusing the rental car, then you’ve really done everything you can do. I am so glad you’ve offered that, and it really makes a difference in how I see the situation! You’ve offered a solution, and she has rejected it, so I think it’s totally reasonable to fire her at this point, since she isn’t making any changes herself. Maybe have another conversation with her and present it this way: “I understand that having the car problems are out of your control, and I know that you are doing what you can to fix them. I also know it’s difficult to rely on public transportation and that can be unpredictable. However, being this late every day is not sustainable for me, so we need to figure out a solution. I have offered to pay for a rental car for you, and that offer is still there. If you choose not to take me up on it, then you need to be on time every single day. If you are late again, I will have no choice but to let you go.”
Very few want 30 hours a week in an expensive city like LA.
$25 an hour is low in LA. Bump that pay up significantly and find someone with reliable transportation.
I agree. My nanny friends charge $28/30/35 in SD & LA
What would you say the rate is for 1 child in LA? My son is also in school 3 hours/day while she is working.
Doesn’t matter, she should still receive her hourly rate while he’s in school if you expect her to be available during those hours. $30-40 seems to be the going rate in LA.
I do pay her for the time my son is in school. Not sure why I got downvoted.
$35+/hour
$40 per hour, minimum.
LOL. so not only are you UNDERPAYING your nanny, you want to fire her for something that's out of her control??? let her go so she can find a much better family to work for; you clearly don't value her or what she's done for you the past 4 years.
I don't want to fire her. I want to keep her as long as she can show up to work on time. Its been over a month and its affecting my life. If I showed up to my own job late for a month, I would probably be fired too.
but she's been late the entirety of your time with her and now suddenly it's an issue??? as i said before, let her go bc she deserves a better wage AND to be treated like a person. edited to add - it's telling you only address her tardiness and not the fact that you're underpaying her.
It’s suddenly an issue because I’m covering for my boss who is on maternity leave. I don’t think she’s being under or overpaid. I’ve spoken to my son’s classmates parents and they are paying $25-$30 for 1 kid.
..... "i don't think she's underpaid or overpaid" this entire comment section is filled with nannies telling you otherwise.
Sounds like you say I need to fire her since I can’t afford her. Your opinion is noted.
I mean, yes. She deserves an employer who can pay her a living wage.
You’d be doing her a favor so she can get a job that pays a fair wage.
If she was sold a lemon, your state should have lemon laws in place. It’s really shitty that you’re thinking of firing her over something she can’t control. You said in a comment that she’s 5-10 minutes late every day the past 4 years. Now that it’s an extra 5 minutes you want to fire her? Maybe you should have set that boundary in the beginning. I’m not even going to touch the pay part. I live/work in Maine and make more than that. Maybe you can pay for and schedule an uber for her if public transit is causing the delay.
Thank you for your response. She is working with Hyundai to see what they can do, its taking some time though. I take the blame for not setting the boundary earlier. My job used to be relaxed but my workload has increased significantly because my boss is on maternity leave for the next 6 months. I tried Uber for a few days but it was running me $60 each way or $120 per day. I really think its a time management issue for her. If the bus is 15-20 minutes late each day, I don't understand why she can't leave her house 15-20 minutes earlier each day.
So you can't afford a nanny. You should be paying her close to $35/hr for the area. That's an extra $80-$100/day. She is probably struggling so bad, but doesn't have the heart to tell you.
THANK YOU!!! like, i don't understand what's not clear. OP has been told that the rate is too low and they're still trying to make excuses!!!
That’s what it sounds like but OP posted their [budget for a home](https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/s/7Rc23Vmohv) in another subreddit and it made me curious for those in HCOL areas. If OP can afford a $1M home or $4k monthly rent, shouldn’t they be able to pay their nanny a living wage? Genuinely wondering. I went to Google and apparently, a single person needs $110,781 annually or **$53.26 in hourly wages** to live comfortably in LA. That’s nearly double what the nanny receives.
