You're paying your nanny every week, but neither of you is writing down the hours. It works fine until it doesn't — a disagreement over overtime, a vague recollection of a holiday week, or tax season when you need actual numbers.
Tracking hours doesn't need to be complicated. But it does need to happen.
Why you need to track hours
The Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to maintain records of hours worked for all non-exempt employees. Your nanny is a non-exempt employee.
That's the legal answer. The practical answer is simpler: you need to know how much to pay, when overtime kicks in, and what to report on their W-2 at year end.
Without a record, you're guessing. And guessing leads to:
- Underpaying overtime. If your nanny works 43 hours one week and you don't catch it, you owe three hours at 1.5x. Multiply that over a year and it adds up fast. (Full breakdown in our overtime rules guide.)
- Tax filing problems. When you file Schedule H with your return, you need total wages paid. If you've been estimating, those numbers might not match what your nanny reports.
- Disputes with no paper trail. If your nanny says they worked 42 hours and you think it was 38, a shared timesheet settles it instantly.
What you actually need to track
You don't need a complicated system. The IRS and DOL require you to keep:
| Record | Why |
|---|---|
| Hours worked each day | Basis for pay calculation |
| Total hours per week | Determines overtime eligibility |
| Regular vs. overtime hours | Different pay rates |
| Pay rate and total compensation | W-2 reporting |
| Pay dates | Quarterly tax filing |
Keep these records for at least three years. If your nanny ever disputes their pay or you get audited, this is your protection.
Four ways to track nanny hours
There's no single right method. Pick whatever you'll actually stick with.
Shared spreadsheet. Google Sheets or Excel. Your nanny enters hours daily, you review weekly. Free, familiar, but easy to forget and no overtime calculation.
Paper log. A notebook by the door. Your nanny writes start/end times. Simple, but hard to total up and no backup if you lose it.
Generic time tracking app. Toggl, Clockify, Homebase. Built for businesses, not households. Your nanny needs to download an app, create an account, learn the interface. Works, but more friction than you need.
NannyKeeper's free time tracker. Built specifically for families. You send your nanny a link — no app download, no account, no password. They bookmark it and log hours from their phone. You see a weekly timesheet on your dashboard with overtime calculated automatically. When you're ready to run payroll, the hours pre-fill.
How NannyKeeper's time tracker works
Three steps, about two minutes to set up.
Send your nanny a link. From your NannyKeeper dashboard, tap "Send time tracking link." Your nanny gets an email with a magic link.
They log hours on their phone. Your nanny opens the link and either clocks in/out with one tap, or enters hours at the end of the day. Works on any phone — iPhone, Android, anything with a browser.
You review the timesheet. Every week you get a clean summary: daily hours, weekly total, overtime flagged. When you run payroll, the hours auto-fill so you don't re-enter anything.
The time tracker is free on every plan, including the Free Forever plan. Clock-in/out mode and payroll auto-fill are available on Starter ($10/mo) and above.
Overtime: the part most families miss
Federal law requires time-and-a-half for every hour over 40 per week. This is calculated per workweek, not averaged across a pay period.
| Week | Hours | Regular Pay ($20/hr) | Overtime Pay ($30/hr) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 38 | $760 | $0 | $760 |
| Week 2 | 45 | $800 | $150 (5 hrs) | $950 |
| Week 3 | 40 | $800 | $0 | $800 |
| Week 4 | 42 | $800 | $60 (2 hrs) | $860 |
You can't average Week 1 (38 hours) and Week 2 (45 hours) to get 41.5 and call it even. Each week stands alone.
Some states — including California and Colorado — have additional daily overtime rules (after 8 or 12 hours in a single day, depending on the state). And nine states don't recognize the federal live-in exemption at all. Check your state's requirements.
Live-in nannies are exempt from federal overtime, but some states like California and Massachusetts require it anyway. More on this in our overtime rules guide.
What about live-in nannies?
If your nanny lives in your home, federal overtime rules don't apply. But you still need to track hours for:
- State requirements. California, Massachusetts, and Hawaii require overtime for live-in workers regardless of federal exemption.
- Minimum wage. You must still pay at least the federal or state minimum wage (whichever is higher) for every hour worked. See our minimum wage by state guide.
- Tax reporting. Total hours × pay rate = total wages for W-2 and Schedule H purposes.
Tips for making time tracking stick
The biggest challenge isn't choosing a method — it's using it consistently. A few things that help:
Make it your nanny's job, not yours. Whether it's a spreadsheet, paper log, or NannyKeeper, your nanny should be the one entering hours. You review and approve. This creates a shared record and avoids the "I thought you were tracking it" problem.
Pick the same time each day. If your nanny logs hours at the end of their shift, it becomes routine. If they try to reconstruct a full week from memory on Friday, entries get vague.
Review weekly, not monthly. Catching a discrepancy on Friday is easy. Catching it six weeks later leads to arguments.
Include notes for unusual days. Early pickups, late stays, errands — a one-line note prevents confusion later. NannyKeeper's time tracker has a notes field on every entry for exactly this.
See what you'll owe
Use our free calculator to estimate your nanny tax costs for 2026.
FAQ
Is tracking nanny hours legally required?
Yes. The Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to keep records of hours worked for non-exempt employees. Household employers are included.
How long do I need to keep time records?
At least three years, per federal requirements. Some states require longer. Keep records digitally if possible — paper gets lost.
Can my nanny track hours on a shared family iPad?
Yes. NannyKeeper's time tracker works in any browser — phone, tablet, or computer. Your nanny just needs the bookmark link.
What if my nanny forgets to log hours?
They can always go back and add entries for past days. Setting up a daily reminder (or using the end-of-shift habit) helps prevent this.
Do I need to track hours if my nanny is salaried?
You still need to track hours to ensure you're meeting minimum wage requirements and calculating overtime correctly. A "salary" for a nanny is really just a guaranteed minimum — overtime still applies if they work over 40 hours.
Related reading
- Free Nanny Time Tracker — set up in 2 minutes, free forever
- Nanny Overtime Rules Explained (2026) — federal and state rules, live-in exemptions
- First-Time Nanny Employer Checklist — everything from EIN to W-2
- Nanny Minimum Wage by State 2026 — all 50 states