Category: Job Application

Why You Should Insist to be Paid "On-the-Books"

11/27/2018

Please note: this blogpost covers domestic employees in New York State. It is intended to educate nannies and housekeepers on the benefits of accepting legally paid salaries; it is not to replace the advice of a lawyer, as the laws that are constantly changing. Please consult a reputable payroll company such as HomeWork Solutions for more information on your specific state's domestic employment laws and procedures.

We here at KITH & KIN often hear candidates state that they only want to be paid in cash, despite being able to accept legal pay, for many understandable reasons. While admittedly, it is the norm for many domestic workers to be paid illegally in cash (an estimated 75%!), there are a myriad of benefits and protections household employees lose out on by being paid in cash, and when accepting cash only for a nanny job, you are also assuming all risks for you and your family's future financial and health situation, especially should you find yourself out of work for a period of time -- a heavy and costly burden to bear!

With the advent of laws like Lulu and Leo's Law and many advocacy groups like the NDWA calling for better protections for both families and workers, the trend will be for more and more domestic workers to be paid in a legal manner. For this reason, we have compiled the benefits of legal pay. Here are our top 10 reasons why nannies and housekeepers should insist on being paid "on the books" right now.

1. "Professional pay" translates to "professional treatment", and further legitimizes your work as a professional career.

When you are being paid in a manner that is fully legal, you are far more likely to be viewed and treated with respect as a professional. That means you are far more likely to receive benefits such as guaranteed hours/minimum reliable salary per week, legal overtime, vacation and sick days, holiday pay, bonuses, and a contract that are a part of a total hiring package, much like professionals in other fields.

When you insist on being paid legally, this demonstrates to a family that you take your job seriously as a professional who needs to be compensated fairly and legally for your work. It shows that you are committed to your work supporting them, and that you are also relying on them to support you as you make a long-term living, just as you would in any other field.
When your employer agrees to pay legally, they are demonstrating their belief that you deserve legal protections and benefits, just as they receive in their work, too! Even though they may be offering a lot of great benefits like guaranteed minimum hours and paid time-off, they also believe that ethically, you deserve an extra level of protection as individual and professional.

2. You have secure income available, even if laid off.

Let’s say that on Sunday night, you get a text from your boss that tomorrow, you are no longer needed because a spot opened at daycare, and their child starts the next morning. Now, most parents would not leave you high and dry without notice, (especially if you have a solid work agreement in place before the job commences!), however you may never know your employer's private financial situation or debts. They may appear to have it all, and then the economy crashes overnight, or they find out they have lost every penny to a Ponzi scheme, and now they find themselves unable to pay you the $2500 buffer you were relying on. Stranger things have happened; you need to be protected from situations that are outside of your control.
While domestic employees in New York are hired “at-will”, meaning you may be terminated without notice or reason at any time, unemployment is there to provide you with a financial buffer while you search for a new job. If you’re laid off due to no fault of your own, and you are able to work in some industry, you are eligible - even in some instances of justifiable firing, you may still be eligible. This is only available to people who are paid legally in their most recent long-term position.

3. Medical costs or loss of income covered via Workmans Compensation if you’re injured on the job (State-by-State).

Employers are required to provide Workers Compensation in New York State, regardless of the manner of payment. Any injury that occurs "on the clock" and requires medical treatment, or results in a loss of income, will have some, or all costs reimbursed in part by the state.

Even if you are outside of NYS, should you have an injury that leads to a long leave from work, you may be eligible to receive Disability coverage from the government as well. This would cover part of your income, and make sure that you are not in an even larger financial bind. If you are out of work because of an injury, but don't have traceable or substantial income reported, the income coverage would be significantly lowered, if available at all.

4. You are eligible for Paid Family-Leave.

New in 2018, paid family-leave was signed into law in New York State for workers in all industries. This covers some of your salary if you need to take a leave of absence from your job; it is for military families, maternity and paternity leave (shout-out to dads!), time to bond when adopting and/or fostering a child, or medical leave for you as individual or a family member you're caring for.

The details and benefits will upgrade year to year, but beginning in 2019, you would be eligible for 10 weeks paid leave per year, up to 55% of your weekly salary, with a maximum of roughly $746/week; By 2021, 67% of your salary may be covered for up to 12 weeks. This is separate from FMLA, and is specific to New York State. For more information, click here.