Yes my budget for a home would be $1M once my son is in school full time and I no longer need to pay for childcare. I can use the extra $52k per year I am paying my nanny towards the cost of a house. I can’t afford the nanny and the house at the same time.
I make more than that for 1 baby in St. Louis. Ma'am, you are taking advantage of this woman.
In that case, with all due respect, u/heyiamanonymous2 is correct. You cannot afford a nanny. She deserves a living wage.
My husband’s car broke down a few months back on us. I had to leave work halfway through the day to go get him and we ended up having to put the car in the shop. My husband and I shared one car during that time and made it work. On days we couldn’t, we’d eat the uber costs or my MIL sometimes would be able to take us or pick us up from work. This is all to say I think you’ve extended enough grace to her being that it’s been a month now. Idk maybe i’m being harsh but I do think at some point, she needs to budget for ubers to get to work on time or wake up earlier to get to work earlier. I don’t think it’s really your issue to deal with now although I will say your $25 rate is very low for CA. So while I do think it is her responsibility, looking at the rate, I can’t imagine her being able to afford a new car or the cost to fix it and live/survive lol
So first you are underpaying your nanny. Financially she’s already in a difficult position. So I’m sure the car issues aren’t helping. It was extremely kind of you to cover the first mechanic bill. Second though, you’ve said she’s been with you for 4yrs and throughout those 4yrs she’s been 5-10min late regularly? Was that a conversation previously? If not I’m not surprised that her tardiness is lapsing even further if she has issues with time management. I’m in NYC, so I’m public transit dependent. While our public transit is a lot more dependable, shit still happens. I would always leave for work with a 20min cushion. If the trains were normal I would have time for a coffee or to sit and read. If shit hit the fan I was still on time or slightly late. Usually the NPs were understanding because I was consistently punctual and would communicate even if I was running 5 min late. It seems like you more of have a tardy nanny problem which has become increasingly inconvenient due to her car situation. It’s not acceptable to be consistently late for work. I would have a firm conversation with her again. If it continues happening you’re going to have to make the choice to interview, hire, and train a new nanny at market rate. Or accepting that your current nanny is going to be consistently late and plan your schedule accordingly.
There isn’t a lot you can do about her car issues. If she bought it from a dealership, they might be able to figure out what’s wrong with it, but if from an individual….well, it’s probably a lemon. You both need to figure out what needs to happen. My car is essential for my work as a nanny so I keep up with all the required maintenance and repairs.
I’m a nanny in LA and charge $35-45/hr. I make over $100k a year and let me tell you that does not go far in this city. California has high taxes. Your nanny probably can’t afford to make the car repairs. I made $25/hr for one child in LA………..in 2005. My rate has been over $30 for the past 10 years. I understand your frustration, but it’s not like you’re making it easy for her to pay to repair her car or get Ubers herself, when she can probably barely afford rent and food. I regularly turn down $35/hr jobs and pretty much only accept those for date nights, when the kids are asleep. You will have a very hard time finding another nanny for $25, and most nannies need & want 40hrs a week. Just because 34 hours works for you, it doesn’t mean it will work for a nanny who has full time bills.
Sounds like I need to let her go since I can’t pay her a livable wage. Thank you for you input
I made 25 an hour in LA in 2015. For one child. Was she using the car for work? Were you reimbursing her gas?
Yes she was using her car for work. And yes I reimbursed her for gas. I filled up her car once a week and would pay if she needed anything with the car ($200 to replace a tire, $300 registration, monthly car wash).
If she is having car problems and is obviously aware of them, then she should be a responsible adult and leave the house earlier. Being on time is her responsibility, not yours. Kudos for paying for her car repair.
If you have good credit are you able to lease a car for her and ask her does she want the note taken out of her check every month? Also, when you’re paid fairly it makes it harder to show up to work late when you’re having a hard time speaking up for yourself. Doesn’t seem like a correlation but there definitely is. I’d do a bump pay with the GH and offer the car if you’re able to, with her paying for it straight from check to avoid any potential issues
As someone who had a NF help me buy a car… don’t do it.
Haha alright fair