Parting with nanny

[Anonymous]

We have decided to let our nanny of 18 months go. This is in part because she’s young and too inconsistent to be reliable, but also because she was supposed to get her driving license right after she started and still doesn’t have it. We’re going to give her a nice reference, two weeks severance and also a holiday bonus.

Next Thursday we’ll leave for the holidays, should I tell her this Friday when she’s wrapping up for the week, or next Thursday before we leave. Obviously the timing is awful with the holidays but it’s also caused some drama with her schedule that is the final straw for us. I want to give her as much time as possible to find a new role.

[Anonymous]

Tell her right away. Do you have unemployment insurance for her? If not she needs to start looking ASAP.

[Anonymous]

You’re really putting her in a bad position. So she’ll get paid through December but no one is hiring now. People will resume looking for a nanny in January so her best case is mid January or early February. I’d consider 3 weeks severance (wouldn’t you normally give her an extra week pay at Christmas anyway?) or waiting until January.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell her right away. Do you have unemployment insurance for her? If not she needs to start looking ASAP.

Yes she’s on the books and has unemployment benefits available if she needs them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You’re really putting her in a bad position. So she’ll get paid through December but no one is hiring now. People will resume looking for a nanny in January so her best case is mid January or early February. I’d consider 3 weeks severance (wouldn’t you normally give her an extra week pay at Christmas anyway?) or waiting until January.

Yes two weeks severance plus one week bonus and good luck. She’s put herself in this position and it’s frustrating for us to have to pay another agency, do interviews and trials etc. but she’s simply not reliable

[Anonymous]

note if she claims benefits in DC your rate will go up for a while so it may be in your interest to pay a severance for a period of time for her to find a job

[Anonymous]

“ I want to give her as much time as possible to find a new role.“

Not sure what this means as she will have the same amount of time to find a new role regardless of when you let her go.

If you want her to find a new role as quickly as possible then I would let her know right now so she can get started looking

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:note if she claims benefits in DC your rate will go up for a while so it may be in your interest to pay a severance for a period of time for her to find a job

Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“ I want to give her as much time as possible to find a new role.“

Not sure what this means as she will have the same amount of time to find a new role regardless of when you let her go.

If you want her to find a new role as quickly as possible then I would let her know right now so she can get started looking

I can tell her this Friday
She’ll still work for us next week if she wants to, or I can tell her next Thursday at the end of the work week

I’m sensitive to the fact that it’s the holidays but I also need to spend the break interviewing candidates and then doing trials as soon as I get back.

I don’t want to pay her for the two weeks we’re away, then for an additional two weeks of severance plus the holiday bonus

[Anonymous]

There’s no need for you to be an apologist for her poor performance. That’s on her, not you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s no need for you to be an apologist for her poor performance. That’s on her, not you.

Thanks I agree! It’s the worst time of the year for us to have to deal with this too

[Anonymous]

Two weeks severance, one week bonus, a nice reference and her being able to collect unemployment insurance if needed is more than enough. I wouldn't even bother with a bonus to a nanny that was underperforming, but good on you.

[Anonymous]

Please be honest in your reference so another family knows going into it that she has not been reliable with you. I would not mention that when the unemployment office contacts you because I’d want her to receive benefits. But it really impacts the next family so they deserve the truth. Your nanny may be better suited for something like a retail gig where other people are on duty and can pick up the slack.

PP’s comment about premiums in DC going up was interesting. I had to lay off my nanny in MD and had no increase in premium when we hired her back several months later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please be honest in your reference so another family knows going into it that she has not been reliable with you. I would not mention that when the unemployment office contacts you because I’d want her to receive benefits. But it really impacts the next family so they deserve the truth. Your nanny may be better suited for something like a retail gig where other people are on duty and can pick up the slack.

PP’s comment about premiums in DC going up was interesting. I had to lay off my nanny in MD and had no increase in premium when we hired her back several months later.

Sorry, I meant tax, not premium. It’s an unemployment tax, not an insurance policy (like workers comp). I don’t understand how the unemployment tax could be raised on an employer because their employee had filed a claim. I doubt the tax office is making actuarial assessments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You’re really putting her in a bad position. So she’ll get paid through December but no one is hiring now. People will resume looking for a nanny in January so her best case is mid January or early February. I’d consider 3 weeks severance (wouldn’t you normally give her an extra week pay at Christmas anyway?) or waiting until January.

NP then she should have followed the terms of her employment contract. I can't imagine not having a driving, RELIABLE nanny this time of year.