Nanny is 10-15 minutes late every day but wants to be paid for the time

[Anonymous]

If she’s otherwise a great nanny I would let it go. They are in fact hard to find. If this one of many issues I would let her go.

But I would not pick a fight over $20-40/ a week (or whatever it is). Petty.

[Anonymous]

I had a nanny like this. She had a long commute and kids of her own and was always always always 5-15 mins late. She could not afford the hit in pay. We worked it to where she would make up the time every other Friday and stay about an hour longer. We could go out for dinner and she could make up the time.

See if there is a similar compromise to had. Docking pay is a last resort but you don’t want to completely let it go either.

[Anonymous]

No, traffic makes sense occasionally or even once a week but she knows its an issue and needs to leave earlier or make up the time

[Anonymous]

Our nanny is late about once a week because of traffic but I have a 30-min cushion before I need to start work, and also she’s amazing, so I let it go and don’t bother with making up the time. In your situation, where it’s every day, I would do something, unless she’s amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she’s otherwise a great nanny I would let it go. They are in fact hard to find. If this one of many issues I would let her go.

But I would not pick a fight over $20-40/ a week (or whatever it is). Petty.

Agreed. When I had a job with string union protection (small federal agency) our contract specified something like a 40 minute window for arrival before you could be considered “late.” It really cut down my stress. If she’s a good nanny overall, don’t quibble over silly stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she’s otherwise a great nanny I would let it go. They are in fact hard to find. If this one of many issues I would let her go.

But I would not pick a fight over $20-40/ a week (or whatever it is). Petty.

Agreed. When I had a job with string union protection (small federal agency) our contract specified something like a 40 minute window for arrival before you could be considered “late.” It really cut down my stress. If she’s a good nanny overall, don’t quibble over silly stuff.

Some jobs are not time-dependent and some are when it comes to start time. I work in an elementary school. You can’t arrive 10-20 minutes late several times a week. You simply can’t because it impacts others’ work. Others would have to scramble to cover my class. If the nanny’s late arrival is impacting OP’s ability to leave on time for her own job, it’s not “silly stuff.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she’s otherwise a great nanny I would let it go. They are in fact hard to find. If this one of many issues I would let her go.

But I would not pick a fight over $20-40/ a week (or whatever it is). Petty.

Agreed. When I had a job with string union protection (small federal agency) our contract specified something like a 40 minute window for arrival before you could be considered “late.” It really cut down my stress. If she’s a good nanny overall, don’t quibble over silly stuff.

Some jobs are not time-dependent and some are when it comes to start time. I work in an elementary school. You can’t arrive 10-20 minutes late several times a week. You simply can’t because it impacts others’ work. Others would have to scramble to cover my class. If the nanny’s late arrival is impacting OP’s ability to leave on time for her own job, it’s not “silly stuff.”

+1
I know a lot of places like medical offices, hair salons, etc. will cancel your apartment (and still charge you a fee!) if you are 15 minutes or more late. 10-20 minutes late on a daily basis is not "silly stuff."

[Anonymous]

Remember that you are an employer, and you must comply with federal and local wage laws in paying your nanny. Nannies are non-exempt employees, so you have to track actual hours worked and must pay over time. This is true even if you pay a salary (the salary forms the basis of determining the hourly rate for over time).

Before docking pay, make sure you have been crystal clear on paper about how you calculate her hours worked and hourly rate and overtime rate, and that your method is legal. Have you told her you track her hours based on the 15-minute increment rule? If so, then yes, you do not have to count the 15 minutes when she was not there as hours worked, but you can't dock 20 minutes. If she stays 8-15 minutes later that day or another day that week, it will even out.

Many employers track employee hours worked in 15-minute increments, and the FLSA allows an employer to round employee time to the nearest quarter hour. There is a 7 minute rule that goes in both directions -- 7 minutes or less can be rounded down and 8 or up must be rounded up to 15 (both for time worked and time not worked) (that's why you can dock 15 or 30 but not 20). If you get home 8 minutes late, do you pay her for an extra 15 minutes, including overtime if that puts her over 40 hours that week? (You can also choose to round to the nearest 5 or 10 minutes; the key is that the employee needs to know how they are paid, and you have to be consistent).

You may also treat the chronic lateness as a discipline issue and fire her for it. You cannot use pay docking as punishment though. You must always pay according the the law and the legally compliant agreement you established upon hiring.

