This article has been written for the Koru Kids Nanny Service for families.
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How it works
We ask families to commit to regular, weekly hours during term time so that our nannies aren't on zero-hour contracts. Most Koru Kids contracts include a minimum of 9 hours a week, on average, during school term time. This gives our nannies income security, improves job satisfaction and helps to build longer-lasting relationships.
For contracts that are for term time only, minimum hours won't apply during:
school holidays
bank holidays
times when your nanny is sick or on holiday. As long as your nanny logs their leave on their timesheet, we'll automatically waive minimum hours during their absence.
We calculate minimum hours across the month, not week by week. So if your nanny works 5 hours one week and 13 hours the next, you'd still be meeting your minimum.
You can always see where you're at with minimum hours by checking the counter in your app.
What if I don't need that many hours of childcare?
Before you start working with a nanny
If you need less than 9 hours/week of childcare on average, we can still help. You’ll need to offer at least 3 hours/week and pay an additional £1.00/hour surcharge. We don’t charge a large upfront finders fee so the surcharge helps us give you and your nanny the support you need throughout your arrangement.
After you start working with a nanny
If you feel like you need less childcare after you've started working with a nanny, that's okay too, as long as you and your nanny agree on their reduced hours. Please also let us know so that we can make sure you’re not billed for any extra hours and add the £1.00/hour surcharge - it won’t happen automatically.
How does it work in practice?
Normally, a month's worth of work starts on the 1st and ends on the 30th/31st of each month. Our pay cycles work a little differently. Each month's work starts on the 26th and ends on the 25th of the following month.
What happens from the 26th of each month
26th of the month: we'll remind you to approve any outstanding shifts. On our end, we'll check if your nanny took any time off, if there were any bank/school holidays and/or if your nanny worked less than the minimum hours in your contract. If any of these have happened, we'll adjust your invoice accordingly.
27th of the month: review your draft invoice. If you see anything that doesn't look right, let us know - we'll be happy to review this with you.
End of the month (30th/31st): review your final invoice.
The standard term dates for the 2024/2025 academic year are:
Autumn term:
Starts 2nd September 2024
October half term 28th October - 1st November 2024
Ends 20th December 2024
Spring term:
Starts 6th January 2025
February half term 17th - 21st February 2025
Ends 4th April 2025
Summer term:
Starts 22nd April 2025
May half term 26th - 30th May 2025
Ends 22nd July 2025
What if I have different term dates?
If your term dates are different from the standard UK dates shown above, please don't worry about it! When you receive your invoice estimate on the 27th of the month, if you have a minimum hour top-up on your invoice, you will see a link that allows you to input your child's term dates. The great thing is, is that you will be able to input the dates for the rest of the school year to save you having to keep updating this each term! You can have peace of mind that your term dates and minimum hours are accurate.
What if my nanny is unable to work?
Sometimes nannies are sick or on holiday and can't work their minimum hours in a month. When this happens, they can let us know by logging leave on their timesheet. We'll adjust your invoice to reflect this. You'll also be able to check this before your final invoice is issued.
What if my nanny and I have agreed on a different working arrangement?
If you and your nanny have come up with a different working arrangement to what we've explained above, please don't hesitate to get in touch if you're unsure how it'll work out or if you've got any questions. We're happy to talk this through with you and support you in any way we can.
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