Snow Day Survival Guide for Nannies:
Pay, Policies & Professional Boundaries
Winter weather is tricky for a nanny – you want to stay safe but you also want to help your family and get paid. While an office job may have a company wide policy snow day, in-home childcare norms can be harder to navigate. But don’t worry, Smart Sitting is here to clear it all up so you know what to do next time that winter storm/bomb cyclone/snowpocalypse comes around.
Every Nanny Needs a Weather Policy
You may assume you’re on the same page as your employer about what to do in case snowmageddon rolls into town. But then, once it does, suddenly it turns out you had wildly different ideas about the expectations, creating unnecessary conflict in the relationship.
A snow day policy – written into your nanny job contract – protects both you and your employer. It removes last-minute stress, prevents guilt-driven decisions, and keeps communication professional.
Putting a Snow Day Clause in Your Contract:
A strong inclement weather clause typically covers:
What counts as “severe weather”
Who makes the call if travel is unsafe and when
If additional hours are expected in case school is closed etc.
Pay expectations if either side cancels or if additional hours are added
Putting this into the contract nips potential conflicts in the bud – you’re talking about it at a low-stress time, so that when school is suddenly canceled (definitely a high-stress time!), you both know what’s expected, and how you’ll be compensated.
And if you feel awkward about asking for a contract or unsure of how to go about it, work with a nanny agency like Smart Sitting. We help parents and nannies draft contracts, guide them on what to include, and make sure everyone is on board and happy before the handshake.
Getting Paid: What’s Standard and Reasonable?
If the family cancels due to weather
If you work on regularly set hours, you should get paid if the family cancels your normal shift. This falls under guaranteed weekly minimum/guaranteed hours, a widely accepted best practice in professional nanny employment. You kept your time available and were ready to work – the cancellation wasn’t your choice.
Typical expectations:
Full pay for your scheduled hours
You are not required to “make up” the time later
If you can’t safely get to work
This is where the contract matters most. Having agreed beforehand on what makes travel unsafe or what constitutes a snow day means you’re not arguing whether or not you can dig your car out of the driveway or not.
If it is not safe, but you would otherwise be working, ideally the family will still pay you for this day. If you live somewhere where it snows a lot, the family may want to write a few paid snow days into your contract. Some families may ask you to take a PTO day, but again, this should be agreed upon beforehand (for instance if it is technically safe for you to travel but you would prefer not to).
You should not be pressured to risk unsafe travel. Check what your city leaders are recommending and check what the public transit systems look like.
Unusual Work Days
Proper snow days where you do go into work also often look quite different from your typical nanny day. Maybe school is closed and you’re in charge for the full day. Maybe you’re taking care of more siblings than usual, or you’re managing remote learning via digital devices.
Whatever the case, be ready for an unusual day, and come prepared with energy, positivity, and a few tricks up your sleeve in terms of activities and ways to make the day fun. Sometimes you may be working alongside a WFH parent, which may also change the dynamic.
The more you can bring a positive attitude, great ways to keep the kiddos occupied, and flexibility for day outside your ordinary routine, the better off everyone will be at the end of the day. When we say nannies can be real lifesavers, this is where we’ve seen it!
Backup Care & Flexibility: What’s Fair?
Some families ask nannies to:
Arrive early before a storm
Stay overnight
Be “on call” during school closures
These are premium requests, not standard expectations. If you’re open to them, great! Again, have this conversation before it actually happens, so everyone is making smart agreements without feeling pressured. That said, a family will love you for being flexible and helping out in an unusual and stressful situation, which is the basis for long-lasting, super successful, and lovely nanny-parent relationship.
If you agree on out-of-the-ordinary add-ons, it’s reasonable to negotiate:
Additional pay or an overnight fee
Transportation coverage (car service, rideshare, or mileage)
A private sleeping space
What Experienced Nannies Consider the Gold Standard
Here’s the TL;DR for what’s expected in the nanny industry:
Guaranteed hours and pay for regular positions
A written bad weather policy
No penalty for prioritizing safety
No required make-up time for family cancellations
Extra compensation for overnight or emergency coverage
None of that is “asking for too much” – it’s the norm in structured, long-term nanny positions.
The bottom line is, snow days are unpredictable. Your income and safety shouldn’t be. Having a clear agreement in place reduces guilt and pressure, and keeps everyone happy. It also confirms that you are a childcare professional in a professional role – this is your job, and jobs have guidelines.
Then, all that’s left to do is put on some warm layers, grab a sled, and head for the park. There’s no better way to earn a cozy hot cocoa on the couch than making the most of a snow day with kids!
Psst. If you’re a great nanny looking for a job, apply to Smart Sitting via the button below! We have full-time, part-time, and backup care positions available in snow and summer!