What's the Difference Between a Nanny and a Babysitter?

There’s a big pot of terms we can draw from to describe those who take care of our kids. Although they may appear synonymous, if you dig a little bit, you’ll soon discover how and why they have very different meanings and implications.

The reason this matters is that employment law and the way you pay childminders play into the titles we assign them. Read on to find out the differences between a nanny and a babysitter so that when you’re looking for childcare, all your ducks are in a row.

Scheduling Childcare

When and for how long you need someone to care for your kids are probably the 2 most obvious dependencies that will flag up the differences between a nanny and a babysitter.

Families hire nannies to look after their kids for regular hours in their own homes. Most nannies will work during the day either on a part- or full-time basis. They’ll expect to have some form of roster that clearly displays the hours and days of the week you expect them to work.

There tends to be a regularity to a nanny’s hours with an expectation that specific tasks outlined in an employment contract get completed. Notice periods, nanny payroll and benefits come with the territory.

Babysitters, on the other hand, work on an ad hoc basis for a specific number of hours, typically in the evening. It’s a less formal relationship, partly because a babysitter will be able to choose if they want to work at all. Saying “no” to a shift is perfectly acceptable. This is an important feature that clearly distinguishes a babysitter from a nanny.

Childcare Expectations

In a sense, nannies act as “stand-in” parents for busy working families. They tend to have a broad brush of responsibility that can include:

• Getting the kids ready for school
• Making packed meals
• Support with reading, writing or learning
• Driving them to and picking them up from activities and events
• Time for play

Most parents will expect their nannies to play a significant part in their child’s overall development. They are likely to manage their performance over time to ensure their nannies meet their expectations. All this typically ends up creating a strong bond between the nanny, the family and especially with the kids.

A babysitter’s responsibilities tend to be far for limited. They may simply act as supervisors whilst parents are out rather than having to take a proactive approach to childcare. Ensuring children are safe, secure and relaxed may be the limit to their remit.

Expectations are lower than those for a nanny. Babysitters are often teenagers or young adults with little experience in childcare. They may have a relationship with friends or family and have no responsibility for any more than a few hours of childminding on an ad hoc basis.

Qualifications and Experience

Training and experience are also likely to shine a light on the differences between a nanny and a babysitter.

Nannies will typically have a background in looking after children often as part of their chosen career. They may also have specific childcare qualifications related to child development. These factors can play into how much you will have to pay your nanny.

Babysitters may have no formal training in childcare. Parents will expect them to be sufficiently mature to understand the basics of health and safety. The responsibility of most babysitters does not tend to go much further than that.

Payroll and Employee’s Rights

And here’s the rub. The key difference between a nanny and a babysitter will be the way you pay them. In almost all cases the relationship you will have with your nanny will be as the employer of an employee.

Trust your instincts. If it feels like you’re the boss and if your nanny is working regular hours every week, then you’ll have to pay them as you would any other employee. That means sorting out your nanny payroll and hourly rate by:

• Providing payslips
• Managing sick pay and leave as well as work done on public holidays
• Ensuring you deduct the correct taxes
• Adhering to all official insurance requirements

Babysitters tend to get a lower overall rate because they have less experience and fewer responsibilities. It will be up to a babysitter to manage any tax obligations they may have.

Occasionally, a nanny may undertake babysitting duties on top of their regular nanny hours. Your relationship would still technically be that of an employer/employee, meaning that you should pay them through the nanny payroll system you’ve set up.

Treating Your Nanny as an Employee

Entrusting those you hold most precious to a nanny takes an enormous leap of faith. Your relationship with your nanny is fundamentally a professional one and as such needs nurturing so that both sides get maximum benefit and satisfaction.

This can break down to making it clear that, as their employer, you value your nanny and the vital work that they do. If you’re considering taking on a nanny you should sit down and create a job description outlining the tasks you expect of them.

You need to nail down how you intend to pay them, taking into account all your legal obligations. In the current market, employee retention is one of the key issues for employers.

If a nanny thinks you’re not taking their pay and conditions seriously enough, they’ll move on. There will be plenty of other families willing to take them on and who’ll ensure all the T’s get crossed and I’s dotted.

Get Your Nanny Payroll Sorted Today!

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We know how overwhelming nanny payroll can feel, particularly for busy parents. Sign up with Pay The Nanny today and let us take care of ensuring you adhere to all your nanny payroll obligations.