5. Protection in the event you, or your bosses, get audited by the government.

Any employer who chooses to pay their employee 'under the table' runs the risk of being audited, particularly if all parents are working full-time, and they can't prove payments made for childcare. An audit will have their finances called into question by the government, and if your employer is audited, you too may be at risk for your portion of employment taxes. If your employer doesn't remit taxes on your behalf, you may be asked to account for those taxes by the government. While it is not the law that the employers withhold your portion of taxes in New York for you (you must request that they do this, and the majority do when using a payroll service), it is the law that you pay your portion. If it is not withheld, we recommend setting aside a conservative percentage based on your state in a separate savings account so you have enough to pay at the end of the year.
If you or your employers were to be audited, the government makes a habit of looking back several years, meaning you could be set up on a hefty payment plan to hand over whatever amount you would have owed in taxes from previous years.

6. Provides verifiable, traceable income to rent or buy a home, car or other big-ticket purchases.

Should the day come when you want to make a big "life-investment", be it purchasing a new home or car, or even renting a new apartment, you will often be required to provide proof of income; not just for present time, but also from the past two years! Lenders want to make sure you are a consistent earner and responsible spender, and you will need a paper trail to prove your track-record of financial credibility. Cash-employees will often have a difficult (likely impossible) time providing legitimate proof of income that would hold up to scrutiny. This can be a real hold-up, and potential block, if you are in the throes of purchasing a home.
Not buying a car, home, or renting an apartment now? Think two or three years ahead. Even if your credit is terrible, First Time Homebuyer Loans make this dream possible for more people, so as home prices continue to rise, now is a great time to get on the books and start accepting legal pay!

7. Easier mental leap to start your career with legal pay now, rather than years in.

The bottom line here is, at some point in your life, whether you stay in the domestic industry or not, you will need to be paying your taxes. The security benefits for your entire family, reducing your risk of audit, or simply the fact that it is required in all other industries will be too hard for you to continue on the cash-only path throughout your whole career.

Take it from us, the people who interview many qualified, career candidates who have been paid cash for years: it is very challenging for nannies and housekeeper to leap from a high dollar cash take-home salary per week to a far lower net wage. When you are not used to this, it will require a large lifestyle adjustment for yourself and family, when that time comes.

Talking to your employer about transitioning from a cash-salary, to an "on the books" salary is going to take a big shift. Essentially your employer will have to make a drastic increase in your pre-taxed (gross) pay-rate in order for you to be taking home the same amount as you were before, and it's possible that financially, they simply cannot swing it, as they will be paying 12-25% more than they are used to, depending on where you live.

If your employer isn't able to increase your rate enough for you to be taking home a net-salary that is comparable to your cash salary, meet in the middle! Start by taking a lower take-home wage, knowing that they are giving you a gross-wage raise. That being said, employees who are paid on the books, will also be eligible for a tax-return at the end of the fiscal year where you would get a portion of that back, so don't be too demanding of your employers if you really love your job in all other aspects.

8. You’re building your Social Security fund, and making sure you’re eligible for disability benefits, too.

Paying your taxes means that you are also paying into certain state and federal programs, which can benefit you directly down the road. Employees who are paid on-the-books are automatically paying a percentage of their paycheck into Social Security Disability and other retirement funds.

The amount of taxable income which you report to the government each year makes up your 'covered income' and directly affects the amount of money you may receive each month when you retire. In other words, if you pay in for 45 years instead of 10, you will have far more to retire on. Therefore, for your future, it's better to start paying income taxes sooner rather than later!

9. Helps better protect you from “bad-apple” bosses.

Finding a boss who is willing to pay you on-the-books, means that your boss is more likely to view you as an employee with certain inalienable rights. A working agreement that is based on a clear contract and a taxed salary can protect you from various instances of employee discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment in the workplace, withholding of overtime, and various other workplace injustices.
Many employers who pay cash may hesitate to put anything in writing to avoid a paper trail of employment in the event they were to be audited -- this translates to no work agreement for you or contract for you to fall back on or reference.

10. Plainly, it’s the right thing to do!

Last of all, paying your taxes is the right thing to do! The money you pay in taxes goes to many places. In addition to paying the salaries of government workers, your tax dollars also help to support common resources that we all utilize, such as safe and well-maintained roads, police and fire departments, post-offices, public libraries and parks, as well as caring for your fellow neighbors and children who presently may not be able to care for themselves.

