By Tanya Jeannet, Rockmybaby
Many clients have questions regarding the differences between a Nanny, Aupair and Babysitter. We have outlined the main differences below, which may enable you to better understand your needs and requirements. To discuss your childcare needs, please don’t hesitate to contact Rockmybaby® on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Babysitter
A babysitter is someone who takes care of your child / children for a few hours on an ad hoc basis i.e. when you are going out for dinner or need to attend an appointment etc.
The main role of a babysitter is to care for your children in your absence, making them feel safe and secure and ensuring all their needs are met. In Switzerland, babysitters generally range from the age of 13 upwards, are paid hourly and hold a first aid certificate. All Rockmybaby® babysitter’s are aged from 18 years onwards.
Cost: Depending on age of babysitter anything from 10CHF/15CHF per hour for a teenage babysitter to 20CHF-30CHF per hour for a more experienced babysitter
Working hours: Flexible, ad hoc hours
By Tanya Jeannet, Rockmybaby
Full-time live –in and live-out nanny salaries range between 3500CHF – 5000CHF per month gross on average depending on experience and qualifications and number of hours worked per month (full time standard hours are 43 hours a week in Zurich for nannies – each canton varies on standard hours too). For live-in nannies, an amount of 990CHF can be deducted from their salaries for food and accommodation. Hourly rates for nannies range between 20CHF-35CHF per hour gross on average, once again depending on experience and qualifications.
On top of the gross salary, the employer has to add his/ her contributions to AHV / AVS as per below, Accident Insurance and BVG (if salary above annual threshold of 21 150CHF). The employer is also responsible for deducting the employee contributions from the monthly gross salary and paying them to the appropriate institutions.
By Tanya Jeannet, Rockmybaby
A question we often get asked is “What is the difference between a Live-in Nanny and an Aupair?” They are indeed very different and suitability for your family really depends on your needs and situation. For a stay at home mom who needs an extra pair of hands or for a family that needs a few hours a week whilst parents work, an Aupair is perfect, For a family that needs more hours and sole independent care of their children, a nanny will be more suitable. Some differences between a nanny and an aupair are listed below.
When you employ a nanny it is important to put put together an employment contract to ensure both you and the nanny are protected legally. In Switzerland, there are Standard Employment Contract regulations for Domestic Staff including nannies. Please bear these in mind when drawing up a contract including minimum salaries.
Below are some key points to include in your nanny contract:
- Full name and addresses of both the employee and employer, contact details
- The start date and whether the contract is open ended or fixed
- The duties and responsibilities required in detail
- Salary and contributions / deductions
- Room and board provision if relevant
- Working hours, overtime etc
- A Confidentiality Clause
- Grievance procedure
- Termination, notice and probation clauses
- Holidays, illness etc
- Contact details to call in an emergency
- Special clauses / agreements
Disclaimer – Rockmybaby ® is not an employment lawyer nor specializes in employment law and strongly suggests seeking advice from a lawyer when drawing up an employment contract.
Guest blogger's Bio
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Tanya is Swiss by Nationality and lives in Zurich with her husband, Russell, and her two little girls.
After having her second baby, and understanding only too well the challenges of working and having children (with no family support as they are all back in South Africa), Tanya is determined to provide a service, through her franchise business, Rockmybaby, that will help make life a little easier for families when it comes to childcare. She strives to help parents feel confident in the care of their children so that they can have some well-deserved time-out’s for themselves.
Over her career, Tanya has worked in corporate environments, providing recruitment services to clients across different industries.
For this blog, I have invited Ruth Maraundy from our UK office to consider some of the most important questions you should ask your nanny.
Having served her apprenticeship in our Swiss office, Ruth now runs the Rockmybaby office in London. As an expatriate, Ruth understands the challenges parents have in finding quality nannies and babysitters. She knows firsthand the feeling of leaving the house, knowing your children have a caring nanny, with the best credentials. Having moved internationally more than once, Ruth understands exactly what it is like to arrive in a country with small children, know no one and have no family to offer help:
1) Tell me why you chose to be a nanny, what brought you into childcare
This is a very important question because you want to make sure that the nanny you hire is nannying your children for the right reasons i.e. she loves children and childcare and not because she just needs to earn some extra money.
2) How would you structure a day for my children, especially on a miserable wet Switzerland day?
Rockmybaby recommends that all parents suggest from the beginning that they want an “active nanny.” It is very important to hire someone who is proactive, a self-starter and someone who seeks out enriching, educational and fun activities. Switzerland is full of amazing and often free activities. This is a very important question to ask and the nanny should be able to answer it without hesitation. Recently during the interview process a Rockmybaby candidate answered this question by saying “Rainy days are the best days! We do arts and crafts, make our own play-doh, create, rehearse and then perform a show for the parents when they come home from work…” Her enthusiasm and positive attitude was so obvious and sincere!
3) How would you soothe a baby who could not stop crying in public or a 3-year old tantruming?
We have all had situations when our children cried uncontrollably (I am remembering a transatlantic flight and my daughter crying uncontrollably, so much so that we went into lavatory to give the other passengers a break from the noise) it is difficult, embarrassing and can make any caregiver feel powerless. It is important to know how a nanny is going to handle this situation. She should discuss the importance of safety at that moment, especially for a tantruming toddler and being certain that the child cannot hurt them or anyone else. Sometimes a child can be soothed and other times they just need to “ride it out,” but as a parent you need to be sure your nanny can handle this type of situation.
4) What would you do to ensure there is a clear communication between us?
It is very important that the nanny and parents have a constant and on-going dialogue. Rockmybaby recommends a daily nanny diary to record meals, naps, activities, mood etc., especially in the beginning. We recommend for the nanny to send photos during the day so the parents can feel connected to their children. Another way to maintain dialogue and contact is a 5-minute weekly meeting to make sure that everyone is aware about what is happening not only with the children but also in each other’s lives.
5) Tell me about your style of behavioral management
It is very important that you and your nanny or babysitter have a “shared strategy,” when it comes to behavioral management. The nanny or babysitter you choose is going to be spending a lot of time with your children and there will be times when she needs to manage your child’s behavior. As the parent it is essential that you are on the same page as the nanny when it comes to behavioral management or you will contradict each other and your children will receive mixed-messages and this is a disservice to everyone involved the children, the parents and the nanny
Guest blogger's Bio
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Tanya is Swiss by Nationality and lives in Zurich with her husband, Russell, and her two little girls.
After having her second baby, and understanding only too well the challenges of working and having children (with no family support as they are all back in South Africa), Tanya is determined to provide a service, through her franchise business, Rockmybaby, that will help make life a little easier for families when it comes to childcare. She strives to help parents feel confident in the care of their children so that they can have some well-deserved time-out’s for themselves.
Over her career, Tanya has worked in corporate environments, providing recruitment services to clients across different industries.
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