should I make up for being late?

[Anonymous]

DH and I got confused tonight about who needed to get home to relieve our nanny, and we ended up texting her 5 minutes after we were supposed to be home and being home 15 minutes after that. So not all that late, really, but we've always contacted her before the time we were supposed to get home if we're going to be late, and have never been more than 5-10 minutes late without at least a day's notice in advance. She's been with us for 6 months.

She did not seem to mind, but I want to make clear to her that we messed up and that it won't be a habit. Would doing something for her (amazon gift card?) be nice, or am I obsessing over nothing?

[Anonymous]

It would be a nice gesture but I don't think it's necessary- maybe show up a half hr or hour early and let her leave one day soon?

[Anonymous]

Long-time nanny here. How often do you contact her ahead of time and get home 5-10 minutes late? If that is fairly often - like weekly or more - that is more of an issue. However, if you aren't late often, and if you said sorry about this particular time and explained what happened (that's important), I would not hold it against you at all. I would totally understand. That happens. I would like to add that I would have preferred a phone call over a text at the time it was already 5 min. after my off time. Still, I don't know that a gift card is in order. Getting home early one day would be nice, but not necessary.

Do you allow time to talk about the day? I really have troubles with people who don't build in any time to talk about important things before I leave. Even with a nanny log, we always still have a few things to say back and forth. When the parents get home right when I am off, then I wonder if I should blow it off (then I am not doing a good job), or spend my own time talking.

[Anonymous]

as long as you pay her for the time, it should be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:as long as you pay her for the time, it should be fine.

+1

I agree. A sincere apology when you arrived home plus pay for an additional hour of her time (cash in hand would be ideal, given the following morning is ok) would be exactly right.

[Anonymous]

OP, I love you for caring so much. I'm a nanny that posted once about my employers being 10+ mins late every night, still wanting to talk about the day, and at one point didn't come home until 3 hours after they were supposed to. I had to call MB 30 mins after she was supposed to be home to make sure she was alive. There was never once an apology, and they lost my services pretty quickly. I quit with only a weekends notice, which I thought I would never do, but honestly I still feel like I showed them more respect than they showed me.

I think as long as you've apologized (and it certainly sounds like you have), being late is an extremely rare occurrence, and like PP said, have a time at the end of the day built in for talking so nanny isn't using her own time, I think you'll be fine. If I had a good relationship with my employer and she had been 20ish mins late, clearly felt horrible, and I really felt that it wouldn't happen again, I might feel pretty bad accepting the gift card. It might make me think my MB feels the need to walk on eggshells around me, and it makes me sad when I see employers and nannies doing this around each other. It's unhealthy.

[Anonymous]

PP here, forgot to mention that you should of course compensate her for the time you were late. Since it was 20-30 mins (based on your post), I would just pay double/the whole hour. If you had agreed ahead of time on the late end time, her normal rate would be appropriate, but since she was not informed until after she should have been able to leave, I would pay more.

[Anonymous]

You're fine. As long a you pay for the time late and just apologize (as a nanny should who is late as well), it's okay.

[Anonymous]

Maybe I'm wrong here, and I could be: but as a nanny it never bothers me if mb and DB are late - not incredibly late but 20 minutes here and there never bothers me. I certainly wouldnt call them unless 10-15 minutes turns into an hour or happens frequently. No one can be on time 100% of the time - don't stress. Apologize and if you feel strongly come home early one day this week. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I'm wrong here, and I could be: but as a nanny it never bothers me if mb and DB are late - not incredibly late but 20 minutes here and there never bothers me. I certainly wouldnt call them unless 10-15 minutes turns into an hour or happens frequently. No one can be on time 100% of the time - don't stress. Apologize and if you feel strongly come home early one day this week. Good luck!

I agree to an extent. The few times I have commitments within a short time after a care date is supposed to end, I make sure to tell the parents I have plans just in case so they don't run late. I always get paid for any late time of course and an apology. I'm totally fine with it and don't expect more.

[Anonymous]

Just pay for the time with cash and apologize, then move on.

[Anonymous]

OP I just want to say that you sound like a fabulous employer and your nanny is just lucky to work for such a caring and considerate family!!

Anyway, as long as this doesn't happen too often, just chalk it up to a misunderstanding. Really it is no big deal.
You do not have to offer your nanny a gift card...it may embarrass her.

What my employers tend to do over stuff like this is simply add it to my pay. For instance, say your nanny makes $15/Hr and she worked an extra 15-20 min. for one day. I would just add either and extra $5 to her pay for that week or if you really feel bad, just pay her another $15. FYI: Us nannies LOVE it when as family rounds up.

[Anonymous]

You apologized, OP. That's good enough.

Pay her, of course. It sounds like you were 20min late, so pay her half her hourly rate additionally.