What to do about a holiday issue

[Anonymous]

This is a bad idea you made plans on the assumption that you'd have the day off, but without a contract specifically naming holidays off, the difference between federal holidays and major holidays is big. If parents have to work the you should be working too. You should have confirmed the day off before making plans, this is on you and stiffing them for the day to have fun is immature. From a nanny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a bad idea you made plans on the assumption that you'd have the day off, but without a contract specifically naming holidays off, the difference between federal holidays and major holidays is big. If parents have to work the you should be working too. You should have confirmed the day off before making plans, this is on you and stiffing them for the day to have fun is immature. From a nanny.

The contract stated federal holidays were days off, how was OP wrong in making plans for a day that her contract stipulated as a day off? The parents are the ones in the wrong here, not OP. From a nanny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a bad idea you made plans on the assumption that you'd have the day off, but without a contract specifically naming holidays off, the difference between federal holidays and major holidays is big. If parents have to work the you should be working too. You should have confirmed the day off before making plans, this is on you and stiffing them for the day to have fun is immature. From a nanny.

The contract stated federal holidays were days off, how was OP wrong in making plans for a day that her contract stipulated as a day off? The parents are the ones in the wrong here, not OP. From a nanny.

OP didn't have contract, just a verbal agreement, and apparently not a clear one at that. Get everything in writing, and read it before you sign it. Lesson learned.

[Anonymous]

I"m another MB who doesn't get off work for President's Day, Vet's Day or MLK and that is why we list all of the Federal Holidays in the contract. I also mention it b/c we do get off the day after Thanksgiving (office closed) as it is the week between Christmas and New Years Day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think so yes, but you better ask ASAP because backup childcare fills up fast on Veterans Day.

+1 Your idea sounds perfectly resonable, but it may be too late. My employers are pulling the same crap with me, except we have a contract, they just left Veterans Day off the list of holidays even though we specifically negotiated all federal holidays. I'll be working Monday because I agreed to the contract like a sucker without checking to make sure all the federal holidays were listed. Its definitely leaving a bad taste in my mouth when we previously had a decent relationship. Get your agreement in writing, and double/triple/quadruple check it!

What do you mean "I agreed to the contract like a sucker without checking to make sure all the federal holidays were listed"? We are off federal holidays also at my company but Veterans Day we are not. Clearly the parents are also NOT off and thats why your are not either. Doesnt seem like that are taking you for a sucker or taking advantage in anyway. They probably worked off the list of days off their company gives to create yours. POOR YOU

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think so yes, but you better ask ASAP because backup childcare fills up fast on Veterans Day.

+1 Your idea sounds perfectly resonable, but it may be too late. My employers are pulling the same crap with me, except we have a contract, they just left Veterans Day off the list of holidays even though we specifically negotiated all federal holidays. I'll be working Monday because I agreed to the contract like a sucker without checking to make sure all the federal holidays were listed. Its definitely leaving a bad taste in my mouth when we previously had a decent relationship. Get your agreement in writing, and double/triple/quadruple check it!

What do you mean "I agreed to the contract like a sucker without checking to make sure all the federal holidays were listed"? We are off federal holidays also at my company but Veterans Day we are not. Clearly the parents are also NOT off and thats why your are not either. Doesnt seem like that are taking you for a sucker or taking advantage in anyway. They probably worked off the list of days off their company gives to create yours. POOR YOU

I'm in a share. One set of parents has the day off, the other does not. That is, however, neither here nor there. When we negotiated the contract, I specifically asked for federal holidays. That means holidays observed by the federal government, not "whatever holidays I get, is what the nanny gets". There is nothing wrong with giving the nanny holidays you get, in fact it makes perfect sense, but you should not agree to federal holidays if that is not what you receive. While discussing the contract, I asked for federal holidays and they agreed. I asked to trade Columbus Day for the day after Thanksgiving, and they agreed. They gave me a contract with the holidays listed, and like a sucker I agreed without double checking that the holidays matched what we had agreed to. I looked at it the other day and realized Veterans Day was not on the list. I brought it up, and they made it clear that the omission was not a typo, but intentional. I feel duped because that is not what we had agreed to prior to the contract, but they slipped that detail in without a word to me. No they technically did nothing wrong, because I foolishly signed the contract without really checking the details, and I will work on Monday because my word means something even if theirs doesn't.

[Anonymous]

That should have been clarified. It is the fault of employee and nanny. When some people talk about federal holidays, they usually are thinking the big iones that almost everyone gets off. Next time, get it clarified, and get it in writing.

I had a boss try to tell me once that I needed to work the day after Thanksgiving. I told her that it was in the (written) contract that I don't work that day. Issue solved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with PP. Veterans Day is one of our more meaningful holidays.

It might be more meaningful, but it is less of a holiday when looked at how many people still have to work on that day. The family that I normally do Mon/Wed/Fri with, the parents both have to work, just like on Columbus Day. They get Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years Day off etc. So in comparison, Veterans Day becomes part of the "less important" federal holidays.

[Anonymous]

I do not get it why nannies should have ALL the federal holidays by default. I am not federal government and do not work for it. I am in IT and never had Veterans day of in my entire working career. My nanny called me tonight requesting a free holiday tomorrow. She seemed really upset when I explained that my husband and I are working tomorrow. She has no problem having a paid holiday during the day after the thanksgiving when feds work and I do not

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nannies - you must all be working for gov't employees bc as a private sector employee in IT, I can tell you unequivocally,
I have NEVER had this day off. My nanny gets the 10 holidays that I get.

That's your particular situation. I see nothing wrong with offering your nanny the holidays that you personally get off. The issue arises when a nanny and family agree to federal holidays, and then families realize their error and try to backtrack, or like another PP, they say one thing while sneaking something else into the contract.

Agree. If the employers promised "federal holidays", they should act like adults and own up to their mistake. They should at least pay holidays rates.

[Anonymous]

Holiday rates? That's a new demand, even for DCUM.

Unfortunately, there are often misunderstandings between getting federal holidays off and ALL federal holidays off. I know lots of people working today who would say they get fed holidays off when they mean all the holidays they get off are federal holidays, not that they get the all of the fed days off.

It's a pretty simple thing to fix. Be very clear in the contract and list all the holidays by name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do not get it why nannies should have ALL the federal holidays by default. I am not federal government and do not work for it. I am in IT and never had Veterans day of in my entire working career. My nanny called me tonight requesting a free holiday tomorrow. She seemed really upset when I explained that my husband and I are working tomorrow. She has no problem having a paid holiday during the day after the thanksgiving when feds work and I do not

No one is saying that its by default. But its up to everyone to be clear as to what holidays are being offered in the contract, because to me (and to most who understand the English language) to say you are offering federal holidays mean those recognized by the federal government. If you do not get all of those, or don't intend to offer them, you need to be clear as to which ones you ARE offering. Its that simple. I would not have taken my current position at the pay rate I did, had I realized how very little holidays/time off I would get. I wanted holidays that matched up with my husband's holiday schedule, and what's happened is each holiday one of us has to work while the other twiddles their thumbs at home.