In conclusion, starting a job with mutual professional respect is the best foot to start on. By you and your employer insisting to operate according to the law affirms that this is a true, professional career, with the commitment to integrity and respect toward both parties.

But aren't nannies 1099 workers? On the family/employer side of things, there is sometimes confusion about the classification of domestic employees and who is responsible for their taxes. However, make no mistake: by law, nannies and housekeepers are classified as household employees of the family, unless they are hired through a company who is paying them as an employee; nannies and housekeepers are not contractors. Families must provide you a W-2 at the end of the year.

Have a question about being paid or hiring "on-the-books" versus in cash? Send us an email and we will do our best to direct you to where you may find your answer.

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How to Write a Nanny Resume Like a Champ

4/2/2018

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We here at KITH & KIN often get some very well qualified nannies, but their resumes are either incomplete, or not up to date. But what if you've never written a superb and professional nanny or housekeeper resume before? We're here to help!

Finding a new nanny job in NYC can be a daunting endeavor. There will be a lot of highly experienced, ready-for-anything nannies vying for that amazing position. When you’re up against dozens of other competent nanny candidates, families and agencies will often not even consider candidates who don’t have a professional nanny resume. Having a polished, professional nanny resume is the very best way to ensure that you will get your foot in the door past that first hurdle, and onto an interview.
When working with kids, it’s okay to have a little more fun on your resume than you might in other job fields - but you want to make sure that you’re still keeping it professional and always including a few key pieces of information.

Here are our tips to help you create the best professional nanny resume to help you stand out!

STEP ONE: Begin with a Clear Layout.

A good resume is visually straightforward. Your name should always be at the top of the page, in a clear easy-to-read font. Underneath should always follow whatever contact info you feel comfortable sharing. We recommend listing only your current home city and state and your preferred email address. Some candidates will include a job title directly beneath their name, which read something like “Childcare Professional” or a jazzier “Modern Day Mary Poppins”. Totally up to you! Think of your résumé more like a CV (curriculum vitae) - one page may not be enough to cover your experience, so feel free to scrap that old "one page only" rule.

Do you have more experience beyond a nanny or housekeeping positions? Don't be afraid to have two or three separate headings, if need be.
"Nanny Experience" for nanny-specific positions, and "Other Childcare Experience," or, "Teaching Experience," is appropriate for childcare settings, teaching experience, or volunteer positions.
If you have other work experience that is unrelated, say in retail or food service, you can create another heading that says, "Additional Work Experience," to make up for any gaps in your employment, just know that these will be verified.

Beneath each subsection you will want to outline each position. Here, indentation is key. Your layout should be visually clear, making use of whitespace and implementing a clear font. Bullet points and differently weighted font will make all the difference.

STEP TWO: Who are You?

Start off your resume with a brief description of your skillset. Here is your opportunity to let yourself shine!

Create a heading that says something like, "Introduction," or, "Background". Place under this heading a one or two sentence introduction where you can briefly state what your qualifications and personal values are, what you are seeking in a position (temporary, long-term, part or full time, etc.).
You can create a second heading that says "Special Skills," if you have anything that sets you apart. Are you skilled in baby sign language? Do you know how to prepare specialty meals? Have you studied, lived, or worked abroad? Do you have a high-level of schedule flexibility? Put it here!
Make a third heading that states something similar to, "Education," or, "Education and Trainings," if you have additional specializations. This may also be put at the bottom on the résumé. Here you may list your achievements such as degrees or coursework, CPR/First Aid certifications, INA Basic Skills Assessment, and any additional trainings or further education in childhood development. NOTE: If you don't have a full degree, do not state that you do! Instead, write, "Coursework toward xyz degree" and the date.

STEP THREE: Position Details - Clear and Complete.

