Getting your Childcare Ready for 2023

It’s a time of year that’s become drilled into our psyche in a similar way to the New Year’s holiday or Australia Day. The back-to-school season is a moment to take stock and get your childcare in 2023 sorted.

What’s reassuring is that there tends to be a meeting of minds at around this time. It’s a safe bet to assume that nannies, childcare agencies and other parents will also have their focus on the same kinds of issues.

So how do you go about employing a nanny in 2023? What nanny payroll services will you need? Take a few moments to read on for all the answers.

Have a Plan!

The sooner you can get the important dates in the diary, the better. Set aside some time to write down all the key dates for 2023 in your schedule. Include:

• Your work pattern and any holiday you’ve booked already
• Public holidays
• Special days when you know there’s going to be a family event or wedding
• Specific regular times you know you’ll need to keep free for other commitments

Once you see the year take shape, you’ll find it easier to understand precisely what support you need. Whether you require a nanny for a few hours on a regular day each week, or more than that, will become clearer.

Remember to build in the commitments others such as grandparents or friends may have. Many older relatives like to get involved in childcare but it’s human nature to want to feel valued. If a member of the family offers to help out, consult them and never assume.

Finding the Right Nanny

If there’s one question that we hear time and again, it’s, “Where do I find childcare in Australia?” Before you start your search consider the qualities that matter to you most.

Important drivers should be qualifications, experience, personality and references. Cost is also key so you might want to consider a live-in au pair as they might ultimately be a less expensive option.

Nothing beats a gut reaction. Make a list of questions that you’d like to put to any nanny you shortlist that will flush out the perfect fit.

It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You Know

Many of us can look back on our careers and realise that the vast majority of jobs we’ve secured came via introductions made by people we know. You should use your own network to reach out for potential nanny suggestions.

Use sites like LinkedIn and the usual social media apps to your advantage. Message other working parents you’ve connected with to see what’s worked for them. Ask for recommendations. Most people like sharing their experiences.

Facebook also offers opportunities to join specific groups aimed at connecting nannies and families. You’ll find a whole load of them covering all the major Australian cities.

Nanny Agencies

Using an agency can give you an extra layer of reassurance that someone else has checked out a nanny’s credentials. PaytheNanny has its favourites. These include:

• Dream Nannies
• The Nanny Collective
• We Need a Nanny
• Nanager
• Little Lovelies

You could also check out sites like gumtree.com.au, the online equivalents of a classified ad magazine for jobs.

All Parties need to Understand the Schedule

Just when you think the hard work is over because you’ve found your ideal nanny, a whole load of new issues arise. Clarity is key. To start with, ask yourself these questions:

• What is your childcare budget?
• How many childcare hours will you need and when do you need them?
• Have you considered what the holiday, sickness costs and overtime will be?
• Have you thought through all the duties you expect your nanny to perform?
• Do you want your nanny to drive and do errands?

Armed with all your important dates from school holidays to a key appointment you cannot miss, sit down with your nanny. In effect, in almost all cases, you will be your nanny’s employer and they will be your employee.

Clearly, your nanny has rights but you call the shots and together you need to be clear about all the issues around time off, overtime, expected duties and pay.

How to Hire a Nanny and the Importance of a Contract

Although the goodwill between you and your nanny counts, you must have a contract. It manages the expectations of both parties, acting as written proof of what you’ve agreed.

Using the government’s Employment Contract Tool is a good place to begin. It lays out some of the guidelines about what needs to go into an employment agreement. You’ll also find a useful template. Here’s a list of some of the key points you’ll need to put in the contract: 

• Your name and the name of your nanny
• The job title and job description
• Details of where your nanny’s place of work will be
• The agreed hours of work or an explanation of working time arrangements
• The salary your nanny will receive and when they will get paid
• Agreement for extra pay or time off in lieu for working on a public holiday
• An agreement your nanny will work on a public holiday if this is a requirement

You also need to include a clause about how the process would work if there’s a problem in the employment relationship with your nanny.

You should include a clause about what happens if you have to cancel or cut short a working day. For example, if you decide you don’t need your nanny on a working day but forget to tell them before they’re due to start work, you will typically have to pay them as if they had worked that particular day.

Paythenanny can also offer our customers a range of contract templates. These allow you to draw up a proper document between you and your nanny.

Staying Compliant

One of the key surprises, if you’re employing a nanny in 2023, might be the amount of admin involved. It’s not that nannies are by nature more demanding, it’s simply that you have to adhere to the rules around employment.

Nannies come under the Miscellaneous Award as laid out by the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO). There are a few factors that are going to have an impact on the amount you should pay your nanny. These concern:

• The age of your nanny
• Your nanny’s experience
• How long your nanny may have already worked for you
• Whether your nanny is full or part-time

Gather up All Tax-related Documents

Once you’ve made an agreement about the conditions of employment, and signed a contract, you must ensure you are meeting your legal requirements with the Australian Tax Office (ATO).

To make sure that you pay the right tax deductions, you’ll need to collect together these documents from your nanny:

• Tax File Number Declaration
• Superannuation information about your Nanny
• The bank account details of both parties
• All other useful information

As well as this, you must ensure you are filing the required returns with the ATO every month. The ATO has some guidelines you may find helpful about what you need to do when you become an employer.

All employees are eligible for Super regardless of whether they’re part-time or temporary residents. Employees have a legal obligation to make the minimum Super contributions.

Organise Workers' Compensation Insurance

Ensuring you have workers' compensation is a legal requirement for any employer. It's a kind of insurance payment that pays out financial support if someone gets injured at work or becomes ill due to their work.

It can include payments to cover your nanny’s salary while they can’t work, payments for medical costs and rehabilitation expenses.

Workers' comp gets managed by the regulator in each state or territory. For more information, we'd recommend going to the relevant website below:

•        Australian Capital Territory - WorkSafe ACT
•        New South Wales - State Insurance Regulatory Authority (NSW)
•        Northern Territory - NT WorkSafe
•        Norfolk Island - Norfolk Island Workers Compensation Agency
•        Queensland - WorkCover Queensland
•        South Australia - ReturnToWork SA
•        Tasmania - WorkCover Tasmania
•        Victoria - WorkSafe Victoria
•        Western Australia - WorkCover WA

Issuing Payslips

As your nanny’s employer, you’ll also need to meet the legal requirements for your payroll. One of these is to ensure that you give your nanny a payslip for each pay period. This is a key aspect of payroll as it instils confidence in your nanny that you’ve calculated their pay correctly.

If you are having problems with issuing a payslip, or don’t have the software to do this, then do drop us an email and ask us for assistance.

How PaytheNanny Can Help

Understanding how to hire a nanny can be fraught with complexities. Imagine if there was somewhere you could go for all your nanny payroll services. What you need is a low-cost service that can do all the following:

• Pay your nanny on time, deducting taxes
• Issue payslips
• Keep track of your nanny’s time-off
• Sort your nanny’s holiday, Public Holiday and sickness pay
• Take care of Super and Workers’ Comp
• Offer continuous support to both you and your nanny

PaytheNanny ticks all those boxes. Engaging our services is a small price to pay for the precious time it will save you and the peace of mind it’s going to give you.

Get in touch with us today and find out how we can help get all your nanny payroll issues resolved. That’s childcare in 2023 sorted!