| Perfect Match Nannies, Inc. P.O. Box 1407 Janesville, WI 53547 office: (608) 728-3660 fax: (608) 883-2660 info@perfectmatchnannies.com |
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Candidate FAQs
Do I have to pay a fee to use Perfect Match Nannies placement service?No. There is never a charge for potential placements to use our service. In fact, ALL of our trainings, support group access, educational materials and other benefits of being placed by Perfect Match Nannies is 100% free of charge to you. [top] How much can I expect to earn as a household employee?Please visit our Career Descriptions page for Wisconsin wage suggestions. If you reside outside of Wisconsin, Perfect Match Nannies will suggest typical rates for your specific area, as some metropolitan areas differ greatly from a state or regional average. For a general overview of state-by-state household employment wage we suggest the following two resources:
Why use Perfect Match Nannies?» Please see our testimonials for great reasons to choose Perfect Match Nannies! Ms. Weber, the founder of Perfect Match Nannies, has built the company based on each and every live and learn she has experienced throughout her many years in the nanny/home manager industry working for a wide spectrum of family types, as well as her additional years in the overall childcare industry. She has researched and networked extensively with many of the pillars of the household employment business as well as with countless families and other in-home childcare professionals located both near and far. She has worked tirelessly to bring both candidates and families the absolute best information, resources, the extensive benefits of working with Perfect Match Nannies, legal references, educational materials, professional industry items, and training offerings to make the placement process, as well as the working experience, as easy as it possibly can be for all parties involved. We pride ourselves in being able to answer or find the answer to any and all of your household employment needs. [top] Perfect Match Nannies requires at least a one year commitment from it's candidates (exception doulas) for full-time, long term positions. Why?Children need consistency in their lives. When a candidate is a job hopper, no one benefits. This is why your job history is something that is very much factored into the screening process. Families who are placed with an excellent match for them have been known to employ the same person for 2.5 to 10+ years! [top] In what areas does Perfect Match Nannies place candidates?We provide our full placement services to 26 states in the USA: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. One of the many features of our agency that sets us apart from the pack is a requirement that we meet in-person with each and every family that we work with. We feel that meeting with each family is an absolute must to get to know them, talk over their questions, and learn a bit about the surroundings that our placement will be in. We want to personally know what the working conditions and environment will be like for our placements. We also meet in-person with candidates who are located within a two-hour commute of Janesville, WI. If the candidate resides outside of this area, we secure all information through detailed and in-depth paper trails, reference/background screening and phone interviewing. We generally seek out candidates local to the area that the position is in, unless otherwise requested by the family. We ask that all potential candidates check the Employment Postings to see if there is anything they are interested in prior to submitting an application for consideration (which saves you and us time). That page is updated immediately as positions come and go. [top] If I register with Perfect Match Nannies, how long until I am placed with a family?This is contingent on many factors. Our family matching process is very in-depth. We will not send you on an interview with a family who does not match who you are as a candidate, or your salary, hour, or other types of requirements. It also depends on what type of position you are seeking, what your availability is, when you can start, your educational level, your experience level, and what type of candidate our families are seeking at the time that you are looking for a position. The process could take a few days, a few weeks, or there is a possibility that you will find employment elsewhere before you are placed by us. We do not work exclusively with candidates or families. We wish everyone the best of luck in finding a terrific match, in whatever way is successful for them. If it happens to be through Perfect Match Nannies, we're even happier! [top] What kind of pay and benefits do your families offer?Pay and benefits depend upon your specific:
Typical benefits and perks that may/may not be offered to you in some form at a position, and in most cases are non-taxable are:
Please see the Career Descriptions page for more information on wage information as well as position details. [top] What do you require of your candidates who wish to be placed by Perfect Match Nannies?Our candidates come to us from all walks of life, all geographical locations and possess vastly different experience and educational levels. What they all must have in common is the following:
[top] Since you are so diligent about checking my background, do you also check the families?YES! We DO check families. We have the best interest of the family AND the candidate in mind when talking with these references. Perfect Match Nannies requires at least two verifiable previous caregiver references that have worked in-home with the family, either as sitters or professional employees. If the family is a brand new family with it's first baby, we require at least two verifiable non-relative references. We talk to family references to obtain a birds-eye view of the family and we always learn things that we add to our detailed job descriptions to help the family obtain better candidates suited to their individual needs. We admittedly have had families who we cannot, in good conscience, place after talking to these references. It is a major part of our placement process. [top] Can I live with the family I work for?Yes, this is called a live-in position. This type of position still requires set hours, with fair pay for each hour worked, as well as a signed work agreement with the family, as all live-out positions do. The only difference is in the dynamic of living at the place you are employed. Perfect Match Nannies advises families not to cut pay for a live-in candidate, but this does happen in some instances, despite our efforts. Our belief is that a live-in candidate offers families great benefits that come with the situation, and should be compensated for supplying those benefits. We require