 Household Experience
For each and every Nanny or Housekeeper position you have held we always recommend listing your relevant positions in reverse chronological order (most recent at the top). When listing your childcare experience be sure to include:

On one line, state only the last name of the family, if permitted (no first names), and the city and state job was located
Month and year of start and end of position: be specific to give a clear picture
Specify whether full or part time; long-term, or temporary
The number and ages of children when you started (ex: "3 month old and 4 year old at start of position")
Bulleted list of duties, with between 2 to 5 bullet points, condensing where necessary (avoid the paragraphs - one sentence per bullet will do)

• Use the bullet points or indentation to give a quick description of each childcare position, for instance “Responsible for the full-care of their infant son including: bottle feeding, naps, diapers, tummy time, and laundry” or “Assisted with after-school care for two children ranging from travel between activities, homework help, dinner preparation, and bedtime routine”.
• Be specific without writing an essay. If you were taking on tasks such as arranging playdates, or scheduling for the gardeners to come, this can be described as “Activity planning” or “Arranging household maintenance”. No task is too small to consider, it’s just a matter of presenting it as an employable skill!

Other Experience
For positions outside of nanny or housekeeping, feel free to follow to same basic structure. Some parents will appreciate seeing that you’re a fully rounded human, with professional experience outside of your nanny background.
While we don’t recommend including every part-time hostess job you’ve ever worked, it could be to your benefit to include certain outside experiences. For instance, summer camp positions with kids can show a sense of your ability to be active, and manage a group. Even retail and hospitality positions can give evidence to your personable disposition and people-skills.
And this goes without saying, but these likely be verified by an employer as well, so be truthful, as always.

STEP FOUR: Discretion!

Especially when applying to a position through Craigslist or some other mass sourcing location, you do not know to whom you are actually giving your name, phone number or full address. Leave that off - you can simply put your city and state.
For references, hold your past employers' privacy in high-regard: write, "References available upon request." Do not put their full name, full address, phone number, or email anywhere on your résumé if they have not given you permission to distribute that.

STEP FIVE: Save an Editable Resume

The biggest mistake we see is when a candidate has a resume, but needs to add, remove, or edit experience on the document, but has no way to do it, and has to start all over. Beware of companies promising to build you a resume if it is not yours to edit forever. What's the point in spending all this time making an awesome resume if it's going to be invalid in a year?

There are two places from where we recommend building resumes:

1. CANVA, for some fancy, visually stunning goodness
2. Good ol' Google Docs using their template builders (see our example we built below)
You need to have an account with each of these services, but first, it's free, and second, you can save it forever and edit it whenever you want over the years! Once you finish your degree, you can change "in progress" to "graduated". If your boss moves away and you just finished your position, change "currently employed" to the month and year it ended. The bottom line is, keep your resume editable and accessible.

Here is a sample resume we have built. Note how have a visually clear and detailed resume works wonders - the viewer actually wants to review it.

We hope this helps you in your quest to presenting yourself as a professional, polished, and competent caregiver. Happy job hunting!

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Why Didn't I Receive a Response to My Nanny Application?

5/17/2017

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As a nanny agency in NYC, we have seen thousands of nannies come to our agency seeking employment. Unfortunately, only about half of those people receive a follow up email, and only a very small portion of those candidates make it to an in person interview (usually around 15% of applicants!).

Why are only roughly 15% of applicants being interviewed? Why aren't you interviewing more qualified people?

Going through a housekeeping and nanny agency in NYC to find your ideal position is highly competitive and selective. For each position that is posted, an average of 125 applications and resumes will be submitted. While the applicant could be a fantastic caregiver with stellar references, we may never get to meet them because of the way a candidate presents himself or herself. In a stack of resumes and emails, it is important to make yourself stand out.
We get it. Applying for a new job is a ton of work. We've been there! You're likely applying at a lot of places, but if you really believe you are a good match for a listing, put yourself fully into it, and do it to the best of your ability.

Here are a few pointers to capture our agency's (and a family's!) attention:

1. Have well-written and thoughtful answers to the questions on our application, and in your cover letter.

When a candidate answers a question in one short sentence (or even worse, just a few adjectives), it is impossible to get a clear picture of what that candidate is about, and what they really believe about child rearing. Our nanny agency seeks to hire out nannies who are grounded in their developmental theory and experience, and if this isn't displayed at first, we simply don't have the time to give hundreds of candidates multiple chances. No need to write a multiple-paragraph essay (this isn't a high school English class! :)), but between 2-4 sentences is usually enough to concisely convey your answer.

