Nannies, ask for a deposit when you are offered a temporary position!
At this time of year, there are a lot of temporary nanny positions to fill, and also a lot of nannies who have their temporary contracts “cancelled” at the last minute and find themselves without a job even though they had secured one… so our advice today is ask for a deposit when you are offered a temporary position!
Yes, it’s easier said than done, but without a deposit, and of course without a contract which stipulates that the deposit is not refundable in the event of cancellation by the client, there’s always a risk that the family will cancel and you will find yourself without any income when you should have had some.
Most of the time, temporary positions require you to be self-employed, and self-employed means you set your own terms!
Maternity Nurses and Newborn Care Specialists almost always sign temporary contracts and are almost always self-employed, and it’s standard practice for them to request a non-refundable deposit in case of cancellation.
The deposit can be one or two weeks of work or even 50% of the contract.
Some candidates even ask to be paid in full before the start of their Maternity Nurse or Newborn care Specialist contract!
It should be standard practice for all types of temporary nannies (regardless of whether they are employees or self-employed) to require a non-refundable deposit.
Plus, guess what? More and more nanny agencies are asking their clients for a non-refundable deposit before they even start introducing them candidates. Yes, we know, agencies don’t support nannies when they want a deposit to seal a deal, but they ask for deposits for themselves… but the point is, there’s nothing wrong with asking for a deposit! It’s even normal.
Obviously not all families will agree to pay a non-refundable deposit (regardless of whether it is the agency or the nanny who requests it), only serious families will, and it’s actually a great way to find out if the family is serious about their commitment (both for the nanny or the agency asking for the deposit).
It’s true that some families will prefer to choose a nanny who doesn’t require a deposit, but if you do require a deposit, you’ll also be less likely to end up with one of those problem families…
Asking for a deposit won’t prevent families from canceling or changing their minds, but it will protect your back and prevent you from finding yourself without any income when you were expecting one.
It’s up to you to decide how much deposit you want, everyone does as they wish, just remember that people in this industry are not reliable, so don’t hesitate to ask for guarantees since you have every right to do so!
