Can We Pay For Shabbat Babysitting

It is forbidden for a Jew to be paid for work performed exclusively on Shabbat. So how do you compensate someone who watches your kids on Shabbat?

• Combine with Weekday Work: Arrange for the babysitter to do additional work during the week, and pay them for both Shabbat and weekday tasks as one combined payment. Some hold that this extra work must not just be a perfunctory task but should be significant enough to warrant payment on its own.
• Inflated Fee for Preparations: Alternatively, some allow paying an inflated fee for preparations done before Shabbat, such as travel or setup, which includes the Shabbat work.
• Give a Gift: Instead of payment, give the babysitter a gift. This may be in cash, so long as the rate of pay was not pre-negotiated, and both parties must understand it as a genuine gift.