Category Archives: Policy Updates

Thank you for your understanding during the period 24th July – 1st September 2024, when Belle took an overseas adventure. It was amazing and Belle was so busy flying around, we are yet to post about our travel adventures, but we will!

In addition, as much as we hate to be adding to the stress of daily living costs constantly rising, as we are committed to supporting the living wage movement, it is part of our annual review process to ensure our rates are equivalent to the current Living wage. Thus, due to the minimum living wage increasing we have amended several fees as at 01/09/2024.

Our Rate Changes:

Standard Babysitter Hourly rates are now $28 per hour.

Standard Public Holiday rates are now $33 per hour (for all families – both Member and Non-Member).

Current Standard Short Notice Babysitter Hourly rates are now $33 per hour. Current Members still get the benefit of applying the $28 per hour rate even at short notice (12hours or less notice is considered short notice).

Cancellation Fee is $50 Non-Member) and  $40 (Member).

Minimum Booking amount payable to a babysitter is $50 (Non-Member) and  $40 (Member). Note: This is payable even if the booking is of shorter duration than would equate to the above amounts payable, I.e. Less than 1hour 45minutes (Non-Member) and less than 1hour 25minutes (Member).

Also the standard Petrol reimbursement rate for when a babysitter drives your children in their car, has been adjusted in line with the IRD recommended rate (currently $1 per Km for all vehicle types), negotiating this rate may be possible in individual circumstances but usually depends on the babysitter and exact parameters of the job. Long distance travel rates (if you live in the wider Dunedin or beyond area), are still calculated differently based on the combination of total travel time from the Octagon and total duration of the job.

Combined families rate (if combining children from more than one family is still $3 per hour per extra child, from the other family/ies, the additional children of equal or lower sized family/ies is used for this calculation. I.e. the largest family is considered the ‘main’ or active member family plus all the extra children thereafter).

All Agency Booking Fees and Membership renewal fees remain the same.

These rate changes keep our babysitters feeling valued and reimbursed above the legal requirements for minimum (living) wage (as we support the living wage guidelines).

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND ONGOING SUPPORT!

We understand the recent years and inflation have hit many families a bit harder than usual and we delayed rate changes as long as possible. But we are committed to being a supporter of the Living wage and thus due to the minimum living wage increasing we have amended several fees as at 01/09/2023.

Our Rate Changes:

Standard Babysitter Hourly rates are now $26 per hour.

Standard Public Holiday rates are still $30 per hour (for all families – both Member and Non-Member).

Current Standard Short Notice Babysitter Hourly rates are still $30 per hour. Current Members still get the benefit of applying the $26 per hour rate.

Cancellation Fee is $45 (Non-Member) and  $35 (Member).

Minimum Booking amount payable to a babysitter is $45 (Non-Member) and  $35 (Member). Note: This is payable even if the booking is of shorter duration than would equate to the above amounts payable, I.e. Less than 1.75hours (Non-Member) and less than 1.33 hours (Member).

Also the standard Petrol reimbursement rate has been adjusted in line with the IRD recommended rate (currently 95c per Km for all vehicle types), negotiating this rate may be possible in individual circumstances but usually depends on the babysitter and exact parameters of the job. Long distance travel rates (if you live in the wider Dunedin or beyond area), are still calculated differently based on the combination of total travel time from the Octagon and total duration of the job.

Combined families rate (if combining children from more than one family is still $3 per hour per extra child, from the other family/ies, the additional children of equal or lower sized family/ies is used for this calculation. I.e. the largest family is considered the ‘main’ family plus all the extra children thereafter).

All Agency Booking Fees and Membership renewal fees remain the same.

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND ONGOING SUPPORT!

Due to minimum wage increase we have amended several fees as at 01/04/2020.

Rate changes:

Standard Babysitter Hourly rates are now $20 per hour.

Standard Short Notice rates and Public Holiday rates are $25 per hour.

Current Member Short Notice Babysitter Hourly rates are $20 per hour.

Cancellation Fee is $35 (Non-Member) and  $25 (Member).

Minimum Booking amount payable to a babysitter is $35 (Non-Member) and  $25 (Member). Note: This is payable even if the booking is of shorter duration than would equate to the above amounts payable, I.e. Less than 1.75hours (Non-Member) and less than 1.25hours (Member).

Combined families rate (if combining children from more than one family is $2.50 per hour per extra child, from the other family/lies).

All Agency Booking Fees and Membership renewal fees remain the same.