Flaky sitter, WWYD

[Anonymous]

I have had the worst luck with part time sitters but thought I finally found someone good for the one day a week I really need it most because my kids have different activities at the same time in different directions. She works for me on Tuesdays and started with us at the beginning of September. She worked 2 Tuesdays and all was good, and has now called out the last 2 Tuesdays in a row at the last minute which left me scrambling. When we hired her I told her I would pay her every Tuesday for the entire school year even if I didn’t need her because the class was canceled or it was a holiday/break. I didn’t pay her for the last 2 weeks when she cancelled and she texted tonight to ask if I am still paying her for the past 2 weeks since she didn’t receive payment. I was pretty shocked but what does everyone think, should I pay her? I feel like it sets a bad precedent for her cancelling on me whenever she feels like it and truly am not even confident this will last.

[Anonymous]

No, tell her if she can't make it that you will not be paying her.

[Anonymous]

No you do not pay her if she cancels. That's not how it works. She forfeits those hours, and the wages go to whoever you find to cover. Sorry that it isn't working out, OP. Finding a reliable sitter is hard and it's always disappointing when you think you found a good one and they end up being flaky.

[Anonymous]

When i was at Stern, i read the best case study. A company noticed that 20% of hourly payroll was going to vacation/sick days, in other words, 20% was paying people NOT to come to work. The company raised hourly salaries by 20% and did away with paid vacation/sick days. Suddenly, no one felt the need to take vacation and miraculously no one got sick again.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely not. You pay her if YOU cancel. That seems fine and fair to me; she set aside time that she could’ve used for something else/make money somewhere else.

But to pay someone who cancels on you? That’s insane.

[Anonymous]

That is crazy. If you pay her to not show up then what is her incentive to ever show up?

I would find a new sitter at this point and this time explain that you are offering “guaranteed hours” available to work (do not say they will get paid every Tuesday) and will honor those hours if you are the one not in need of help that week. But if she chooses/is unable to work she forfeits those guaranteed hours.

[Anonymous]

I can't believe she had the audacity to ask if you were going to pay her for the days she canceled as if you had an agreement of providing PTO. Huge difference between paying when YOU cancel and don't need her.

[Anonymous]

I would not pay her if she cancels / doesn’t show. That’s WILD that she asked for payment when she didn’t show up.

That said, I know a lot of nannies negotiate PTO, maybe she thought it was a nanny situation? But I think those are pretty much always reserved for full time, 40 hr nanny employees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not pay her if she cancels / doesn’t show. That’s WILD that she asked for payment when she didn’t show up.

That said, I know a lot of nannies negotiate PTO, maybe she thought it was a nanny situation? But I think those are pretty much always reserved for full time, 40 hr nanny employees.

I think it's fine to do PTO for a very part time nanny, but in keeping with the hours.

So, if someone who is schedule to work 40 hours a week earns a day a month, or one hour of PTO for every 20 hours worked, then it would make sense to me that someone who works say 5 hours every Tuesday, earn an hour of PTO every month, and after 5 months would be able to take a day of sick leave or personal leave and be paid.

But not 2 days after only working 10 hours. That's crazy.

[Anonymous]

Find a new sitter. This one is both unreliable and ridiculously entitled. Don’t pay her for those weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have had the worst luck with part time sitters but thought I finally found someone good for the one day a week I really need it most because my kids have different activities at the same time in different directions. She works for me on Tuesdays and started with us at the beginning of September. She worked 2 Tuesdays and all was good, and has now called out the last 2 Tuesdays in a row at the last minute which left me scrambling. When we hired her I told her I would pay her every Tuesday for the entire school year even if I didn’t need her because the class was canceled or it was a holiday/break. I didn’t pay her for the last 2 weeks when she cancelled and she texted tonight to ask if I am still paying her for the past 2 weeks since she didn’t receive payment. I was pretty shocked but what does everyone think, should I pay her? I feel like it sets a bad precedent for her cancelling on me whenever she feels like it and truly am not even confident this will last.

It's part time and unless you are paying well over par, what did you be expect? If you want her to be available then you make the proverbial offer she can't refuse. You pay extremely well, like $30/hr,!

[Anonymous]

I would guess she has a job that she generally doesn’t work Tuesday afternoon but if offered the chance she takes it and bails on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not. You pay her if YOU cancel. That seems fine and fair to me; she set aside time that she could’ve used for something else/make money somewhere else.

But to pay someone who cancels on you? That’s insane.

Agree.
Parent and former sitter here. I had a similar gig 20 years ago. I guaranteed to hold Wednesdays for them for the semester ( mom was taking an evening class) they guaranteed to pay me even if they didn’t need me.
If I canceled I wouldn’t have got paid.
I think your sitter has a cheek even asking you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not. You pay her if YOU cancel. That seems fine and fair to me; she set aside time that she could’ve used for something else/make money somewhere else.

But to pay someone who cancels on you? That’s insane.

This. You pay if you cancel, but not if she does!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When i was at Stern, i read the best case study. A company noticed that 20% of hourly payroll was going to vacation/sick days, in other words, 20% was paying people NOT to come to work. The company raised hourly salaries by 20% and did away with paid vacation/sick days. Suddenly, no one felt the need to take vacation and miraculously no one got sick again.

Ummmm. I worry about the intelligence of the people who drew this conclusion.