SOUTHERN STANDARD NANNIES
     Traditional Care for the Modern Family

Q: DO YOU DO NANNY SHARES?

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A: We do accept Nanny Shares on a case by case basis. Please reach out with more details and we'd be happy to discuss.

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Q: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO FIND A NANNY OR HOUSEHOLD EMPLOYEE?

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A: Our process takes on average 3 to 8 weeks to find your family the best fit. We strongly suggest beginning the intake process 6 to 12 weeks prior to needing a nanny or household staff member to begin. We believe in a thorough and complete approach to your unique needs and don't cut corners in our intake, recruiting, vetting, and interview assistance steps. A signed Service Agreement + additional on boarding steps must be completed prior to the search starting, which is when we consider the 3 to 8 week window to commence. We recommend inquiring directly with us since certain times of year can impact the timeline.

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Q: HOW IS MY NANNY  OR HOUSEHOLD EMPLOYEE PAID?

 

A: Once you make an offer of employment to the candidate you would like to hire, they will become your employee and you are responsible for paying them directly on a weekly or bi-weekly basis at the hourly wage laid out in the employment agreement. It is not legal in Tennessee to pay any employee on a once a month basis. Nashville nanny rates are between $25 - $30+/hr which is based on family budget, the position requirements, number of children, and typically commensurates with experience. Nashville Household Staff rates depend on the position and can range from $26 - $35+/hour. Household employees, including nannies, house managers, and family assistants are considered hourly non-exempt employees and are required to be paid time and a half for all hours worked over 40 in a 7 day period. For families needing help navigating taxes, we can help. Our partnerships with GTM Payroll allows families to have peace of mind with enrolling as an employer, payroll, and taxes, and even better, we cover the cost to get started with them.

 

Q: DO YOU OFFER BACK-UP CARE OPTIONS FOR NANNY COVERAGE?

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A: Yes! When you hire a full-time or part-time nanny, we offer back up care with at least 48-hour notice. We comp the temporary fee for the first 12 months after you make a hire and it is $35/day after that.

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Q: WHAT IS YOUR PLACEMENT FEE?

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A: A placement fee is for services rendered by Southern Standard Nannies and is separate from the wages that employers are responsible for paying their employee once hired. Check here for up to date placement fees. This fee does not reflect the duration of the placement, and is not considered a fee for the first year, but rather the equation we use to arrive at the percentage-based fee. A $35o New Search fee is due prior to recruiting to cover the costs associated with starting your search. This will be credited to the final placement fee.

 

Included in ALL placement fees is a thorough professional background check of each candidate including: 

• Maiden and/or alias name search

• Social security number verification

• Resident history search 

• State and county criminal court records search for the past seven years or since 18 years of age

• Nation-wide sex offender registry search

• Department of Motor Vehicle driving records search (accidents & tickets) with license validation, from each state licensed in.

 

Additionally, we reference check and run a social media check prior to determining a candidate's representation status. 

 

Q: DO YOU HAVE A GUARANTEE OR REPLACEMENT POLICY?

 

A: Yes. All permanent placements have a 3 month full replacement guarantee replacement period and a pro-rated credit period throughout the first 12 months of employment. 

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Q: WHAT IS THE COST TO GET STARTED?

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A: New and return clients will be charged a $350 New Search Fee prior to beginning a candidate search. This will be applied to the final total upon hiring a referred Southern Standard Nanny candidate in a permanent position. You can view a full fee schedule here.

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Q: HOW MANY CANDIDATES DO YOU HAVE?

 

A: We are constantly recruiting and interviewing nannies whether or not we have a position for them. We have a large pool of available nannies or other staff at any given time, however, they all have different experience and availability, which is why we recruit specifically for each individual family, each time.

 

Q: HOW DOES YOUR SERVICE WORK?

 

A: Check out the step by step guide HERE

 

Q: WHAT HAPPENS IF IT DOESN'T WORK OUT WITH MY EMPLOYEE, OR THEY QUIT?

 

A: We really hope you do feel like you’ve got the perfect fit for your family, but just in case, we offer a three month guarantee on permanent services. After one month of a match, we find that you either get into a groove with your nanny or household staffer, or you don’t. Sometimes it takes a bit longer, so we give you two extra months to see whether or not the kinks can get worked out, and we're also there for questions, concerns, or to listen after you make a hire. You can call us at any time, for any reason, and we can talk through options for your situation. If we do need to find you a replacement within the first three months, we do so without any additional cost. If a request is made after 90 days, we have an extended guarantee that is in credit form. ​

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Q: IS MY NANNY AN EMPLOYEE OR AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR?

 

A: Your nanny or household staffer is 100% your employee. You are responsible to pay Employment taxes for a household worker who is older than 18 and makes more than the current compensation threshold. Household employees cannot be an independent contractor and need to be given a W2 form each January. The employer is responsible for the payment of all Social Security and Medicare taxes to the IRS. You may choose to either collect your employee’s taxes via payroll deductions or fund these taxes yourself.

 

Q: CAN I PUT MY HOUSEHOLD EMPLOYEE ON SALARY?

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A: Household employees cannot be in a “salaried” position unless they are a manager of more than 3 other household employees (i.e Estate Manager, Household Manager of fully staffed home, etc.) “Tennessee defers to the FLSA, which requires that all domestics, excluding companions, be paid at no less than the greater of the state or federal minimum wage, and that all live-out workers be paid an overtime differential of 1.5 times the hourly wage for hours over 40 in a work week. Live-in domestics, again excluding companions, must be paid their hourly wage for all hours worked, without an overtime differential.” – HomeWork Solutions, Tennessee Household Employment Tax Compliance. In lieu of the term salary, the industry term guaranteed hours or guaranteed wages is used (see below).

 

Q: WHAT IS GUARANTEED PAY?

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A: We strongly recommend offering guaranteed pay each week, which is similar to a salaried position in terms of offering a consistent income each week for your household employee or nanny, even for weeks that they are not needed by you, their employer. For hours worked over 40 in a 7 day period, even with guaranteed pay, they are legally required to be compensated at the overtime wage per state requirements. Banking hours is not legal, therefore if a nanny works 30 hours one week and is paid for 40, those 10 hours unworked cannot roll over to another week. We find that offering guaranteed pay is mutually beneficial to both the family and the nanny in solidifying a schedule, offering financial stability and lending to long-term retainment. 

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Each family's privacy and needs are of paramount importance to us.

We do not have public or private family profiles that are shared with candidates outside of the job description.

Our thorough job descriptions keep your information confidential and private until interviewing with potential candidates. 

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