Considering taking your nanny on vacation with you? Family travel can be a wonderful experience, and having your nanny come along can make the trip go smoother for everyone. Children have consistency in care, parents have added support, and the nanny can help keep routines, meals and transitions on track while seeing the world!
The best travel experiences happen when everyone understands the schedule, pay, duties, downtime, and expectations before the trip even begins.
It’s also important to remember: if your nanny is traveling with your family to provide care – no matter how amazing the perks, destination or accommodations – this is a work trip for them, not a vacation.
What to Discuss Before the Trip
Long flights. Waiting for car transport. Planning kid-friendly meals. Moving between multiple activities. Adjusting nap and bedtime routines. Navigating shared spaces. Travel days can be challenging with children. Without clear expectations, a nanny can feel like they’re “always on” and that’s exhausting.
Unless travel is already an agreed-upon requirement of the position, families should ask whether their nanny is willing and available to travel. Even when travel is included in the Employee Work Agreement, employers should still discuss the dates, destination(s), schedule, accommodations and responsibilities in advance.
A few important points to discuss in advance:
- What days and hours will the nanny be expected to work?
- How will working hours and overnights be tracked?
- When will the nanny be off duty? Will it change daily?
- Will the nanny be expected to care for the children during flights or travel time?
- Will the nanny be responsible be responsible for bedtime, overnights, or early mornings?
- What duties are expected of the nanny beyond childcare?
- What sleeping arrangements and private space will the nanny have while away?
A travel schedule does not have to look exactly like the nanny’s regular schedule, but it should be clear. Some families need daytime coverage, while others are looking for more help in the early mornings, later evenings or only on travel days.
Hashing out the details early helps ensure a smooth trip. Families know when they have coverage, and nannies know when they’re working, what’s being asked of them, and when they can truly rest.
Nanny Travel Pay: Door to Door Compensation
When a nanny travels with a family for work, ABC recommends paying them “door to door” – from the time they leave home until they reach the destination. Paying for the full travel period is a widely accepted industry best practice and keeps compensation clear and fair.
Federal law generally requires families to pay for travel during the nanny’s normal working hours, along with any time they’re caring for the children or performing other work. Travel outside their normal working hours can be more fact-specific under the law, which is one reason paying door to door remains the professional standard.
Regular Pay, Working Hours and Overtime
The nanny’s guaranteed hours should still apply during the travel week. They should receive at least their normal guaranteed weekly pay, plus payment for additional travel or working hours and any applicable overtime. More hours worked means more hours paid. Paid time should include childcare during flights, ground transportation, bedtime, early mornings and other parts of the trip. Sleeping time must be considered as well. If the nanny remains responsible for the children, must respond when a child wakes or otherwise works during the night, the time must be paid as working time. Different rules may apply to uninterrupted sleep periods during longer shifts. Employers should discuss their specific arrangements with their household payroll provider.
Travel often means longer days and more total hours, so it’s also important to account for overtime. Colorado, overtime generally applies after 40 hours in a workweek, 12 hours in a workday or 12 consecutive hours, whichever results in more pay. Families should discuss their specific travel arrangements with a household payroll provider to ensure they’re complying with the law and following professional standards.
Longer days, later nights and extra travel time usually mean a higher payroll week. That’s normal. Agree on travel pay, working hours and overtime before the trip begins.
Nanny Travel Expenses and Meals
If a family asks a nanny to travel with them, the family/employer should cover all work-related travel costs. Including, but not limited to parking and/or ground transportation, flights and accommodations, fees related to family activities/outings and all snacks/meals.
Airports, resorts and vacation towns can be quite expensive. And often, when traveling, the nanny does not have access to a private kitchen or affordable food options. Employers may provide meals directly, reimburse the nanny or offer a daily meal stipend. In our experience, meal stipends generally range from $50 to $150 per day, depending on what meals are provided, if the nanny has access to a kitchen, and travel logistics.
Our friends at HomeWork Solutions also suggest families consider offering a stipend to cover the additional costs the nanny may incur while traveling. A few common examples are pet care, travel-related phone or internet costs and any required special attire for the trip. While these may seem like small things, they all add up. It pays to be as generous as possible with your nanny…always.
Nanny Travel Stipend or Bonus
Unfortunately, there’s no industry standard for nanny travel stipends or nanny travel bonuses. However, offering a nanny a stipend, bonus or increased rate while traveling for work should be considered. Again, it might be vacation for you, and even come with fun perks for the nanny, but, in the end, they’re still working.
In our experience, families typically offer a travel stipend in the range of $75 to $150 per day, depending on the length of the trip, working hours, sleeping arrangements, and how much the trip impacts the nanny’s personal time. Others employers prefer to offer a one-time nanny travel bonus versus a daily stipend. These bonuses tend to be the equivalent of the daily pay, but in one lump-sum added to the nanny’s payroll. A travel stipend or bonus is additional compensation for the disruption/inconvenience of traveling. It does not replace the nanny’s regular hourly pay, overtime or compensation for overnight childcare responsibilities.
At ABC, we recommend discussing additional compensation when travel requires longer days, international travel, shared spaces, missed weekends, limited privacy, extended time away from home, or meaningful disruption to the nanny’s regular routine.
Off-Duty Time, Private Time and Rest Time
Off-duty time when a nanny is traveling with their employer can be difficult to arrange and manage. Children may naturally seek out their nanny, even when they are not technically on-duty. It’s even more difficult to protect this important off-duty time if everyone is staying in the same house, hotel or resort.
It’s the parents/employers responsibility to ensure their child/children know when the nanny is not working and redirect them accordingly. A friendly hello or an open invite to breakfast with the family is fine. But asking the nanny to supervise, entertain, “help” or “keep an eye” on the children is not okay. Again, it’s important off-duty time feel like real time off. Be sure to respect and protect this time for your nanny, as not to turn their off-duty time back into work time.
Industry standard is to provide a private room, away from the children, for your nanny. Privacy and rest ensure your nanny returns to work the next day more present, more patient, and ready to engage in another fun day together!
Put It in Writing Before You Leave
Before traveling together, families and nannies should put the plan in writing (if the details aren’t already included in the Employee Work Agreement). It doesn’t need to be formal, but it should be clear. Include the travel dates and location, work schedule and off-duty time, duties and expectations, overnight responsibilities and sleeping arrangements, meals, compensation, and any travel stipend or bonus being offered.
Traveling with your nanny can be a wonderful experience for everyone. A great nanny makes life easier, and that’s especially true when you’re traveling with children. The key is to plan ahead. Put the details in writing. And, be thoughtful about your nanny’s time outside of work. When everyone understands the schedule, responsibilities and compensation upfront, the trip is more enjoyable for everyone. Taking 15 minutes to work through the details shows your nanny you value their time, flexibility and work. Then, everyone can relax and enjoy the trip!
IMPORTANT NOTE: The team at ABC Nannies & Domestics, Inc. are household staffing experts, not licensed attorneys or payroll specialists. Domestic employment and overtime laws are complex and change frequently. The information in this article is for educational purposes and should not be taken as legal advice. We strongly recommend consulting a qualified employment attorney or a specialized household payroll provider to review your specific travel plans and agreements before your trip.
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- If you found this article useful, you might also enjoy this: Understanding Guaranteed Hours and Why They Matter.
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