Kids look forward to having a break from attending school, but for parents and nannies this can sometimes pose a bit of a challenge. Nannies can alleviate the boredom that kids sometimes face during school breaks. Whether the school holiday is a week or two months, the breaks need to be planned for ahead of time. Here are some tips for planning for school breaks so it is fun for both the parents and the kids. 

The tax year 2018 audit stats are out and the IRS has revealed that fewer taxpayers were selected for audits than in prior years. That doesn’t really matter though if you are one of the unlucky few! Also, things like not paying household employment taxes increase your risk of an audit. Let’s take a look at some numbers and strategies everyone can use.

If you have decided to hire a household employee, you may be researching the details involved. One of the most important things you will have to do is negotiate a fair wage and understand the taxes and benefits involved with adding someone to the payroll each month. Here are some tips on how to negotiate pay rates and benefits.

You’ve hired a household employee and now it is time to hammer out the details about the work arrangement. You can talk about the details first, but it is important to let that just be the beginning of it. Everything that you have discussed should be solidified in a written work agreement. This makes things simpler in the event that any question or confusion arises later down the road during your employee’s time working for you. Here are some tips on why the details in a written work agreement are important to have.

When does a nanny need to drive the children? Many families who hire a nanny need the nanny to provide some basic transportation for the children. This can be the regular drop off and pick up from morning preschool, transportation to and from sports practice, religious education classes, or other scheduled activities. It can also be the occasional trip to the doctors or orthodontics appointments, or occasional transportation to a classmates birthday party. Whether the nanny needs to drive the children routinely or simply upon occasion, there are important  considerations for all parties.

If you employ someone to work in your home such as a nanny or a housekeeper, they are your employee and you are required to treat them as such. As an employer, you are legally required to ensure that their workplace is safe. Unfortunately, accidents happen sometimes, and you will need to be prepared. Having a worker’s compensation policy in place will ensure that your employee will be compensated for any medical care that is needed, including rehabilitation and/or lost wages due to an injury or medical procedure that happened while they were on the job. In addition, your worker’s compensation insurance will help protect you from lawsuits that could happen as a result of an accident at the workplace. Here are some additional reasons that show the importance of worker’s compensation insurance.

Do you have to pay your nanny or senior caregiver overtime? Overtime is a topic that many people are confused about, and we get a lot of questions surrounding it, too. Most  household employees work more than 40-hours a week, a necessity if their employers are going to be free to work their own full time job. Household employees are hourly workers under Federal law, and most caregivers who come and go are entitled to an overtime differential of 1.5 times their regular hourly rate of pay . Even if your employee has agreed to not be paid overtime, you will still need to factor overtime into their weekly rate of pay. Why? It’s the law and you will be held to that standard if there is ever a wage dispute. Here’s an example to help you figure out what is required on your end.

Whether you are a new parent heading back to work and are searching for a new nanny, or you’re already an experienced employer looking to hire a nanny to replace one that has left, working with a qualified nanny agency can save you a lot of time and hassle. Finding the right nanny can be like finding a needle in a haystack, but with the right agency, you can find someone that fits all your family’s specific needs. Here are some helpful tips on how to choose a reputable nanny agency.

Navigating the world as a child can be exciting, confusing, and overwhelming. Growing up is full of all sorts of ups and downs, but when disaster strikes, it can be something that could be life changing for a child. If you are involved in the life of a child that has experienced something disastrous, there are some specific things you can do to help them get through the situation and help them process their emotions in healthy ways. Here are some tips on helping children cope with a disaster.

Now that your filing is done you may have some questions. Here are some common ones and their answers.