Nanny Contract: Template and Key Clauses (2026)

A nanny contract sets out how a nanny will care for a family's children, the hours and pay, and the rights and duties on both sides of what is usually an ongoing working relationship. It suits live-out and live-in nannies, nanny shares and long-term placements. The usual disputes are about hours that crept up, overtime and holiday pay, and whether the nanny is an employee with the rights that brings. This guide gives you a usable clause-by-clause skeleton, explains what each part does, and flags the mistakes families get wrong. This is general information, not legal advice. Employment, tax and childcare rules differ sharply by country, for example the United States, the United Kingdom and India, and a nanny is often a household employee rather than a contractor, so have an important agreement checked by a professional in your area before you sign. ## When you need this contract Use a written contract for any regular nanny arrangement. It matters most when the nanny works set hours each week, when pay, tax and holiday are involved, when the nanny lives in, and when the family relies on the nanny as their main childcare. A clear contract prevents arguments when the hours, the pay basis and time off were only agreed in conversation, and it helps the family meet their duties as an employer. ## Employee or contractor Start here, because it drives the rest. In many countries a nanny who works set hours in the family home, using the family's routine, is treated as an employee, not a self-employed contractor. That usually means the family must handle payroll, tax and statutory rights such as holiday, sick pay and notice. Do not simply label a nanny self-employed to avoid this; the label does not decide status, the real arrangement does. Check the rule in your country before you choose. ## The clause-by-clause skeleton 1. Parties and children. Name the family employers and the nanny in full, with addresses, and record the children's names and ages and the start date. 2. Duties. The most important clause. List the childcare duties: supervision, meals, school runs, activities, homework help, bath and bedtime, and any light nursery housework such as the children's laundry and tidying their rooms. Be clear about what is not expected, such as general housework for the whole family, so duties do not creep. 3. Hours and overtime. State the normal days and hours, the rules for overtime and how it is paid or taken back as time off, babysitting in the evenings, and travel or holidays with the family. Set out how changes to hours are agreed. 4. Pay and tax. State the pay, whether it is gross or net (gross is clearer and fairer), how often it is paid, and that the family will operate payroll and deduct tax and any contributions as the law requires. Avoid cash-in-hand arrangements that leave both sides exposed. 5. Holiday, sick leave and public holidays. Set out paid holiday, how it is booked, pay for public holidays, and sick leave in line with local law. These are rights for an employee, not extras. 6. Live-in terms. If the nanny lives in, set out the accommodation and meals provided, private time and space, and that board does not reduce pay below any legal minimum. 7. Confidentiality. A nanny sees the family's private life. Require them to keep family matters, routines and security details confidential, during and after the job, and set sensible rules on posting about the children online. 8. Health, safety and emergencies. Record allergies, medication, doctor details and emergency contacts, authority to seek medical care, and any first aid or driving requirements. Set out car use and insurance if the nanny drives the children. 9. Probation and reviews. Set a probation period with shorter notice, and how performance and pay are reviewed. 10. Notice and termination. State the notice each side must give, pay in lieu, and the grounds for ending the job quickly for serious misconduct such as a safeguarding concern. Follow the local rules for a fair dismissal. 11. Behaviour and discipline rules. Agree how the children are to be disciplined and any house rules on screen time, food and outings, so the family and nanny are consistent. 12. Governing law and disputes. Name the country or state whose law applies and how disputes will be handled. ## Common mistakes to avoid The biggest mistake families make is treating the nanny as self-employed to dodge payroll and tax, when the real arrangement makes the nanny an employee, which can lead to back tax and penalties. The second is net pay deals that fall apart when tax changes, which is why a gross figure is safer. Others include duties that creep into full housework, no clear overtime rule, no written holiday and sick terms, no confidentiality clause, and no proper notice. Fix these and the relationship stays fair and lawful. ## From a signed contract to a managed relationship Writing a strong contract is step one. The harder part is keeping track of the hours, pay reviews, holiday, probation dates and renewal across the life of the job, especially for a family employing a nanny for the first time. When these live in a drawer and a group chat, the dates and duties that matter are easy to lose. Adira is an AI legal operating system built on Claude that keeps the whole cycle, from drafting and reviewing an agreement for risk, to signing it, to tracking the key dates and review terms, in one workspace tuned to how you work, with public per-seat pricing and a short free trial. You can see how it works at adiralaw.com. A single pane showing the status of every agreement and upcoming date is on its roadmap. For a short holiday cover, a simple letter is enough; the workspace helps a family or agency managing several placements and their employer duties at once.