Inauguration day

[Anonymous]

Although my nanny gets many federal holidays as paid holidays, MLK day is not one of them. This year, the inauguration is on MLK day. My nanny commutes via bus from Silver Spring to my home in NW DC.

I do not get that day off from work but can use a vacation day for it. My husband will be traveling that day.

Does anyone know whether the Bus service will be so screwed up for the inauguration that it would be unreasonable to expect my nanny to come to work that day? Should I offer to pay for her to take a taxi to my home that morning? Are other people giving nannies that day as a bonus day off?

I'd appreciate feedback or other ideas based on how other reasonable people are handling that day. Fwiw, my nanny has had a vacation week this week, so she probably isn't feeling burned out.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I'm working that day and my nanny is expecting to work that day. How she gets to work is her responsibility, not mine. Her commute can't be my concern and is something that she surely took into consideration before taking the job.

I can't give her a bonus day off, since I don't get the day off, and I don't understand the idea that she should get the day off because it would take her longer to get to work, maybe, than a normal day.

(I say this as someone who had a two hour commute on Veteren's Day, thanks to Metro. My commute is normally 39 min. My work didn't tell me to go home, with pay, or excuse my lateness. Their position was that I need to plan the time I need to get to work and pay for a taxi if I can't get there on time.)

Remember, OP, you are not your nanny's parent. You are her employer. Respect her ability to get to work on time on her own.

[Anonymous]

I'm a nanny with mlk day off in my contract. I don't know why it would be a bonus to be off?

[Anonymous]

first commenter , you're a dick

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a nanny with mlk day off in my contract. I don't know why it would be a bonus to be off?

Op here -- MLK day is not a paid holiday for the purposes of our nanny's contract. She and I are both aware of this fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:first commenter , you're a dick

I am not the poster, but I do not agree with your assessment. the poster is right, and realistic. being a nanny is a job, and people who employ nannies for the most past are not millionaires who spend their day golfing but workers who have jobs on their own where they have to show up on time or pay the consequences. on MLK day there will be tons of doctors, nurses, bus drivers, metro drivers, police and so no who will report for work on time (would you be happy to get to the ER and find it deserted because for the hospital employees was tough to get there on time?). OP is nice for taking this issue into consideration, but at the end, if she works and based on the contract the anny does not have the day off, it is right that it is the nanny's responsibility to get to work on time, as is OP's responsibility to get to her work on time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:first commenter , you're a dick

I am not the poster, but I do not agree with your assessment. the poster is right, and realistic. being a nanny is a job, and people who employ nannies for the most past are not millionaires who spend their day golfing but workers who have jobs on their own where they have to show up on time or pay the consequences. on MLK day there will be tons of doctors, nurses, bus drivers, metro drivers, police and so no who will report for work on time (would you be happy to get to the ER and find it deserted because for the hospital employees was tough to get there on time?). OP is nice for taking this issue into consideration, but at the end, if she works and based on the contract the anny does not have the day off, it is right that it is the nanny's responsibility to get to work on time, as is OP's responsibility to get to her work on time

Yes and no.

Yes, the nanny is employed and it is her responsibility to get to work. Obviously. But it is not beyond the boundaries of reason to consider that when a large event - like the president's inauguration - renders a city more or less paralyzed, the thoughtful thing is to plan ahead for everyone's sake. You'd better believe other bosses - at offices, shops, wherever - are having this conversation with their employees as well.

OP, if you need her there, you need her there. Let her know now and make this an open topic of conversation for how to smooth the path (could she stay overnight the night before? does she have someone who could drive her? etc.). If you don't need her there, if you'd like to take the day off, a bonus day off for your nanny is always appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
first commenter , you're a dick


I am not the poster, but I do not agree with your assessment. the poster is right, and realistic. being a nanny is a job, and people who employ nannies for the most past are not millionaires who spend their day golfing but workers who have jobs on their own where they have to show up on time or pay the consequences. on MLK day there will be tons of doctors, nurses, bus drivers, metro drivers, police and so no who will report for work on time (would you be happy to get to the ER and find it deserted because for the hospital employees was tough to get there on time?). OP is nice for taking this issue into consideration, but at the end, if she works and based on the contract the anny does not have the day off, it is right that it is the nanny's responsibility to get to work on time, as is OP's responsibility to get to her work on time

Exactly. If the nanny knows she has to work that day, she has to plan her commute. If her employer has a spare bedroom and wants to offer it to the nanny, that's nice, but not necessary. Most restaurant employees have booked hotel rooms near work (at their own expense) so they don't have to commute that day. They did that on their own, knowing that they need to be at work on time. Nannies are adults, surely OP's nanny knows what she needs to do.

[NisforNanny]

I agree that it's the nanny's job to get to work every day that she is scheduled to work, unless she is taking PTO. If you have the flexibility it would be nice to offer to shift your nanny's hours to avoid the worst of the commute or offer her the option to stay overnight the night before, but it is entirely reasonable to expect her to work MLK/Inauguration Day, if it is not specified as a day off in her agreement. Every commuter has to endure rough commutes due to weather and/or events - at least the events are easier to plan for!

[Anonymous]

If your contract doesn't say she gets "federal holidays" off, then no issue with having her work as normal. Agree that if you can let her flex a bit (if that works for your job too) that may help w/ traffic. I would think metro would be worse than bus lines that day in terms of masses of extra people.