Please help!!

[Anonymous]

I just started a new job 2 weeks ago. The parents have arrived home over an hour late multiple times with little or no warning. Earlier this week I was asked if I could stay a few extra hours (14 hour day total, on top of an already 45 hour week), and I said I could not do it, as I had plans. Well, 4.5 hours after my shift was supposed to end, I'm still here. They had called this morning to say they would be a bit late, but they're clearly just using the hours they had asked me for tonight. I really want to go home and I'm really upset, but I obviously can't just leave and they've stopped answering my calls. Help!!

[Anonymous]

Quit when they get home. That is unacceptable, and they will continue to take advantage of you in the future. This makes for an impossible work relationship.

[Anonymous]

Sorry! That sucks.

I agree with the pp

If you can just quit. That maybe hard because you may not have anything lined up, but I would just quit. They will continue to do this

[Anonymous]

I also think you should quit. You told them you could not stay late and they have showed no respect for your time. Huge red flag! Did they even apologize when they got home?

[Anonymous]

You don't have to quit.

You can provide them tomorrow (via email) an invoice for your charges for tonight. Daycares often charge $1-$2 per MINUTE that the parents are late. Total up those late fees PLUS your overtime hours on a proper invoice, email it to them, and tell them when you require the payment. You earned every penny of it, so make sure they pay up.

[Anonymous]

That sucks, I got annoyed today because my MB was 15 minutes late and then she wanted to chitchat. I would be so pissed if I had to stay over 3 hours! Let us know what you end up doing.

[Anonymous]

I'm just furious. I'm still here, meanwhile my husband had made dinner for our family (I have 2 kids waiting at home!!) and had to put them to bed upset because they were expecting me to be there. I know they'll be fine and its not like any major psychological damage has been done by this one evening, lol, but I'm just pissed and that's icing on the cake.

Quitting on the spot would not be ideal, but it's a possibility. I would need to be able to find another position quickly, but that shouldn't be a problem. I don't mean that to sound like I'm bragging, I've just been doing this for a long time in the same area and have built up a great reputation.

I'm honestly insulted.

[Anonymous]

I have been here since 7 AM!

[Anonymous]

Now I'm hooked and I want to know what happened!

Where were they? What time did they come home? What was their excuse?

Sorry you're in this but I am HOOKED!!

[Anonymous]

Yes please update us OP. And make sure you say something, don't let them get away with playing you like a passive teenager. You're an adult, employee, and should be treated with respect. This is ridiculous. I would be sooo tempted to take my check and RUN!

[Anonymous]

MB and DB strolled in around 2, happy and laughing, clearly had been drinking. There was no apology, they just thanked me for my time and said they would add it on to my check. The rest of the conversation went as follows:

Me: So you will be including my overtime rates?
MB: pardon?
Me: my overtime rates. I worked 8 hours of overtime tonight. I was scheduled to leave at 4. I charge time and a half (22.50) for the hours between my normal end time and the 12 hour mark, and then double time (30) for the hours after that.
MB (looking shocked): we obviously cannot afford that and you know it. Why are you doing this?
Me: this is my business, and I have a family at home. I realize you also have lives, but when you did not arrive home at 4, and without warning, I had to rearrange my own life. I would have liked to have attended my best friend since childhoods engagement party tonight, but now I've missed it, and on top of that, my kids were very concerned that I didn't make it home, and I have not been able to eat since I left my home in the morning. I have earned that money.
MB: He (DS) has been asleep since 7! You didn't have any other work here! You just had to sit here for hours! And you want extra wages for that? We had debated but decided against paying a LOWER rate for the time he was asleep. Seriously? You seriously want me to pay that?
Me: I don't WANT it, I REQUIRE it. In no other work place or child care facility would something like this slide. Frankly, I resent this treatment.
MB: well we resent being taken advantage of.

She did write the check, probably out of fear of being reported, but I do not expect to be em

[Anonymous]

Sorry, got cut off...I do not expect to be employed on Monday, but I just don't care anymore.

[Anonymous]

MB here, their behavior is appalling. I recommend you quit before they have a chance to fire you or, at the very least, have a serious conversation before going back.

[Anonymous]

OP again- I just can't imagine leaving my kids with someone for that long when I had just met them about a month before. Particularly when that person had said they couldn't stay. I wouldn't want to leave someone with my kids who would obviously be annoyed. I would hope that they would have the sense and decency to remember their issue was with me and not my children, the way I behave, but you just never know.

It may be petty, but I don't think I can let this go. I do want to quit. Is this is a case where quitting without much notice (as in, today) is reasonable? I am very concerned about maintaining my good standing in this area, but I'm also afraid that with more notice they will take advantage again. That is, if they don't fire me first!

[Anonymous]

You worked from 7 am to 2 am the next morning?