Nanny asked for 2 weeks off to quarantine, but didn't

[Anonymous]

I'm a nanny and I would fire her, OP. She lied and out your families health at risk.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I wouldn’t have her back at all. This is my personal opinion and I know every family is responding differently to the virus and how they protect themselves, but I wouldn’t care how good my nanny was, I would have to let her go. She tried to put your entire family at risk. Call the 2 weeks severance/paying out PTO, and cut your losses. I would consider this to fall under the category of “just cause for immediate termination with no severance” under any contract I’ve written up for my nannies. I know I sound insane, but this is so irresponsible. I don’t know that I could ever trust her judgement again after lying about something so important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our nanny (part time - 10 hours) has been with us for 5 years. Recently, she asked for 2 weeks off to self quarantine. Her husband has health issues so we said absolutely. She wanted to come back to work this week and I asked her to confirm that she has been quarantining. She then told me she has been working in her husband's 'Subway' shop. I am very upset about this one because she was going to come to our house and bring in germs (we have been isolating for nearly 3 weeks now) and also because we paid her for 2 weeks off while she was secretly working at her husband's sandwich shop - when she said she was going to self quarantine. Do I keep paying her or not? She is definitely not coming back to work in our house until this all settles.

You are paying her for 10 hours a week. What did you expect?

[Anonymous]

I wonder if she would have told you had you not asked her directly. So not only did she lie she put herself out there with more public contact than usual. If she had asked for two weeks paid to go help her husband would you have agreed? The two weeks you paid is her severance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our nanny (part time - 10 hours) has been with us for 5 years. Recently, she asked for 2 weeks off to self quarantine. Her husband has health issues so we said absolutely. She wanted to come back to work this week and I asked her to confirm that she has been quarantining. She then told me she has been working in her husband's 'Subway' shop. I am very upset about this one because she was going to come to our house and bring in germs (we have been isolating for nearly 3 weeks now) and also because we paid her for 2 weeks off while she was secretly working at her husband's sandwich shop - when she said she was going to self quarantine. Do I keep paying her or not? She is definitely not coming back to work in our house until this all settles.

You are paying her for 10 hours a week. What did you expect?

Not OP but what does that have to do with it? Nanny lied and Nanny agreed to the hours. Nanny was in the wrong. She could have quit if she needed more hours.

[Anonymous]

Trying to put a positive spin - maybe she had intended to quarantine but then her husband’s doctor told him he needed to stay home, or he got sicker, or the person who was supposed to cover the shop came down with symptoms and so she needed to step up for her family. Obviously ten hours a week of nanny pay isn’t their sole income so she needed to cover the other hours for her husband.

It does not help you but it makes it seem less nefarious and would change how pissed of I would feel. But I think parting ways makes sense. She can’t put her family in jeopardy by not working at the shop and you can’t put your family at risk by exposing yourself to all those infection vectors so you need to part ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does she work at the Subway shop regularly? If so, it's understandable that she'd continue as restaurants are still open to take out and you are only providing 10 hours of pay per week.

In general, people seem confused about quarantining. Maybe she was just going to her job and staying home otherwise.

However, if that isn't a regular job, I agree with PPs that it was really dishonest.

I think that something like this is the most likely explanation given that she fessed up when you asked. If this is a normal guy for her, I don’t think she necessarily lied.

[Anonymous]

^^ gig not guy

[Anonymous]

The answer is simple NO don't pay her and I wouldn't even hire her back either. I'd look for another Nanny. She should have been honest especially after 5 years.

[Anonymous]

Self isolating/ quarantine = you stay by yourself in your house

So by definition going to subway to work does NOT= self quarantine, does it?

[Anonymous]

Poor nanny, she was honest to confess she did that. It would have been worse if she went back to work without letting you know what she's been up to. For the safety of your family don't bring her back to you, but also have compassion of her. Maybe she and her husband couldn't afford to close the sandwich shop so be grateful that she confesses to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Poor nanny, she was honest to confess she did that. It would have been worse if she went back to work without letting you know what she's been up to. For the safety of your family don't bring her back to you, but also have compassion of her. Maybe she and her husband couldn't afford to close the sandwich shop so be grateful that she confesses to you.

She was not honest. She didn't say anything the two weeks she was "isolating" and collecting her pay. And she didn't say anything until she was asked. The word honesty does not apply to her.