FAQs for Busy Bees Babysitting

Here are the answers to your questions about Busy Bees Babysitting

Bee Questions & Answers

High School Bee College Bee​
Sun-Fri 1-3 children $14.00/hr $16.00/hr
Sat 1-3 children $16.00/hr $18.00/hr
Sun - Fri 4-5 children $16.00/hr $18.00/hr
Sat 4-5 children $18.00/hr $20.00/hr
Sun-Fri 6 children $19.00/hr $20.50/hr
Sat 6 children $21.00/hr $22.50/hr

All group jobs are standard 1-3 children rate listed above.

What should I wear to Busy Bees jobs? 
We always encourage you to wear your Busy Bees shirt to all jobs, most importantly when it is your first time meeting a family. If you have babysat for a family before or if you don’t have access to your shirt for a job, please wear a similar-cut t-shirt. Jeans or leggings are recommended to wear–please make sure you can run around and play in whatever appropriate attire you are wearing! 

NOTE: All church and group jobs it is best for you to wear your Busy Bees shirt.  

I just accepted a job! How should I communicate with the family?
The first thing you should do after accepting a job is send an “intro message” to the parent in job details using the Send Parents A Note button in the app. Please include where you go to school, a brief background of your babysitting experience, and confirm the date and time you are booked!

When should I check in and check out of a job?
Check into each job as you are exiting your car and walking up to the family’s door. Check out as family is arriving home and you are walking out to your your car. You must check in and out of a job for the job payment to process. 

What do I do if I forget to check into a job?
No need to worry! You can check in as soon as you remember, then at checkout you will have the option to adjust your times before submitting. Please be sure you are double-checking all check-in/out times as this determines what the parent pays and what you are paid!

Why am I seeing different jobs in the app than my friends?
The app shows each Bee jobs based on if the parents’ preferences for age and gender of Bees. Each Bee has a minimum age set in the app based on their previous experience that is determined in the assessment interview with Busy Bees.

How are families screened to join Busy Bees?
All families apply to join the Busy Bees network. Our management team evaluates safety of where their home is located, and we must have a positive referral from a current Busy Bees family or Bee who can vouch for the safety of their home environment. Families and Bees both need to maintain great reviews in the app to stay in the network. 

Do families see what I rate them?
All reviews are confidential and only seen by our management team, and we closely monitor all reviews. If a Bee or family ever rates 3-stars or under, we will give you both a call to ensure both parties are still a great fit for the Busy Bees network. We are proud to inform you that under 1% of all reviews come back 3-stars or under, and that all families in the network have maintained great reviews from other Bees who have worked with them. 

How do I reconnect with the same families?
Families can add you as a “Super Preferred” or “Preferred” Bee to personally request you. Super Preferred Bees see jobs for 3 hours before the job becomes available to the rest of the Bees, and Preferred Bees see jobs for 2 hours before it becomes available to the rest of the Bees. You can message/text with past families to coordinate dates that work for them to request you, but all jobs must be accepted directly in the Busy Bees app. 

I saw that I was personally requested but I don’t see the job in the app—what happened?
If you received a personal request notification and do not see the job in the app, the parents may have added more than one Preferred Bee. If another preferred Bee accepts the job before you, you will not be able to view the job in the app. 

What if I need to cancel a job I booked?
We expect you to commit to each job you accept as you choose your own schedule, but we understand that you may sometimes have schedule changes, car issues, or get sick. If you can no longer work a job that you booked, please cancel in the app as soon as possible so that we have enough time to rebook the family with another Bee.

New cancellation policy as of May 1, 2024:

  • No-shows: $50 fee
  • Cancellations within 0 to 12 hours: $30 fee
  • Cancellations within 12 to 24 hours: $20 fee

Automatic suspensions are no longer part of our policy. This includes eliminating auto-canceling all jobs within 48 hours after canceling due to sickness. From now on, if you cancel for any reason, you will only be removed from that individual job.

For this reason, please remember that it is your responsibility to manage and cancel all future jobs yourself.

Am I compensated if a family cancels a job that I booked?
If a family cancels on you within 5 hours of the job’s start time, you will receive $30 as compensation for your planning and lost income. They must cancel in the app (not via text/in-app messages) for the $30 to process to your account. This is only for Family Jobs (gray). Group Jobs (yellow) there is no compensation for group job cancellations.

What is the card on file in the app for?
The card on file is used to charge the cancellation fee if you cancel a job 0-24 hours before the start time. To update your card info, click the three lines in the upper-left corner to open the menu, click “Payment Information”, and you’ll be able to add a new card.

How long after each job until I receive payment?
Payment is sent from Busy Bees to your Stripe account 24 hours after the job’s end time. It takes 2-3 business days for the payment to transfer from Stripe to your bank account. If you have any questions related to payment, please email [email protected] and our team is happy to help!

What happens to my account if my CPR certification expires?
The app will move your account to “Inactive”, but you can easily renew your certification. You can renew through https://www.cpr.io/client/busy-bees-babysitting and select the First Aid/CPR/AED course. You’ll add a photo of your new CPR certification in the app with the updated expiration date, then we will reactivate you in the app.

What is the pay rate for overnight jobs?
All overnight jobs are booked manually (not through the app) as the app does not recognize the pricing change. There is pro-rated pricing to account for time spent sleeping overnight. You are paid $145 for an overnight up to 15 hours, and $230 for an overnight up to 24 hours. Any additional hours are paid at the standard hourly rate.

Will I receive any tax documents at the end of the year? How do I receive them?
If you earn more than $600 with Busy Bees in a calendar year, you will be sent a 1099-MISC to file taxes. We are legally unable to give tax advice. As independent contractors, you are responsible for filing your taxes. 

How do I refer my friends to join Busy Bees Babysitting?
Please ask them download the Busy Bees Babysitting app, complete the Bee application process, and mention your name as a referral. We love meeting your trusted friends, coworkers, and schoolmates that you think would be a great addition to this Hive.