all of our families offering a live-in position to provide the candidate their own private living quarters either in the family house or in a guest house on the property (or a similar situation), including a separate bathroom and bedroom exclusively for the employee's use. Some homes provide furnishings, others do not. If a live-in option is something you are thinking about, we can discuss further details with you and go in depth with any questions you may have about this type of situation. Live-in positions tend be be a bit more rare in this geographical location. [top] I've found other positions on my own in the past. Why should I use Perfect Match Nannies?families do not search for candidates without an agency's help. They save time, stress, receive all of the tools necessary for hiring a household employee, and have a hand to hold in the process. Families also protect their privacy by using Perfect Match Nannies. You get the peace of mind, knowing that the family you are placed with will go through reference checks. You know that the family you are placed with has been an integral part of choosing what candidates come to them, actually working with Perfect Match Nannies to formulate an individual 'family values, needs & requirement criteria' that will be used by our agency to select potential interviews for you to go on. We will not waste your time by sending you to families who you do not match with. You are given the benefit of attending free training, sponsored by Perfect Match Nannies, on varying diverse issues related to childcare and the profession if placed with a family by us. You are introduced to the absolute best publications in the industry. You will also receive a professional industry related organization membership, sponsored by Perfect Match Nannies, after you have been with your employer for 6 months. You will receive a full portfolio packed with information to assist in making educated, wise decisions in your hiring choice, and that will walk you through the first steps of being placed with a family and beyond. You will automatically become a member of an exclusive support group and network of Perfect Match Nannies placements, which is fantastic for play dates, social groups, and other types of activities. You know that we will be there for you throughout your entire employment, and that we are available to assist you with anything during that time. You are not alone trying to figure out issues that you are unsure about. You will know that you are in no danger of tax penalties and are completely educated on the subject of household employment laws, as Perfect Match Nannies will only work with families & candidates who wish to pay, what the IRS calls, Nanny Taxes. We offer that “personal touch.” You can feel confident that our agency knows you, as Perfect Match Nannies will only work with candidates who we have extensively talked with and interviewed. [top] Nanny Taxes? My brother-in-law doesn't pay taxes for their nanny!?Nannies, parent helpers, home managers, birth doulas, postpartum doulas, and governesses are all considered household employees by the IRS. If an employee earns over $1600 (2008 wage test) from one family in a one-year time period, you need to report wages to the IRS. You are NOT an independent contractor. It is ILLEGAL for you and your employer to not pay household employment taxes. The employer can generally expect to pay taxes that amount to 9-11% of their employee's gross pay, and the employee can usually expect to pay in 15-20% of their gross wages. Most employers 'get caught' when sooner or later their employee will need to supplement between jobs at some point, and will file the paperwork for unemployment benefits and write the employer's name that did NOT pay in the taxes. If an employer is “caught,” the employer is responsible for BOTH their portion of back taxes AND the employee’s portion, plus IRS penalties. Recent cases in 2007 have employers owing over $50,000 in back taxes to their employee’s who blew the whistle in wage and labor disputes. Household employees who do not report have no verification of employment for house, car or even cell phone purchases, input nothing into their Social Security, and are affected concerning unemployment benefits. Also… Let’s say you are injured during working hours and require an ER visit or hospitalization- if you are not reporting taxes, workers’ compensation will not cover this and then you really DO have a mess with liability and a potential lawsuit (this, as well, has occurred in 2007 involving household employment). Independent Contractor (as defined by the IRS): The general rule is that an individual is an independent contractor if (the person for whom the services are performed) has the right to control or direct only the result of the work, and not what will be done and how it will be done or method of accomplishing the result. The best information on this topic, as well as 3 different tax calculators, can be found at: www.4nannytaxes.com/faq/index.cfm There are major payroll companies that handle these tax issues that are fantastic to work with. They make the process as simple as possible for both families as well as employees. Also, please be aware that families who pay their employees “under the table” are not entitled to tax breaks/childcare credits at the end of the year on tax returns. [top] What if for some reason I don't get along with the family I'm placed with? Will you help me find another family?Yes- if it is for a valid reason that is truly unrepairable. We make every attempt possible to keep this from happening, but as much as we try to be-- we are not fortune tellers and can't anticipate what may happen at any point in an employer/employee relationship. From experience, we can tell you that most troublesome situations can be solved by open communication between the employer and employee. If you are experiencing a situation that feels less than desirable, we urge you to talk to your employers about what is happening. Change or compromise can usually be made to continue a good relationship. If you don't feel comfortable talking to your employers about what is happening, we urge you to contact us immediately and we will discuss with you any options that we see that may correct your issues. [top] Is household cleaning part of a placements' job description?In most cases, no. Daily cleaning tasks that a childcare provider may be responsible for are generally child-related only, such as closet organization, child laundry/clothing care, toy cleaning/maintenance, kitchen tidying, child-related messes, child room tidying, etc. Cleaning parent bedrooms, doing parent laundry, cleaning bathrooms, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, washing windows, etc., on a regular basis are NOT duties that are generally done by an in-home childcare employee, as