How to Manage Overtime and Extra Hours Fairly
Being a parent-employer isn’t a 9–5 job – and often, neither is being a nanny.
There are late work calls, train delays, parents’ evenings, and the occasional “Can you stay an extra hour so we can actually finish dinner?” moment. Extra hours are sometimes unavoidable, but they can also become a source of tension if they’re not handled clearly and fairly.
In this guide, we’ll walk through how to manage overtime and extra hours for your nanny in a way that’s fair, legal, and kind – for both sides.
Start with clarity: what counts as “overtime”?
Before you can manage overtime fairly, you both need to know what “normal hours” are.
For most nanny contracts, you’ll have:
A set number of core hours per week (e.g. 40 hours, Monday–Friday)
A set hourly rate (or an annual salary that works out to a clear hourly rate)
Anything beyond those agreed, contracted hours is usually considered extra – but how you treat that extra time should be spelled out in the contract.
You might agree that:
Extra hours need to be requested and agreed in advance (where possible)
Last-minute overruns are charged at a higher overtime rate
There is a cap on the number of extra hours per week or month
The key is that your nanny knows what to expect. Surprises around pay are what cause resentment, not the occasional late finish.
Hourly nannies vs salaried nannies
How you manage overtime will often depend on how you pay your nanny:
Hourly nanny
Paid for every hour (or part-hour) they work.
Any extra time is easy to calculate: hours worked × hourly rate (or overtime rate if agreed).
Salaried nanny
Paid a fixed amount each month for an agreed number of hours.
You still need to make sure, when you break it down, that you’re paying at least the National Minimum Wage/National Living Wage for all hours worked – including regular overtime.
If extra hours become frequent or expected, it may be fairer to revisit the contract and increase contracted hours and salary.
A good rule of thumb: if your nanny consistently works more than what’s written in the contract, you haven’t got a nanny who does a bit of overtime – you’ve got a contract that’s no longer realistic.
Agree an overtime rate (and write it down)
Fairness isn’t just about being kind – it’s also about being consistent. The easiest way to be consistent is to:
Agree a clear overtime rate
Put it in the employment contract or as a written addendum
Some families:
Pay the same hourly rate for overtime as for normal hours
Pay a higher rate for evenings, weekends or last-minute requests
Offer time off in lieu (TOIL) for occasional extra hours (e.g. nanny works till 7pm one day and finishes at 3pm another day by agreement)
Whatever you choose, make sure:
It’s not lower than their usual hourly rate
It doesn’t push their average hourly pay below the minimum wage once total hours are counted
Your nanny has had the chance to ask questions and agree in writing
Handling last-minute “Can you stay late?” situations
Life happens. Trains are late, meetings overrun, bedtimes take longer than you planned.
To keep last-minute requests feeling fair:
Be transparent about time
Let your nanny know as soon as you realise you’ll be late.
Give a realistic new time, not “just 10 minutes” if you know it’ll be 45.
Confirm that it’s paid
A simple text like:
“I’m really sorry, my train is delayed – would you be ok to stay until 7:30? Of course we’ll pay overtime for the extra hour.”
Round sensibly
Decide together whether you round to the nearest 15 minutes or pay by the minute. Consistent rounding (e.g. to the nearest quarter hour) feels fair and is easy to track.
Say thank you
A genuine thank you + reliable payment goes a long way. Extra hours are part of the relationship – not a favour you never acknowledge.
Avoiding burnout: caps and boundaries
Nannies are human. They need rest, personal time, and a predictable routine just like you do.
To protect them (and your relationship):
Set a reasonable cap on weekly hours – even including overtime (keeping an eye on Working Time Regulations guidance, where relevant).
Avoid making overtime feel like a permanent expectation. If you regularly need your nanny till 7pm, it may be time to extend contracted hours.
Respect their right to say no to extra hours, especially at weekends or late evenings.
A good phrase to use:
“If overtime ever starts to feel too much, please tell us early – we’d rather tweak the plan than burn you out.”
