Cell phone/Internet usage in contract

[Anonymous]

Is your cell phone and/or Internet usage addressed in your contract? Or is it implied that you will be on your phone minimally/during naps?

[Anonymous]

No. The only thing in my contract regarding cellphones is that I promise not to use it for calls or texts while I am driving the children around. I'm a professional nanny. They trust that I am not sitting on my phone all day. When I get to work, my phone stays in my purse in the entryway. I only take it out when the kids are sitting down for snack and when they are napping.

[Anonymous]

Not in my contract. Pretty sure it's common sense about doing my job the right way..and that would be engaging my charge and not having my phone in my face all day, no texting and driving, etc.

[Anonymous]

Not in my contracts, but I am also not one of those people that carry their phone around with them all day in their hands (or pocket). I put it in my purse and it stays in there unless I am using it (which is not often during work).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not in my contracts, but I am also not one of those people that carry their phone around with them all day in their hands (or pocket). I put it in my purse and it stays in there unless I am using it (which is not often during work).

I used to leave my phone in the pocket of my bag all day - till the parents of the children I look after asked me to carry it on my person at all times. So now it lives in my pocket. I don't really use it during the day except to text MB/DB, or answer phone calls. Its an old school phone, so no internet/apps.

[Anonymous]

I don't have anything in my contract about it. I live in California where it is illegal to talk/text and drive so that's implied. MB and I text frequently throughout the day so I keep my phone on me. I only actually answer it if it's my dr or something work related like a play date we're trying to meet up with. I only use the Internet when the kids are at school/napping (like now).

[Anonymous]

I had a situation where I started a part-time babysitting position and the mother decided to put that in the contract. However, the parents did not mention anything to me during the interview. On the first day, I was blind sided by a contract, "policies" and other paperwork I did not expect for a part-time babysitting job. I was thrown so off guard, and was so offended by this policy, I didn't stay past 10 minutes. The worst part about that, is the mother wanted possession of my phone during the day and would give me my phone back at the end of the day.

If you feel the need to have this in your contract, then you should be upfront about it in the interview, or in your posting searching for a nanny. For most nannies, this probably isn't a big deal. It wouldn't have been a big deal to me except I was freaked out about how aggressive the mother was and how she was not upfront with me in the first place. I told her that I could only take the job temporarily because I was waiting on a security clearance and that I would occasionally have to take phone calls during the day, but it would be rare and very short.

That babysitting job wasn't my career and nor was I comfortable having someone else having possession of my phone. Leaving it in my car during the day, no problem. But I'm not handing over my personal cell phone with access to my bank accounts and other personal information to anyone. I didn't know if that mother was some type of scam artist. You just never know.

Long story short, I am sure many nannies would be offended by something like this stated in a contract, especially if you are not upfront about it.

[Anonymous]

Our nanny is NEVER allowed on her cell while working unless its for a specific task.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. The only thing in my contract regarding cellphones is that I promise not to use it for calls or texts while I am driving the children around. I'm a professional nanny. They trust that I am not sitting on my phone all day. When I get to work, my phone stays in my purse in the entryway. I only take it out when the kids are sitting down for snack and when they are napping.

Why aren't you talking to the kids during snack time????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. The only thing in my contract regarding cellphones is that I promise not to use it for calls or texts while I am driving the children around. I'm a professional nanny. They trust that I am not sitting on my phone all day. When I get to work, my phone stays in my purse in the entryway. I only take it out when the kids are sitting down for snack and when they are napping.

Why aren't you talking to the kids during snack time????

Because snack time is the one time during the day that they are allowed to watch a 30 minute show. So I put a episode of Sesame Street or Mickey Mouse on and let them watch it while they drink their milk & have a snack. I use that time to check my emails or missed texts. If the kids need me, I put my phone away. They don't need to be entertained the full 10 hours I am with them.