Hello,

I would like to ask another nannys or people who empoy nanny - how working conditions nanny usually has in Zurich.

I work two years as a nanny in Zurich. I am EU citizen with university education. I take care of one child, he is two year now and I speak English with him - but I am not native speaker. I dont live with the family.
I would like to now how working conditions have another nannys in Zurich or general in Switzerland.
How is the working time of nanny ?
How much does nanny earn mounthly ?
Does the empoyer deduct money for lunches of nannys salary ?
How much paid vacation has a nanny ?
Is employer obliged to increase nannys salary every year ? Or how it is ? Does he do it ?
When nanny came to take care of one child, does employer increase her salary with comming of second baby ?
How it is with lunch break of nanny ? My employer says that I am obliget to take one hour break which he deducts me every day from my working time, but it is little bit stupid, because I can not really have my break, because I have to stay at home with a child....

Thank you for all answers, points, ideas and opinions.
Ellena

Salary for a qualified nanny should be somewhere upwards of 3000chf per month - if you took your qualifications and worked in a childcare centre a base salary would be around 4500 and I definitely know live-in nannies who are paid 3000-4000 plus have somewhere to live. Could be lower - 2500 plus room and food, travel pass...

Working hours are negotiable, but a standard working week is 42 hours including 30 minutes unpaid break per day. I would be very unimpressed that the employer is deducting an hour per day 'break' but you are still 'on call' for the child - maybe they assume that you take a 'break' when the child is napping, but that's not the same as being able to leave the house, go for a walk or grab a coffee solo. If the child doesn't nap, then I'd be very unhappy about being counted as a 'lunch' break, when you don't actually have a break ?

Paid vacation would be 4 weeks per year normally, or possibly 5 weeks. That's definitely protected, and compulsory.

If you are already being paid a very decent full-time wage (4000 - 4500 chf per month) then it wouldn't be expected that you earn more for more children. The cost of childcare per child for full time care around Zurich is probably about 2000chf per month, so most families would not be at an advantage having a nanny, unless they had 2-3 children.

Deducting for lunches for the nanny is a bit crazy, unless it's something you 'choose' - they provide you lunch, and your salary is x, or you provide your own lunch and they pay you a little more ? If they provide lunch, it might even be considered 'taxable'... ?

Sorry, to clarify, the numbers I quoted are 'exploitation' level wages.

We discussed this at length earlier in the year. If you really are a qualified nanny (childcare diploma or university qualifications in early childhood) then you should be demanding 4500 bare minimum, up to 5500 per month for full time hours (42-45 hours per week) - or more...

Here's our previous thread.

Minimum wage for nanny

It really irks me that nannying can be such an exploitative job. But I know there are many untrained people taking 'nanny' jobs for the chance to live in a foreign country, where they cannot easily get a regular career, and I also think that's exploitative - for the adult and for the child.

Thanks! very useful post.

Thank you very much for your post.
I dont know if I can really tell that my empoyeer exploits me...just I think, that I work already 2 years for them and they always say that they are very happy with me ( and thy really must be). So I would like with coming of second baby ask them for increase of my salary - first time after two years, and I want to be sure, that I dont want more how I have a right to ask.
I am not really qualificated nanny,but I worked as a teacher, and now I have two years experiencis as a nanny and the family always declares their maximum satisfaction with my work and profesionality. I work 50 hours per week, plus 1 hour every day for my lunch break...whot means that I come 8.00 am and leave 18.30-19.00 and babysitting every second weekend is expected. Yes, my baby naps on the afternoon, but usualy it is only one posibility to make works in household. They have my 100 percent exclusivity - so I have to be reacheble every time and the fact is that I always work when they need me. During two years I was never sick, I was never late... I have 4 weeks payd vacations but always on time when family goes on vacation...I am also available for traveling with family, if it is during a weekend that I get paid 200/weekend CHF at advance. I dont do realy cleening in house but I keep it tidy and in order, I do small things ( making beds, ironing (except boss shirts),bringing the garbage down, preparing food for child, making lundry, do foodshoping if necessary,...)
About lunch - they dont provide me lunch, I just eat there, I cook for child and I usualy eat what he eats, or overlest of another day....but I had no choise to decide if I want money or lunch....
So I think that I will go into negotiations....

From what you have written, it would seem that you are exploited. If you have worked consistently for the same family for more than 2 years, you deserve a salary increase in any case but with the coming of a second baby, if you are expected to look after him/her as well, then you deserve a good increase. Speak to them quietly and politely, and if they refuse, there are so many people desperate for a nanny, if you wish to continue working in the same field, it is certain you would find another position quickly. Good luck!

200chf for a weekend sounds very low, as well as working every second weekend...

I know a friend who is going to get a nanny soon, and she told me the price is 160chf per day...

If you are being paid less than 20chf per hour, and it's not a 'live-in' position, then I would say that you are very justified to ask for a pay rise - working with two children will mean that most days you won't get a break at all...

Just re-read your post - do you mean they pay a 'bonus' for the weekend work, on top of your normal work ?

For that job description and the number of hours you are doing, if you are living 'out' of the household, then I'd expect you to be paid at the very least 4500chf per month.

Have you tried to get your teaching qualifications recognised in Switzerland ? Do you have German, French or Italian fluency ? How long would you like to Nanny for ? Do you enjoy your lifestyle here ? Are you making enough money to save or send some home to your family ? Are you being paid properly with tax/unemployment/accident insurance covered by your employer ? Do you pay for proper health insurance (assuming you live in Switzerland) ?

