Should we fire our nanny?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our nanny has been with us for 3.5 months. 5 weeks into employment she had to take a sick day because she had a bad respiratory infection. Last week she took two sick days in a row because she had strep throat, she was contagious. Other than her taking these sick days, she has been wonderful. She has gone above and beyond her duties, routinely comes in early/stays late with sometimes very little notice, and takes care of our 7 month old daughter while she was sick. Our nanny got sick from here but still worked both times DD passed it on to her. My daughter loves her too. She has helped is out a lot but its not easy for us to just take a day off if she needs one. Does taking sick days so early warrant firing her? We don't want to but my SIL said she would. Please weigh in.

I've only taken 5 sick days in almost 10 years. So, if I was her MB I would find someone less prone to being sick. I know some people are "sick" all the time and take sick days for every little sniffle or upset stomach. I don't have time to deal with that.

[Anonymous]

Three sick days in five weeks is not that much considering she took care of your child when your child was ill.

If she really is that good, I would keep her and take a wait and see attitude.

If she continues and this becomes a pattern, then you can let her go.

But you have to understand as nannies, we are not robots. We fall ill and it is the family's responsibility to always have a Plan B in place should the nanny get sick.

[Anonymous]

OP, Is the issue that you don't believe she was really sick? If so, then eliminate her sick days and increase her PTO by the same amount, with the option to roll over unused days and get them cashed out if she leaves without taking them. Some employees feel entitled to use all their sick days, whether they are ill or not, to the end result that the employer gets a lot of last minute call outs, often on Mondays and Fridays. If you just give her unspecified PTO, she won't need to lie or wait until the last minute when she just needs and R&R day.

If you believe she was really sick, then you are crazy and incredibly self-centered to consider firing her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our nanny has been with us for 3.5 months. 5 weeks into employment she had to take a sick day because she had a bad respiratory infection. Last week she took two sick days in a row because she had strep throat, she was contagious. Other than her taking these sick days, she has been wonderful. She has gone above and beyond her duties, routinely comes in early/stays late with sometimes very little notice, and takes care of our 7 month old daughter while she was sick. Our nanny got sick from here but still worked both times DD passed it on to her. My daughter loves her too. She has helped is out a lot but its not easy for us to just take a day off if she needs one. Does taking sick days so early warrant firing her? We don't want to but my SIL said she would. Please weigh in.

I've only taken 5 sick days in almost 10 years. So, if I was her MB I would find someone less prone to being sick. I know some people are "sick" all the time and take sick days for every little sniffle or upset stomach. I don't have time to deal with that.

I think the bolded is a crucial distinction here. If OP thinks her nanny was exaggerating or lying about her illness, then yes it might be time to have a serious talk with the nanny warning her she's on thin ice. But a respiratory infection and strep both seem like pretty legitimate reasons to take a sick day, so unless you suspect your nanny of lying you need to let it go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Reliability is a top priority and our nanny hasn't been showing that. Why wouldn't I look at other options?

When you find a good robot nanny who cannot possibly get sick please let us know. Humans get sick - especially those who work around children.

[Anonymous]

People get sick. If she is still coming to work when ill when it is possible for her to work even if she is miserable, then she has not shown any reason for you to doubt her reliability. Hiring a nanny means that you hav the benefit of havi g someone to watch a sick child. In the reverse, it also means you need to have a backup for when your nanny is too sick to work.

[Anonymous]

Not only is OP a troll, but a stupid one to.

[Anonymous]

Jeezus. Don't you factor in sick days and holidays into your contract with a nanny?

People, there are some basics here that employers need to know and be ready for. If you can't afford a nanny, look for daycares. But beware, they won't take you child when the child is sick, so be ready for that.

[Anonymous]

MB here. Those illnesses are very common. I would not fire a nanny if I thought she was legitimately sick when she is so great the rest of the time.