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 Summer Edition, 2010 |
| A Message From Kathy | |
Spring has been ushered out and summer welcomed in; the lazy days of summer are here...or so I thought! However, as each week holds different activities all their own (and sometimes all over town!), I am finding myself constantly readjusting each week with new pick ups and drop off times for each camp (for each child, in some instances).
One constant which we all appreciate is the support of our precious nanny, Katie. Each night before we turn out the lights for bed, my youngest daughter asks, "Is tomorrow a Katie day?" and her eyes light up and a huge smile widens her sweet little face when I can answer in the affirmative. Our kids have gotten a little older, with my eldest a teenager and now able to help with some more short-term babysitting. Our needs for full-time help have scaled down to part-time, thus a "Katie day" is even more appreciated and eagerly anticipated.
At Mom's Best Friend, we want to make that type connection for you with someone who, even after four years, will bring a big smile and a cry of delight from your child at the mere mention of their name! Whether your needs are temporary, short or long-term, we can find that special person who is the perfect fit for your family - call your MBF placement counselor today!
Sincerely,
Kathy Dupuy, Owner |
| Tax Tips from Breedlove and Associates | |  Q: If I pay my nanny a salary and she works more than 40 hours a week, do I owe her for overtime?
A:If she is a live-out nanny, she is entitled to overtime pay for any hours over 40 in a 7-day workweek. The overtime rate of pay must be at least 1.5 times the regular rate of pay. (Note: Live-in nannies are not entitled to overtime pay but they must be paid for every hour they work).
The time-and-a-half overtime obligation is true whether you pay your nanny on an hourly or a salary basis. It's the occupation - not the type of pay - that determines whether or not an employee is entitled to overtime. (Many families don't think about overtime because they themselves work more than 40 hours per week for a "fixed" salary. This apparent double standard is a result of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which stipulates that some occupations shall have overtime protection - i.e. nannies - while most "highly-compensated" occupations shall not).
Having said that, it's possible to legally address overtime in a salary situation without raising your cost - if your nanny agrees to it in writing. Here's a common example:
The Smiths and their nanny agree to a salary of $500 per week for a 45-hour workweek. Their employment agreement should read:
"The $500/week compensation is based on a 45-hour workweek and is comprised of 40 hours at the regular rate of pay of $10.53/hour plus 5 hours at the overtime rate of pay of $15.79/hour. All hours over 45 in a workweek will be paid at the overtime rate of $15.79/hour."
IMPORTANT NOTES: In order to make this arrangement legal, it must be in writing and it must be signed by your nanny.
There is no statute of limitations on overtime and we've seen a large number of cases in recent years initiated by former nannies. But, don't worry...if you understand the law and address it up front in writing, it's easy to eliminate risk.
To that end, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call us for a free consultation. This has been our specialty since 1992 and we're always happy to help. |
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Summer Sitter Special
Book a week(5 days) of care and get a date night free(up to 6 hours of agency fees)! Good now through August 15th!
Use code: DNS10
Book Now!
Summer Nanny Special |
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Receive $200 off a full-time nanny placement if hired within 30 days of initiating your search! For more information, please email Pamela Dean at pamela.dean@mbfagency.com. |
| Ask the Expert | | |
Q: Should I offer health insurance benefits to my nanny or other household staff? Is this common practice?
A: Yes! At Mom's Best Friend, we seek to provide you with the best advice and most current trends to enable you to make the best hiring decisions! We always advocate that our clients offer health insurance because of the tax advantage to both parties, as well as the peace of mind you receive from caring for your employee and from knowing your employee can get access to the medical coverage they need when they need it.
A 2010 International Nanny Association Survey and Benefits Recap reported that 16.38% of nannies receive insurance paid at 100% and 13.75% receive insurance paid at 50%. While 30% of professional nannies is not a majority, Breedlove & Associates (www.breedlove-online.com), a national tax and payroll firm exclusively for household staff, reports seeing an upward trend in the offering of medical benefits. Perhaps the reason for this trend is greater education of parent employers about the advantages.
Even if you are not in a financial position to cover any of the cost of your employees' insurance, both parties are still better off reducing the salary by the amount of the insurance premium and then paying the full insurance amount because neither party will pay taxes on that deduction. The type of plan chosen and thus the amount of the premium may determine what contribution, if any, is comfortable for your family's budget. Just keep in mind that this stipend is tax free dollars allocated to this expense.
If you have additional questions in this regard, please ask your MBF placement counselor or call Breedlove and Associates at 1-888-BREEDLOVE.
Kathy Dupuy, Owner |
| Organizing Tips From the Clutter Diet | | |
Summerize the house for your kids!