This prevents resentment building quietly in the background.
Time off in lieu (TOIL): when extra hours are swapped, not paid
Some families prefer to offer time off in lieu instead of or alongside paid overtime.
For example:
Your nanny stays 1.5 hours late on Tuesday to cover a work event
You agree that on Friday they can finish 1.5 hours early, with no pay loss
If you use TOIL:
Keep it clear and written – you can literally track it in a simple shared note or app.
Make sure TOIL is taken promptly, not months later when everyone’s forgotten.
Don’t let TOIL replace fair pay if extra hours become regular.
TOIL works best for occasional peaks and troughs, not for systematically underpaying regular overtime.
Tracking hours properly (so everyone feels secure)
One of the biggest frustrations for both parents and nannies is fuzzy memory:
“I think you stayed late a couple of times last week?”
“Did I finish at 6:30 or 7 on Thursday?”
“Have we already paid for those extra hours?”
To avoid this:
Use a simple weekly hours log – it can be a shared Google Sheet, notes app, or part of your payroll platform.
Ask your nanny to approve the hours before each payday.
Include extra hours clearly on their payslip, so they can see how the total was calculated.
This kind of transparency builds trust and makes you look like the organised, responsible employer you are (even if you feel like a chaotic parent on the inside).
When “helping out” quietly becomes unpaid overtime
Nannies often go above and beyond – a bit of extra tidying, a quick dinner prep, an extra story at bedtime. That’s part of being caring and flexible.
But there’s a difference between:
A nanny occasionally staying 15 minutes later because you’re stuck in traffic, and
A nanny regularly finishing 45–60 minutes after their contracted time with no extra pay or TOIL
If you notice a pattern like:
You “never” get back by the time you agreed in the contract
Your nanny is routinely working an extra 5–10 hours a week
They seem tired or less enthusiastic about extra requests
…it’s worth sitting down and saying:
“We’ve noticed you often stay later than your contracted time. You’ve been amazing, but we want to make sure this is fair. Should we adjust your hours and pay to reflect what you’re actually working?”
That conversation can feel awkward, but it’s one of the strongest ways to show respect.
Communicating changes: how to have the money chat
Talking about money is rarely anyone’s favourite thing – but doing it well is part of being a good employer.
You could say:
“We’d like to review how we handle extra hours so it’s totally clear and fair for both of us. Here’s what we’re thinking for overtime rates / TOIL – can we talk it through and see how it feels for you?”
During that chat:
Share your proposal clearly (overtime rate, rounding, TOIL rules)
Ask for your nanny’s input and concerns
Agree the final approach and confirm it in writing (even if it’s just a short email summary and contract addendum)
Clear, written agreements massively reduce the risk of future misunderstandings.
How Hirelo can help with overtime and extra hours
When you’re doing everything yourself, overtime can easily become yet another thing on the mental load pile:
Working out extra hours
Checking you’re not accidentally dropping below minimum wage once all the hours are counted
Keeping clean records in case anything is ever queried
Hirelo takes this off your plate. You can:
Set your nanny’s contracted hours and overtime rate in the app
Log extra hours in a couple of taps (or let your nanny submit them to you to approve)
See contracted hours vs overtime clearly each pay period
Have payslips automatically show overtime as a separate line, so everything is transparent
Your nanny can see exactly what they’ve been paid for, and you know it’s been worked out correctly – without late-night spreadsheet maths.
The bottom line: fairness now protects the relationship later
Overtime and extra hours are part of modern family life, especially when both parents work.
Managing them fairly is less about strict rules and more about:
Clarity – everyone knows what counts as extra and what it pays
Consistency – the same approach every time, not case-by-case guesswork
Respect – recognising that your nanny’s time and energy are valuable
Get those three right, and your nanny is far more likely to stay with your family, feel appreciated, and be happy to help when you really need that extra hour.
If you’d like overtime, extra hours and payslips handled for you each month, Hirelo can manage the whole nanny payroll side so you don’t have to.