Nanny unscheduled leave

[Anonymous]

How often does your nanny take time off for appointments and such? We’ve had a nanny for about 6 months now and about twice a month she takes off a few hours here and there to go to appointments. It wouldn’t be a big deal, except she offers little notice (telling us as she’s leaving for the day that she will be two hours late the next day).

[Anonymous]

We are happy to accommodate our nanny’s appointments but she would tell us as soon as it’s scheduled and she knows the time. It probably happens every other month or so, and we don’t dock her pay or make her use PTO generally. I would not put up with less than a day’s notice, unless it was a last minute emergency or she was sick. I would communicate with your nanny that more notice is needed.

[Anonymous]

Agree with above, but I do make our nanny use PTO for her appointments.

[Anonymous]

I had a nanny for 5 years. She almost never took time off for appointments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a nanny for 5 years. She almost never took time off for appointments.

I don’t think that’s the right answer either. A lot of doctors and dentists are only open during business hours. So if your nanny isn’t ever taking time off, it probably means she’s not receiving preventative health care.

This issue is notice. It IS OK, to use PTO for appointments. It’s NOT OK to breezily announce you’ll be a few hours late tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a nanny for 5 years. She almost never took time off for appointments.

if the nanny is on the younger side, like 20’s-30’s, i think that’s ok. not too much to do health wise except annual exams and flu shots. But i agree, a few appointments here and there means they are taking care of themselves. I don’t agree with Making appointments for a few hours every week, without any notice except the day before. that’s unacceptable.

[Anonymous]

She should not be notifying you at the last minute. You need more time then that.

[Anonymous]

Nanny here. My contracts always include a clause that I will notify my employer at least 2 weeks before an appointment, unless it’s an emergency. In return, although they can ask me to try to change the date, they can’t deny the PTO.

[Anonymous]

She may have health issues that she doesn’t want to share with you. Ask her for more notice. Understand that for some conditions, she may not have the ability to set up consistent care in advance. I had a condition that sent me to the doctor or not based on a weekly blood draw. Mostly it was a couple days notice. Sometimes I needed to go to the doctor within hours.

Another possibility is that she may not realize it is your expectation to have advanced notice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a nanny for 5 years. She almost never took time off for appointments.

if the nanny is on the younger side, like 20’s-30’s, i think that’s ok. not too much to do health wise except annual exams and flu shots. But i agree, a few appointments here and there means they are taking care of themselves. I don’t agree with Making appointments for a few hours every week, without any notice except the day before. that’s unacceptable.

Youth diesn’t account for conditions like RA, lupus, sickle cell, diabetes, or relapsing and remitting MS that you can get at any age. Also, if your nanny grew up in the developing world, she may have health conditions that we don’t normally see here.

[Anonymous]

Our nanny schedules a physical and other medical appointments all on the same day. So twice a year we are given at least two weeks notice about the day off.

[Anonymous]

Annual Doctor and mammogram once a year. She sees her dentist on Saturdays. She’s taking a couple hours next week for the covid vaccine and follow up shot.

That’s it in three years. All with lots of notice.