Nanny&Me: 4 Things You NEED to do BEFORE/UPON Your NANNY'S ARRIVAL (...It's the law!)

4 Things You NEED to do BEFORE/UPON Your NANNY'S ARRIVAL (...It's the law!)

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Your nanny is soon to arrive, what an exciting time!! There are 4 things you need to do before and/or upon your nanny's arrival:

Obtain health insurance for OHIP's waiting period (before/upon arrival - required by law)
Set up payroll with the CRA (upon arrival - required by law)
Book a First Aid/CPR course (before/upon arrival - not required by law)
Register for a WSIB account (upon arrival - required by law)

1. Obtain private health insurance for OHIP's waiting period

This is VERY important. In Ontario foreign workers cannot be covered under our provincial healthcare system (please make sure you know the process for your province/state/country if outside Ontario) until 3 months from the date of their arrival in the country.

You need to provide private health care insurance which comes in the form of travel insurance. We considered three products (RBC, Manulife, and Blue Cross) but went with Blue Cross in the end because you can't beat their pricing, see comparison chart below:

Amount Insured	RBC	Manulife	Blue Cross

$25,000	$243 ($50 deductible)
$50,000	$305 ($50 deductible)	$260
$100,000		$349	$233
$150,000	$477 ($50 deductible)	$373

*All amounts based on 90 days of coverage
*Based on quotes received in March 2015

Sidenote: across the board, I don't know if I have ever received such poor customer service from any type of business than I did from all three of these companies. I was hesitant to even go with Blue Cross (despite their amazing rates) because the customer service was SO bad. The only thing that turned the tide in their favour was that the other two companies provided equally appalling customer service!!...unfriendly and unhelpful, but at least we've got the medical coverage we need!

2. Set up payroll with the CRA (We're using NannyTax)

You are required by law to remit source deductions to the CRA monthly and to keep records of your nanny's payroll.

If you are using a payroll assistance service then it's time to get that set up. We are using (and I highly recommend) NannyTax and couldn't be more thrilled with the customer service that we've received so far!

Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming guest post by NannyTax where Deborah, the owner, will explain all of the basics and need-to-knows of nannies and taxes. I have some exciting news to share with you...I am such a big fan of NannyTax that I've set up a special deal with Deborah.

If you sign on to use NannyTax's service using the Nanny&Me coupon code, you will receive your first month of service FREE!

Just call Deborah at 1-877-626-6982 (1-877-NANNYTAX) and tell her that you are a Nanny&Me reader and voila, one month free service!

Now if you know me then you know that I take referrals VERY seriously. I do not grant praise easily when it comes to good business, but when I do, I really mean business! NannyTax has been beyond helpful in preparing for the tax component of hiring a nanny (CRA remittance, WSIB premiums, payroll). Deborah is so personally committed to every single person that she speaks with. She has spent so much time with me on the phone walking me through the various aspects so that I understand the basics, and NannyTax is going to be taking care of literally everything for us! Ask her about her own nanny journey; Deborah got into business when she (as an accountant) was navigating the tax waters and realized she could help families in need!

I'll be writing another post on NannyTax in the coming week that will provide a full run down of their services which range from basic monthly CRA remittance calculations to paying your WSIB premiums and your nanny.

3. Book a First Aid/CPR Course

This is important to provide your nanny with the most up to date and relevant training. There are several options that families pursue:

Baby/child CPR and First Aid workshop - This is a non-certification course that many families find suits their needs quite well. You can take a course like this through Canadian Red Cross for $45/person.
CPR C - This is a certified CPR course which covers infant, child, and adult CPR and choking. There are many institutes which offer this course such as St John Ambulance.
In-home training - There are individual CPR and First Aid instructors who will come to your home and provide a CPR C course for $65/person. I even spoke to one instructor dually certified through Heart & Stroke and Lifesaving Society who was able to customize a certified course in home to offer CPR C, choking, and basic first aid.
CPR C & Basic First Aid - This is a 1 or 2 day certification course which covers everything from CPR and choking to burn management and emergency response. These courses typically range from $130-300/person and are offered by many companies including Toronto Paramedic Services.

We have decided to take a CPR C course with our nanny and are planning to arrange for an in-home instructor through Heart & Stroke Foundation. We have had a few hiccups finding an instructor whose right for us in terms of what they can offer and where they can travel to, but we're hoping to get something set up in the next two weeks.

It's so vital for parents to have proper CPR training too, so this is a great way to do a little activity together as a family including your nanny and ensure everyone's safety in the long run.

4. Register for a WSIB account

You are required to register for WSIB if you employ 1) a live-in nanny OR 2) a live-out nanny who works more than 24 hours/weeks. This is a very quick and easy process. You can theoretically use their e-registration system although I received an error message when trying to input my email and after three separate attempts (on two different days) I gave up and called them. They were more than happy to register me over the phone and it only took 10 minutes or so.

Stay tuned for a post on the 4 things a supportive employer helps their nanny obtain upon their arrival!