What Do Changes In Work Patterns Mean For Nannies?

A recent article by the BBC and in The Telegraph, have suggested that after Covid, with workers starting to return to the office, our normal Monday-Friday working pattern is changing.

Analysts from Placemake.io and Visitor Insights report that there has been increased activity in many suburban and small towns, and seaside towns were significantly busier compared to before the Pandemic, while city centres have seen a decline in footfall. They are suggesting that Tuesday to Thursday is the prevailing working pattern.

It has also found that families are moving away from cities to more rural areas.

So what does this mean for the Nanny industry? It could mean a few things:

1. Fewer full time roles and more part time roles, meaning nannies may have to consider working for two families, and mixing roles during the working week. (This has tax implications for the employers with more hours and days, so something to be aware of) Or hourly rates may go up further to compensate for more part time roles than full time roles. (Currently the average is sitting at £18/£19 gross per hour as of Jan 23) As an agency we are definitely seeing more part time roles than full time roles, so perhaps this shift is starting to show through? Or has the raise in the hourly rate caused more working parents to think about the hours and budget they have for a nanny?
2. Still working full time for families, but having to work with working parents around. This can be difficult for all, as children tend to act differently around their parents, which is normal behaviour, but makes it difficult for the nanny to manage and the parents to concentrate from home if in close proximity. On the other hand, it helps build better communication, as the parent is home more and therefore interacting more in the nanny/employer relationship. It is really important more than ever now to consider these factors at the recruitment stage of hiring a nanny. Can you all work together as a family unit?
3. More roles available outside of big cities and more choice in smaller towns and villages. I think tis would actually be a good thing, to create more of a community, and have more choice of things to do without having to travel too far.
4. Having more part time roles on offer, could let nannies have a more work life balance, having the choice to work as many days as you need to during the week.
5. More live in roles could be on offer, but with a shortage of live in nannies due to the au pair scheme ending, employers need to give adequate time to search for a candidate.

What is your experience of working patterns currently?