If your arrangement with her is loosey-goosey, don't mess with pay until you establish a firm agreement, then abide by it going forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she’s otherwise a great nanny I would let it go. They are in fact hard to find. If this one of many issues I would let her go.

But I would not pick a fight over $20-40/ a week (or whatever it is). Petty.

Agreed. When I had a job with string union protection (small federal agency) our contract specified something like a 40 minute window for arrival before you could be considered “late.” It really cut down my stress. If she’s a good nanny overall, don’t quibble over silly stuff.

Some jobs are not time-dependent and some are when it comes to start time. I work in an elementary school. You can’t arrive 10-20 minutes late several times a week. You simply can’t because it impacts others’ work. Others would have to scramble to cover my class. If the nanny’s late arrival is impacting OP’s ability to leave on time for her own job, it’s not “silly stuff.”

I work in daycare and I need to be on time to relieve somebody from their shift or so that we can open and parents can drop off on time. I know there’s traffic so account for it.

Tardiness is a lack of respect for the other person who is waiting for you. Whether it is personal or work.

If she encounters “traffic” every day, then that is the traffic pattern and she needs to adjust her time for leaving her house. Why can’t she leave earlier?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she’s otherwise a great nanny I would let it go. They are in fact hard to find. If this one of many issues I would let her go.

But I would not pick a fight over $20-40/ a week (or whatever it is). Petty.

I don’t think it needs to be a fight and I don’t think it’s petty - but you have to find a collaborative and firm way to manage an employee. I wouldn’t just let it go entirely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a nanny like this. She had a long commute and kids of her own and was always always always 5-15 mins late. She could not afford the hit in pay. We worked it to where she would make up the time every other Friday and stay about an hour longer. We could go out for dinner and she could make up the time.

See if there is a similar compromise to had. Docking pay is a last resort but you don’t want to completely let it go either.

Glad it worked out for you to have her make up the hours later, but for many employers that would not work. "Always Always" late is unacceptable. Did that mean that you and/or your spouse were in turn "always always" late for your job?

If my employee was always always late and said they couldn't afford a hit in pay, I'd ask them how they were going to afford $0 pay, because they no longer had a job with me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a nanny like this. She had a long commute and kids of her own and was always always always 5-15 mins late. She could not afford the hit in pay. We worked it to where she would make up the time every other Friday and stay about an hour longer. We could go out for dinner and she could make up the time.

See if there is a similar compromise to had. Docking pay is a last resort but you don’t want to completely let it go either.

Glad it worked out for you to have her make up the hours later, but for many employers that would not work. "Always Always" late is unacceptable. Did that mean that you and/or your spouse were in turn "always always" late for your job?

If my employee was always always late and said they couldn't afford a hit in pay, I'd ask them how they were going to afford $0 pay, because they no longer had a job with me.

Sure, you could do that, but have you had a nanny? It is hard to find a good one and a pain to go through the interview and hire process. And you might end up with a nanny who is always on time, but worse in some other way. In our situation it made way more sense to work with our nanny on a compromise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a nanny like this. She had a long commute and kids of her own and was always always always 5-15 mins late. She could not afford the hit in pay. We worked it to where she would make up the time every other Friday and stay about an hour longer. We could go out for dinner and she could make up the time.

See if there is a similar compromise to had. Docking pay is a last resort but you don’t want to completely let it go either.

Glad it worked out for you to have her make up the hours later, but for many employers that would not work. "Always Always" late is unacceptable. Did that mean that you and/or your spouse were in turn "always always" late for your job?

If my employee was always always late and said they couldn't afford a hit in pay, I'd ask them how they were going to afford $0 pay, because they no longer had a job with me.

Sure, you could do that, but have you had a nanny? It is hard to find a good one and a pain to go through the interview and hire process. And you might end up with a nanny who is always on time, but worse in some other way. In our situation it made way more sense to work with our nanny on a compromise.

Well, like I asked above--does your nanny being "always always" late make the parents late to THEIR job? Even if the parents don't want to fire a nanny for being late, I know many jobs will fire an employee for being late. If the parent gets fired for being "always always" late, they won't need a nanny. Even if they don't get fired, they may get passed over for promotions or raises.

[Anonymous]

New start time = 7:45.

[Anonymous]

8 am is a pretty early start time. if you overall like her and dont yourself really need to leave or log on for work until 8:30 am, id just pay her the same and let it go. childcare is a lot of money out of pocket for you but not a lot of income on her end.