One nanny agency founder said wealthy families have been desperate for super-nannies.
Lucy Challenger is the founder and CEO of Polo and Tweed London, a nanny agency. She explained to the Sunday Telegraph, that there was a shortage of au pairs and nannies post Brexit. Wealthy families have been courting their friends’ nannies and promising them extravagant lifestyles in hopes that they will take care of their children.
Perks include, but are not limited to, £70,000 annual salaries, regular spa treatments, luxury cars and holidays abroad – with one family even throwing the lure of an all-expenses paid Chelsea flat into the deal.
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Wealthy parents are offering nannies £70,000 salaries, gym memberships, cars and flats with all expenses paid due to a shortage with child-minders (stock image)
Nannies are increasingly aware of their earning power, with some asking families to fill out formal offers outlining the benefits they’ll receive under their employment, including gym memberships, paid driving lessons and weekends away in the families’ holiday homes.
Challenger stated that parents should offer their nannies generous raises if they want to retain them.
“I was told of a family that stole the nanny of their friend after seeing how great she was at a party. They subtly got hold of her number and offered her a £70,000 salary and a Range Rover as a signing bonus,’ Challenger said.
Some parents have reportedly staged meet-ups with their friends’ nannies to poach them too, offering up to £25,000 pay increase and cars.
A woman who was a friend of her nanny became her cry buddy and wooed the other.
Challenger suggested that parents should raise their nannies to ensure they are happy.
Lucy Challenger (pictured) said that parents should raise their nannies if they want to retain them
‘You’ve got to be a really nice person to work for – there’s never been a better time to be a professional nanny,’ she said.
Brexit and the pandemic have decreased the number of UK-based foreign nannies, many of whom are returning. home at the start of 2020, and staying there.
Childcare.co.uk’s research has shown that there is now 20% less nanny job seekers in the UK, while searches are increasing by 30%.
Richard Conway is the founder of Childcare.Families are offering incentives like cars and regular spa treatment, as well as foreign holiday.
Due to EU Settlement Scheme pre-settled status, only European au-pairs can work in the UK after Brexit or with Youth Mobility visas if they are coming from Australia and New Zealand.
This has led to bidding wars between families hoping to snatch a au-pair, with 18 to 19-year-olds without any childcare experience earning £350 per week, as well as incentives like gym memberships, retail vouchers and other perks.
Parents are tempting their schoolteachers to accept more money in return for less work.
Nanny salaries have shot up by 20 per cent in the past year, according to Nannytax.co.uk, with the most experienced now earning £100,000, according to Natasha Earl, director of upmarket nanny agency Burlington Nannies (burlingtonnannies.com).
Research by Nannytax.co.uk found that nanny salaries rose by 20 per cent in the past year, and the most experienced nannies can expect a whopping £100,000 a year.
Meanwhile, the average teacher’s salary for London lies between £26,948 to £50,935.
Challenger pointed out that being a part of a well-off family can bring with it its challenges: limited time off, flexible hours, and high expectations.
These are the reasons she believes a large exodus from teaching and nannying to super wealthy people is not likely.
Even though wealthy parents are able to pay more for nanny services, those with lower incomes struggle to get affordable childcare.
According to one mother, she works for the NHS as a neurologist and is now unable to find nanny work. She has to rely upon students to look after her children while she is away from work.
Additionally, many NHS workers had to be cut in hours due to the high cost of childcare. This is a difficult time for the NHS which already has a shortage of personnel.
But the bidding war also reached university students, one agency director stating that she has witnessed arguments between parents who offer to double the salaries of nannies.