While Koru Kids nannies aren't able to provide regular overnight care, they are able to provide occasional, ad-hoc overnight care on top of their normal contracted hours. This might be once or twice a term, when normal overnight childcare isn't available.
Payment for Overnight Care
We normally recommend that nannies log hours worked up to 10pm, and after 6am, via their timesheet, and are paid at their normal hourly rate for that time. This is based on the assumption that any children will (hopefully!) be asleep between those times.
Between 10pm and 6am (the 'overnight period'), we recommend payment at 50% of the nanny's normal hourly rate, per hour. This will cover any time that the nanny gets up in the night to help your child(ren).
e.g. if your nanny works an overnight shift from 5pm-8am, and you normally pay £20 per hour, we'd recommend that you pay:
5pm - 10pm - £20 x 5 hours = £100
10pm - 6am = £10 x 8 hours = £80
6am - 8am = £20 x 2 hours = £40
Total: £220
Please note that this includes Koru Kids service fee.
If you and your nanny agree something different regarding payment for overnight care, please get in touch so we can check that our payroll system can accommodate it.
You'll need to contact us any time your nanny provides overnight care, so we can ensure your invoice, and their pay, are correct.
Things to Consider
You'll need to ensure your nanny has access to a private bedroom space when providing overnight care, separate to your child(ren)'s bedrooms. Your nanny should also have access to bathroom and kitchen facilities.
You'll need to amend your existing risk assessment to take overnight work into account.
If your nanny works a high number of hours each week for your family, you legally need to ensure they have chance to rest between shifts.
The Legal Bits
The law distinguishes between 'waking nights', where nannies are expected to be awake and available all night, and 'sleeping nights', where the nanny can rest (sleep) unless they are needed. The guidance above applies to 'sleeping nights.'
Legally, your nanny is entitled to payment at least the National Minimum Wage for periods when they are 'awake for the purpose of working.' The above suggested structure ensures that even if your nanny is awake and working for up to half of the overnight period, they'll still receive (at least) their standard hourly rate for that time (which always exceeds the National Minimum Wage).
In reality, they will likely be ‘awake for the purpose of working’ for less than this, in which case they will be paid a higher hourly rate for each hour they are awake. This reflects the higher hourly rate typically paid for overnight care.
If your nanny is awake for more than 50% of the overnight period, or you want your nanny to stay awake all night, they will be entitled to higher payment - please contact us if this is the case.