2. Use your very best professional communication.

Informal language, specifically "text talk" and abbreviations, are not appropriate in a professional setting. Check for spelling errors on your resume, and if you need help, reach out to a friend or family member for an extra set of eyes. If you want your application to be taken seriously, present yourself as polished and professional. When we receive emails and resumes that don't use appropriate grammar or conventions (starting a sentence with a capital letter, and ending it with a period), it shows that your interactions are rushed and you may appear thoughtless, even when your character may go above and beyond! If you are perceived by a family as thoughtless and rushed, you likely won't even receive a response back. Start an email with a greeting such as, "Good morning, Kelly," or "Dear Ayesha," and end it with a closing. When an email lacks these elements, it lacks professionalism, and you may inadvertently, or intentionally, get overlooked.

3. Follow the directions in a job position, exactly.

It really is that easy! If a posting says send a PDF, make sure you figure out how to save your word doc as a PDF before you send it (Google it for your specific software). If a posting says you must have recent infant experience, be sure to note it specifically in your cover letter. If a posting says to send three professional references, don't send the contact information of your cousin or aunt (and on that note, we say this in love: don't even consider sending a false reference. This is our job, and we can spot them from a mile away - you will immediately be disqualified. It's best to say that you only have two supervisor references than put down a friend who will cover for you). If you are having trouble with any part of the application, it is totally fine to note this, because it shows that you are paying attention to the details and trying your best.

4. Be sure you meet the requirements of the job.

Our particular job advertisements are detailed for a reason - to save you time by giving you a clear picture of what the required qualifications are, the desired (not mandatory) traits, and the duties you can expect if you were to be hired. There is simply no sense in you taking 30 minutes to go through the process of applying if you don't meet the requirements or wouldn't be interested in the job. For instance, if you can't travel, but a family needs you to spend a month in the Hamptons, you'll feel like you've wasted your time when we won't be able to move forward.

5. Above all, be respectful.

This goes without saying, but be respectful in communication. If you haven't heard back about a position, and you've followed the four points above, a kind follow up is always welcome. Simply saying, "Hello! How are you today? I'm just checking back in about my application," is completely appropriate, and quite frankly, appreciated due to the amount of applicants. Impatiently writing, "I haven't heard anything back? Where are you?!" will not go far. Assume the best. No one means to offend you.

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Why You Should Insist to be Paid "On-the-Books"

​1. "Professional pay" translates to "professional treatment", and further legitimizes your work as a professional career.

2. You have secure income available, even if laid off.

3. Medical costs or loss of income covered via Workmans Compensation if you’re injured on the job (State-by-State).

4. You are eligible for Paid Family-Leave.

5. Protection in the event you, or your bosses, get audited by the government.

6. Provides verifiable, traceable income to rent or buy a home, car or other big-ticket purchases.​

7. Easier mental leap to start your career with legal pay now, rather than years in.

8. You’re building your Social Security fund, and making sure you’re eligible for disability benefits, too. ​

9. Helps better protect you from “bad-apple” bosses.

10. Plainly, it’s the right thing to do!

How to Write a Nanny Resume Like a Champ

​Here are our tips to help you create the best professional nanny resume to help you stand out!

STEP ONE: Begin with a Clear Layout.

STEP TWO: Who are You?

STEP THREE: Position Details - Clear and Complete.

STEP FOUR: Discretion!

STEP FIVE: Save an Editable Resume

There are two places from where we recommend building resumes:

We hope this helps you in your quest to presenting yourself as a professional, polished, and competent caregiver. Happy job hunting!

Why Didn't I Receive a Response to My Nanny Application?

Why are only roughly 15% of applicants being interviewed? Why aren't you interviewing more qualified people?

​Here are a few pointers to capture our agency's (and a family's!) attention:

1. Have well-written and thoughtful answers to the questions on our application, and in your cover letter.

2. Use your very best professional communication.

3. Follow the directions in a job position, exactly. ​

4. Be sure you meet the requirements of the job. ​

5. Above all, be respectful.

Categories

1. "Professional pay" translates to "professional treatment", and further legitimizes your work as a professional career.

6. Provides verifiable, traceable income to rent or buy a home, car or other big-ticket purchases.

8. You’re building your Social Security fund, and making sure you’re eligible for disability benefits, too.

Here are our tips to help you create the best professional nanny resume to help you stand out!

Here are a few pointers to capture our agency's (and a family's!) attention:

3. Follow the directions in a job position, exactly.

4. Be sure you meet the requirements of the job.