 It's summertime again, and that means for many of you, the kids are out of school and probably underfoot a little more than usual-- in a good way! It's wonderful to spend more time together as a family, but there are challenges that come with the togetherness, usually related to the common areas of the house where people share spaces. Here are some strategies to make things go more smoothly:
First, clear the school paper clutter out as soon as possible. Doing this means the transition from school to summer is really complete! Get closure by recycling and shredding as needed, and be choosy about what artwork you keep. Have the kids participate in this process, especially with the artwork.
If you swim frequently, establish a home for swimming gear like towels, pool toys, club membership cards, etc. that constantly come in and out of the door. Hanging up a row of pegs in the garage or near the back door often solves a lot of dropped towel problems. And in the bathroom, if you need extra towel racks to hang up towels and suits, you can use these clever Hinge-It racks that easily install behind the door.
Anything that is happening frequently, whether it's baseball or just playing outside, needs to have an established system for handling the gear so it isn't a constant problem or mess. Look for the bottlenecks and logjams and focus on solving them now before they drive you crazy!
Make it as easy as possible for children to serve themselves for snacks and drinks. Look at your kitchen from a kid point-of-view and make sure they can easily reach cups and bowls and healthful snacks. Use our drinking glass "parking space" method for corralling the extra cups, and remember that it's not too early for most children to learn to clean up, too. Even kindergartners can put a dirty dish in the dishwasher. Really!
Have some regular routines for your children so they still get a feeling of consistency in their lives. Make some of the routines about running the home, like cleaning and organizing and doing chores, and make some of the routines fun, like a weekly "library day." Chores for the kids might include sweeping the porch, putting shoes and laundry away in their rooms, and emptying the dishwasher in the morning. We have a 26-page Household Systems & Routines workbook that is a bonus item included in our membership program, which helps you go through your home and decide about frequency and ownership of all of the tasks it takes to run everything. This workbook has suggested responsibilities for children in every section (and our members say the process has been GREAT for getting spouses to share more of the workload too!).
Get a grip on the family room with an evening routine. Along with the other routines you'll create, make sure you specifically focus on the family room or game room. There will be more snack mess and game accessory/movie clutter than usual. Make it a policy to clean up from the day's activities before bedtime. You might also want to have a rule that all snacks go on trays-- helps reduce mess and make cleanup faster.
If you're getting ready for an overnight summer camp, make sure you check out my previous post on Organizing Your Happy Campers for some great tips on the packing process.
Overall, loosen your standards for the house and enjoy your kids. As I always say, it's not about being perfect! Good Enough is really good enough. Make exceptions frequently! :)
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| Refer a Senior for a $500 MBF Credit | |
 MBF owners and founders, Kathy and Stuart Dupuy, opened The Collinfield House, their first of two assisted living residential care homes in North Austin. The home is staffed with round the clock care with unparalleled service. There are a few available rooms left for residents who need immediate placement. Assisted Living in Austin is a member of the following organizations: TORCH, TALA and ALPCN. If you refer someone who becomes a resident of Collinfield, Mom's Best Friend will give you a $500 credit toward agency fees. To learn more, visit www.assistedlivinginaustin.com or inquire about openings with Kathy Dupuy at kathy@assistedlivinginaustin.com. |
| MBF Superstars | |
Featured Houston Long-term Nanny: Libbi W.
 Libbi is originally from Galveston and currently attends Texas A&M University where she is studying Elementary Education. Libbi has worked as a nanny for three families with children ranging in ages of 9mn - 6 years. Her references state that she is mature, punctual, loving and warm, very bubbly and very much a leader! One stated "Libbi is extremely patient with the children, and takes time and effort to learn and respond to them in a way that is individually effective." She went on to say "She (Libbi) has a heart of gold and a passion for working with children." Libbi will be a wonderful addition to any family.
Featured Houston Temporary Nanny: Rebecca W.
We are so lucky at MBF to have Rebecca as a caregiver. Rebecca has done extensive training and work with children at every level from in-home personal nanny to government training with special needs families. She is trained as a compassionate leader in the field of nurturing and fostering growth for children in an environment of acceptance and care. She has a Master's Degree from the University of Houston with an emphasis in Children and Family Services. Rebecca's references say that there is not a more seasoned or experienced childcare specialist. Rebecca has made child welfare her life. She absolutely loves children and her references vouche for that on every level. They say she was compassionate, caring, and extremely reliable. "She will be the most caring, helping hand that any family could have...there is no limit to what Rebecca will do to help!"
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| What Clients are Saying | |
"I was thrilled when I opened up the door to meet the temporary nanny Mom's Best Friend had arranged for me on very short notice. Several weeks earlier, I had seen a nanny at the park interacting with a child under her care and thought 'If I didn't have my wonderful nanny, I would like to have that woman work for us.' I left the park not knowing who she was. But when I opened the door to meet the nanny Mom's Best Friend matched with me, it was the same woman. She took fantastic care of my son for the few days we needed help. My son absolutely loved her!" --Lori W., Sitter Service Client |
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