these activities take away time that the employee spends with the children or planning for child-related activities. Many families ask why these tasks cannot easily be completed during the child’s nap/quiet time. Most nannies/household employees work for 9-11 hours each day without any other adult interaction/very little down time, with a majority of employees working hours that are not compatible to conducting business outside of these hours. During nap/quiet time it is suggested that a family allow the employee to make some tea for herself/eat lunch, make personal/business phone calls, use a computer to check email and to also encourage the employee to do child-related activity planning and research during this time. Also, home cleaning services in this area generally cost $20-$35/hour, and an employee will expect this type of compensation for doing these types of cleaning tasks. We find there is a direct link between an employee being allowed to have a bit of down time each day to recharge batteries and how long the employee stays happily employed with a family, and encourage our families to set realistic expectations of their employee and their time management each day. [top] How is daily transportation of the children handled when a household employee is hired?There are two options regarding transportation related to the children during employee working hours. The first: Employee drives his/her personal vehicle during working hours. If this option is chosen by the employer, the employee needs to ensure that they have the additional insurance coverage on their vehicle necessary to drive their vehicle during work hours transporting children who are not their own. Rates for this additional rider vary from insurance company to insurance company and this additional rider is something that needs to be reimbursed to the employee in a non-taxable separate check weekly or monthly. The law considers an employer to be liable for an injury caused by an employee while doing their work (vicarious liability). The family’s auto insurance does not cover this, since the nanny is not a family member and the family, in most cases, will be held liable if an accident were to occur and the nanny did not have the additional insurance added to her personal auto plan. If the employee is driving her own vehicle during working hours, the employer also needs to compensate them at the current federal amount for mileage reimbursement (non-taxable and generally changes every January 1st). The amount, as of January 1st, 2008 is $0.505/mile. This reimbursement is to be paid for all miles driven during working hours. The second option: Employer provides a "nanny vehicle," that is available for the employee to drive during all working hours. Again, insurance coverage varies from carrier to carrier. The employer needs to check with both their homeowner’s policy as well as their vehicle insurance policies to ensure that the employee/employer is fully protected under the family’s insurance coverage. [top] Does an in-home childcare employee need to be paid 52 weeks per year, even when they are not needed or the family goes on vacation? How about the time when the children are out of the home, napping, or at school?Yes, yes, and yes. We require all of the families we work with to compensate their employee at their normal agreed weekly base pay, 52 weeks per year. It is not fair that a family wishes to utilize their personal vacation time from their own places of employment (paid), but wishes for their nanny to take that time, unpaid, when they don’t require her services. Forcing the nanny to use her PTO written into the nanny/family agreement is also not acceptable. What if her PTO is gone for the year when this occurs? It is also unrealistic to require the nanny to "make-up" this time so that she can obtain lost pay for those hours. Most nannies begin to look for other employment if the above occurs. During family vacation time when nanny services are not needed, some families may require the nanny to come to the home to do pet sitting, mail pick-up, closet organization, errands, child-related room design, advance meal preparation/freezing, child-related shopping, project research, etc. Other families will set up their PTO with their employee to occur at the same time as family vacations already scheduled where the nanny is not needed. Example: Family offers 3 weeks PTO for their employee; two weeks are family’s choice, one week is the nanny’s choice. A household employee is also required, by The Fair Labor Standards Act, to be compensated for all hours worked. Hours worked include the following:
In general, hours worked includes all time that the employee is required to be at the employer's home and all time that the employee is required to be 'on call' in the course of his/her duties. [top] What is a nanny/family work agreement? Does Perfect Match Nannies provide one?A nanny/family work agreement is a comprehensive "first form of communication tool" that we require to be in our office, prior to the employee’s first day of employment. The document is negotiated and signed by both parties after a verbal job offer is made to a candidate. The work agreement solidifies placement of a candidate. The work agreement goes over all expectations of the employer and the employee and is designed to head off any confusion/issues down the road regarding the position. This tool creates the beginning to a long and healthy working relationship. Perfect Match Nannies provides an in-depth version of a nanny/family agreement as an example to you that we’ve written based on years of experience and live-and-learns working with both families and nannies. [top] Are household employees entitled to overtime pay? What if a family pays a "salary"?Domestic employees have been covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act since 1974. Employers are required to pay a domestic employee who lives out overtime for all hours over 40 in a 7 day work week. Overtime is one and one-half times the normal hourly rate. Live-in employees must be paid for every hour they work but are not automatically entitled to the overtime differential. Any family wishing to pay "salary" also needs to figure the "salary" at an hourly rate to ensure that all hours are accounted for and that OT is included for anything over 40 hours per week. Because of this issue, we strongly advise against "salaries," as it is far easier for everyone involved if the placement is paid "hourly." [top] Sign me up! How does the placement process work?First, please see our current Employment Postings (and remember to sign up for email updates to alert you when the postings on that page change). If you see an available position that you are interested in and qualified for, please begin by clicking here. [top]
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