Should I give nanny a holiday check this year?

[Anonymous]

We’ve had a nanny for four months. Under normal circumstances, I’d give her a nice holiday gift (money). But this year, we have given her a ton of time off for covid reasons/our vacation time. For example, a few weeks ago we gave her three days off because we had a worker in our house who had covid, and now she’s off a whole week because she also may have been exposed to a worker in her own home with covid. Given that we’re essentially giving her three straight weeks off in December due to that exposure and holidays. I want to be generous, but it also seems hard to swallow giving her a 500 dollar check when there’s so much paid time off. What’s appropriate here DCUM?

[Anonymous]

Personally, I'd do the check as long as you can afford it (which I assume you can if you can afford a nanny in the first place). The time off you've given her, while probably nice to have, wasn't her choice and it's not like she could have used that time to either do something fun like go on vacation or do other work and earn money.

[Anonymous]

I'm in the same boat. Always give the housecleaners an extra month's pay at the holidays. But I have paid them all through Covid, even for the 3 months when they did not come and I was cleaning the house myself. But I will probably give the extra money anyway. I know they need it.

[Anonymous]

YOU gave her the time off. SHE DID NOT ASK FOR IT SO YOU
SHOULD GIVE CHRISTMAS BONUS IF YOU WANT HER TO STAY.

Yes, I screamed because cheap people need to listen

[Anonymous]

Agree that extra time off, not of her choosing, is not a reason not to give a bonus.

But only four months into the job might be? I guess I would give a nanny a fully week's pay as bonus after a full year's work, but after only four months, shouldn't it be a little less? At my job, people who just started this year get a sort of pro-rated bonus - they're not eligible for a full bonus.

Is that not the case for nannies?

[Anonymous]

If she's worked for a third of a year, I'd give a third of a week's pay to her.

[Anonymous]

Give her the check. Her time off wasn't voluntary. These are tough times for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she's worked for a third of a year, I'd give a third of a week's pay to her.

You would be looking for a new nanny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she's worked for a third of a year, I'd give a third of a week's pay to her.

Wow. Do you want her back next year?

[Anonymous]

Give her check! She was being responsible and committed to
protocols, being safe for you. Would you rather she was careless or irresponsible? Reward her commitment.

[Anonymous]

This Spring we asked our weekly housekeeper not to come, yet paid her anyway, for 10 straight weeks. I'm still giving her the normal bonus. Covid is not her fault, and this money means a lot to her.

[Anonymous]

She can't buy her kids a gift with time off, and she can't use the time off to warn more money because she is being cautious for you.

Give her the full bonus.

[Anonymous]

*earn

[Anonymous]

You’re going to lose her with that attitude, OP. A bonus is a gift. You “qualify” the gift during a pandemic where paid time off is essential and without warning, and you will lose her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If she's worked for a third of a year, I'd give a third of a week's pay to her.

+1