Those 'safety nets' are very important, even if you accept a low salary, you should have all those safety nets in place so that you are protected if/when your job ends and you need to find another place...

A friend of mine works with more than 5yrs of childcare experience for 55hrs/week for 2000CHF/months including housing-the family pays her a room in a shared house.
Even that we would think that parents are appreciating their nanny-which would normally would 'turn up on the nannies bank account', but it not really happens. On the other hand, if you have one child, you can get a kindergarden for 2000CHF/months, the same price as a nanny, if you have 2 or more children, families can save up lots off money,and they have an extra couple of hands to work for them. Last but not least I have never really heard about-that they would consider for you to pay for your lunch, some cases my friend was happy to find something for the kids.
So, don't be shy or have fears, let them know what you want, that you want to earn more, and working less - I meant that even they should pay for the babysitting during weekends, because from know on you will need more time to relax because you will work more.
You can always find an other family, for different conditions.
Fingers crossed!

Thank you again for yours posts.
I will answer questions :
- yes they pay me bonus when we go together somewhere for weekend or if I have to stay for some reason working during a weekend when it is hole weekend it is 200 chf when one day, or when I stay for example since Saturday afternoon until Sunday lunch - 100 chf they pay me this always in cash afterwards.
- about my qualification I dont have education as a teacher ( I am M.A. Of public administration and public policy ) but I worked as a part time teacher two years during my university studies, I taught spanisch language on primary school ( I have language cerfiticat ).
- what is really bad is that I dont speak fluently german, italy or french. I study german but because of my work ocupacy it goes so slowly....
- I am not sure how long I want to do nanny. I came here because I admired this country and I wanted to relax a bit from my previous job, but I like to live here and I think that a still want to stay.
- so YES I enjoy the lifestyle only I would like to have more free time and little bit more money
- Yes I can save some money and also send home but it is not to much, I earn 16 chf/hour
- what I really apreciate that they all my social contributions and insurences and I pay my healthy insurence and taxes I heard that here people get 13th salary which they use to pay taxes but I dont have 13th salary in my contract....

I think that I will to talk with them. What makes me upset is that people here think that when we came from country on the east of the Switzerland they can exploit us. And why ? We have to pay same cost like all here....but it is our fault that we accept such working conditions...

If you are being paid 16chf an hour, and being paid a bonus for working extra on weekends (as well as the 16chf per hour) then that doesn't sound too far off a basic wage, especially as it has been for just one child...

If you ask for 20chf per hour, for two children, that's a basic liveable salary if you have cheap rent and no other major financial responsibilities. Unless you study and get the language skills, it's going to be hard to get a job in your profession, and if you are happy living in Switzerland then it's a pretty nice living that you have! If you enjoy your job and have a good relationship with your employer and the children, then that's really nice too!

Just to clarify, my gross mounthly salary is 3979 chf ( but there is also 300 chf which they deduct for lunch (food what I eat there during they) and 79 chf for mounthly travel ticket which I use also to travel for activities of child not for myself.
And babysitting during every second weekend is for free.
My rent is 1100 chf and mounthly travel ticket home 189 chf. On begining and with one child it was not bad, but now they told me that they will increase my salary of 200 chf with second baby and that I think is not suficient.
I think that increase to 20 chf / hour ( gross ) would be convinient for both sides.

If you are paying 189chf per month for your travel to/from work then you must be also travelling a long way to work every day ?

Surely your travel pass includes the travel that you do around Zurich ?

I certainly don't think you should be babysitting 'for free' on weekends, for less than your normal hourly rate...

As mentioned on the other thread, 3500chf per month is considered to be a 'basic' wage for someone living out of home.

A 200chf per month increase for a second child is an increase of 1chf is a very minimal increase...and deducting you an hour every day for a 'break' that doesn't exist ?

You mentioned that you pay your own taxes ? Does the employer deduct everything properly 'at source' (Quellensteuer) and pay your AHV contributions ? They should give you pay slips that have this properly listed...and accident insurance too...

I live 17 km from Zurich and work in center of Zurich.
Taxes, AHV, ALV, all social contribution, accident insurence and household accident insurence the deduct me mounthly. I trust them in the case because they are both lawyers...

Hi,i am new here and i just have a little bit of concerned about taxes for nanny. does the nanny in Zurich really required to pay their own taxes?

Hello, I look after a boy in Zurich for 6 hours per week speaking only in English and my employers pay me SFR25- per hour. SFR16- is not enough in my opinion. Definitely ask for an increase!

I'm probably throwing a spanner in the works here folks, but aren't nannies supposed to have recognised qualifications?

Of course, not all nannies have a Diploma in Childcare, NVQ or BTEC- because in some countries something like this is not available (for example, in my country) but a Nanny should have at least a First Aid certificate. In Switzerland, the only Nanny qualif. you can get is Lehrgang zur Nanny (Red Cross) and that is a 8 day course. Also there is a 2 day course designed for people that want to work with babies ...but it is 2 days...
I don't have any study in Childcare but I have a Degree in Psychology, years of experience and excellent references and not even one single parent told that I have to have a specific Certificate or Degree in Childcare, they wanted me to make sure that the children are safe, happy and properly stimulated.

If you think about it- you want a Nanny with a special Degree (like the above) - so she is qualified, she wants a very good salary- because she is qualified, you say you don't pay her that much...but you still want her to be qualified and if she can also do some housework...Maybe she had a loan for the diploma thinking that she would have a good salary after finishing- because she has a Diploma and she could pay her studies. But the parents don't pay the right salary. Yeah... a Nanny has to pay rent, utilities and food also...after all, she studied for this job.