One of the first things an experienced nanny will bring up is guaranteed hours. Families new to hiring are sometimes surprised by the idea of paying for hours they didn't use — but in the nanny world it's a standard, expected term. Here's the logic.

What guaranteed hours are

Guaranteed hours are a set number of paid hours each week, written into the work agreement, that you pay regardless of whether you end up needing all of them. If your nanny is guaranteed 45 hours and you only use 38 one week because you took the kids yourself, they're still paid for 45.

Guaranteed hours set the floor, not the ceiling. If your nanny works more than the guarantee, you pay for the actual hours worked — including overtime past 40.

Why they're standard

A nanny commits their entire working schedule to one family. Unlike a shift worker, they can't pick up hours elsewhere when you cancel — that time is simply gone. Guaranteed hours protect the nanny's income against the normal ups and downs of family life:

  • You take a day off and stay home with the kids.
  • The family goes on vacation without the nanny.
  • A child is home sick and a grandparent steps in.
  • You cut hours some weeks but not others.

In each case the nanny kept the schedule open for you. Guaranteed hours mean their paycheck doesn't swing with your calendar.

How to set them

  • Base the guarantee on your normal week. If you typically need 45 hours, guarantee close to that.
  • Write it into the contract — the weekly guaranteed number and the overtime rate above 40.
  • Clarify the exceptions you both agree to, like unpaid weeks when the nanny chooses to take vacation.
  • Remember overtime still applies — guaranteed hours above 40 don't erase the time-and-a-half rule.
Guaranteed hours also help you: they make your weekly cost predictable and signal to a great nanny that you're a stable, professional employer.

House lets you set guaranteed hours once and applies them to every pay period automatically — no manual math when a week runs light.

Set up guaranteed hours

The bottom line

Guaranteed hours pay your nanny for the schedule they hold open for you, even in light weeks. They're standard practice, they make your budgeting predictable, and they're a mark of a family worth working for.