Need to dismiss frequently late nanny. What to do re pay?

[Anonymous]

OP, where did you find this nanny? How were her refs? Please do not be afraid to let others learn from your mistakes.

[Anonymous]

If you have not already given her the explicit warning that if she does not start arriving every day on time, you will be forced to let her go, I would do that first and let her go the Friday of the week in which she is late next (assuming you have a replacement in place by then). If you have already given an explicit warning, I think you can just let her go. She knows. If you can afford a week of severance, I might give it to her because at the end of the day, she won't be able to count on you for a glowing reference and everyone has bills to pay, but you are in no way obligated. If you do give her any additional pay beyond what she is owed I would call it one week's pay in lieu of notice instead of severance and be CLEAR she is being let go for cause.

[Anonymous]

Ok, I'm going to go off on a little tangent for a moment.

This isn't the first time on this board that I have read a post in which someone is advocating giving a nanny severance pay despite the fact that the nanny is being let go for cause. The reason is usually something along the lines of "think about the bills she has to pay" or "she is probably counting on that money." I do respect that in this thread posters have at least acknowledged that OP is not obligated to provide the nanny severance, but in many threads that is not the case.

I'm sorry (well actually I'm not), but if a nanny wants to ensure that she has money to pay her bills then she needs to focus on fulfilling all her employment responsibilities or requirements. I get that some people feel bad about the thought of an employee who might be stretched thin financially being let go with no notice, but reality is that when someone isn't doing their job despite receiving a warning then that individual deserves to be terminated with no severance.

It's never easy to think about someone who might have a hard time paying their bills. I do feel bad for many people who can't cover their monthly expenses, but I don't feel bad when they can't cover their expenses due to irresponsibility on their part.

[Anonymous]

I'd give severance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, I'm going to go off on a little tangent for a moment.

This isn't the first time on this board that I have read a post in which someone is advocating giving a nanny severance pay despite the fact that the nanny is being let go for cause. The reason is usually something along the lines of "think about the bills she has to pay" or "she is probably counting on that money." I do respect that in this thread posters have at least acknowledged that OP is not obligated to provide the nanny severance, but in many threads that is not the case.

I'm sorry (well actually I'm not), but if a nanny wants to ensure that she has money to pay her bills then she needs to focus on fulfilling all her employment responsibilities or requirements. I get that some people feel bad about the thought of an employee who might be stretched thin financially being let go with no notice, but reality is that when someone isn't doing their job despite receiving a warning then that individual deserves to be terminated with no severance.

It's never easy to think about someone who might have a hard time paying their bills. I do feel bad for many people who can't cover their monthly expenses, but I don't feel bad when they can't cover their expenses due to irresponsibility on their part.

15:19 here. I actually really don't disagree with you. I think you hit the nail on the head - its just hard to think about someone having a hard time paying bills, but really, I think you are completely correct.

[Anonymous]

I think the MB guilt has more to do with the fact that they don't know anyone who could possibly live on that kind of income. Also, if nanny was off the books, as so many are, MB could find herself in fat trouble.

[Anonymous]

My work agreement states I can be dismissed without notice or severance only in the case of gross misconduct. Is it seriously easier to find a new nanny than to give her a formal warning period? Are they even mutually exclusive, for that matter?

[Anonymous]

OP here. I honestly haven't done a good enough job of keeping track of every day she's late, but it has been on average at least once a week by 15 minutes or more (I'm ignoring the 5 minutes or less days). Some weeks it is two days, some weeks one day. One week she had a car issue that caused her to be quite late, and the next day she had not dealt appropriately with her car issue OR found alternate transportation so she missed the entire day (no advance notice, and she wasn't sick). She is nice enough but I find myself wondering every day if she'll show up on time. I'm sure she thinks it's not that big of a deal because my husband and I are usually flexible enough to make it work, but it is simply not okay that she is so frequently late. And yes, I consider once a week to be frequently late - that's 20% of her work days that she's showing up late. Not okay in my book.

I'm trying to do the decent thing and not hang her out to dry but I am really unhappy with the situation. Not to mention the time and expense of replacing a nanny. Ugh.

Thanks PPs for the feedback.

[Anonymous]

Not to mention the trauma to your kids. Except if they're older, it doesn't matter as much, maybe.

[Anonymous]

You have reason to fire her IF you or your husband are home on time consistently. If you are consistently late getting home, then you don't really have a lot to complain about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have reason to fire her IF you or your husband are home on time consistently. If you are consistently late getting home, then you don't really have a lot to complain about.

Part of a nanny job is flexibility. This is an expectation well defined before the job starts. If the nanny can't be flexible, she won't be hired. I have the same expectation at my job. Start on time, plan to leave on time, but some days I'll need to stay a few minutes late to finish a meeting or project even if it is outside my defined work hours. That doesn't give me a pass on showing up on time every morning though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have reason to fire her IF you or your husband are home on time consistently. If you are consistently late getting home, then you don't really have a lot to complain about.

Nanny here- I disagree. I really don't like it when my employers are late, but I still need to go to work on time every day. It's part of being professional. Two wrongs do not make a right, cliche as that may be.

[Anonymous]

No MB is allowed to force me to work overtime unless she has my permission first. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No MB is allowed to force me to work overtime unless she has my permission first. Period.

Agree. I am early for work by 10-15 minutes every day yet at least twice a week my bosses come home late. If I'm supposed to be off at 6:00 and they walk in the door at 6:05 and then expect me to sit there and talk about how the day went, it's not right. It goes both ways. Flexibility is important, but employers need to have some respect for their employees and recognize that they may have somewhere to be once their hours are done. And just because you are a few minutes late doesn't mean you don't have to compensate me for my time.

[Anonymous]

Slavery is outlawed. That said, you get what you pay for, no more.