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Inside: Need a nanny contract? Scroll below to download your free nanny contract and hire your perfect candidate right away!

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These guidelines are designed for general informational purposes only. The sample contract below is not intended to provide, and does not constitute legal or other professional advice by Disability Dame, LLC. You should consult with a lawyer if you intend to enter into a legal contract.

To be honest, my husband and I had no idea what we were doing when we hired our first nanny. We failed to set any guidelines, ground rules or establish any boundaries. Thankfully, our nanny was great and that didn’t come back to bite us in the end.

I don’t think I fully understood that I would be responsible for managing an employee. You’re basically hiring an extended family member.

Whether you’re hiring a nanny on your own or working through an agency, it’s important to have a contract in place in case things go awry. Having a signed contract will give you peace of mind and help avoid any confusion between you and your nanny.

That said, here are a few things that you should include in your nanny contract to help make things clear.

What Your Nanny Contract Should Include:

• A Basic Agreement – This should be a simple paragraph stating the start date and the names of the persons involved.

• Parent Info

• Nanny Info – Include the legal name of your nanny, verified with legal identification such as US passport, green card or driver’s license.

• Worksite Address

• Work Schedule – This should encompass all seven days of the week with start and end times – as well as the total daily and weekly hours your nanny will work. 

• Compensation –  This should  include your nanny’s hourly rate of pay, overtime rate of pay and total weekly compensation. You should also let your nanny know if they will be paid weekly or bi-weekly.

• Tax Withholding and Reporting – Notify  that you will be withholding 7.65 percent of their pay for their share of FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare). The amount you take out will be based on their Form W-4.  Also, mention that you will provide them a Form W-2 at year-end and report their income to federal and state tax agencies.

• Health Benefits (if applicable)

• Paid Holidays – Specify which holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, etc. is included in paid time off.

• Paid Vacation –  Include how many days of paid vacation per year the nanny will receive.  Also, include how many weeks notice you need for vacation requests.

• Sick leave and Personal days – Include the number of sick days and personal days. Specify how many days notice the nanny will give for personal days off.  For sick days, let the nanny know that she should notify you as soon as possible.

• Family Vacation – Specify whether the nanny will be paid if you and your family go on a vacation or if she’ll attend.

• Job Responsibilities – This should include a general overview of what the nanny will be expected to do while on the clock.

•  Transportation – Include transportation expectations such as use of car, subway, bus, train or taxi.

• Meals – Specify whether you will provide meals for the nanny or if she is responsible for her own.

• Additional Reimbursements – These include whether you will reimburse for miles driven on the job, public transportation, parking or cell phone service, etc.

• House Rules – Set expectations for inside your home such as advanced notice of visitors and TV time. 

• Raises and Reviews – Let your nanny know when her job performance will be reviewed and when she is eligible for a raise.

• Termination Policy – List the reasons in which your nanny can be fired, so they know what is unacceptable while working for your family.

• Confidentiality Clause – Also called a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), a confidentiality clause will help protect your family’s privacy. You can indicate that your nanny can’t share photos of your children or information they learn about your family to any third-party including on social media platforms. Or describe what they can and can’t share on social media.

• Time frame of employment – If the placement is temporary, include start and end dates of employment.

• Amending the nanny contract – State that the work agreement is a “living document” and specifics may change with mutual consent.

Forms and Paperwork Your Nanny Will Need

While all of these are not required, you may want to check your nannies verifications (and make copies for your records) of the items below. 

• Nanny’s social security card.
• Nanny’s legal identification such as US passport, green card or driver’s license.
• Nanny’s legal address documented by a utility bill, bank statement, insurance etc…
• Nanny’s immunization documentation, including Tetanus, Hepatitis B vaccine, Hepatitis A vaccine, Meningococcal vaccine, Influenza vaccine, Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine, Polio vaccine & Varicella vaccine. 

Other Nanny Contract Conditions

Certifications – Some families will feel safer knowing that they’re nanny has met certain training and certifications, including: 

• CPR trained and certified.
• First Aid training and certification.
• Baby and child development classes you may require

Live-In Nanny Requirements – Room and board if applicable.  If so specify benefits such as nanny’s own telephone line, food allowance per week, etc…

Nanny Cameras – While you legally don’t need to tell your nanny that you’ve installed a camera in your home, I recommend telling them to ensure total honesty at the start of your professional relationship.

Social Media Policy – Describe what an appropriate use of social media is while on the job and whether your nanny is allowed to share photos of your children.

Emergency Procedures – Tell them what’s expected in the case of an emergency. For example, who should be called and when to call 911.

Final Thoughts on a Free Nanny Contract Guaranteed to Work for You

I hope these tips helped you structure the right nanny contract for you. Feel free to download the nanny contract below to help save you time.

With a nanny contract set in place, you’ll feel more confident when handling the hiring process.

Good luck out there! P.S. if you need any help on how to hire a nanny, check out my post on the ultimate guide to finding a nanny.

Have you created a nanny contract? How did it work for you? Tell me below in the comments!

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