Maternity Leave Seems to Mean No Other Benefits...
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Anonymous
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Just looking to see if this is something that should be bugging me as much as it is. I'm working for a family and MB is pregnant with #3 and is due in late January. After I had been working for them for a few months we discussed the benefits I was hoping for. I wanted 1 weeks paid vacation, 2 paid sick days and 50% contribution towards my health insurance. I also said that I would raise my rate by $60/ week once the new baby comes. She said that she would get back to me after discussing with DB. All of these were things that I had brought up before taking the job so it wasn't news to her. She never really got back to me on any of it, just kept saying that she would and needed more time to figure it out. I went on vacation (planned months in advance) last week. She told me a month before that it was too close to her maternity leave and they wouldn't be able to pay me for it. Fair enough, we hadn't actually formally agreed on that so I sucked it up. I still haven't gotten any answers for what I was asking for even though it's been brought up several times. I'm a passive aggressive person and I'm trying really hard to stand my ground here but I'm getting so frustrated. I feel like they said they would be on board with what I wanted and now that I'm here working for them they are trying to string me along or are hoping that I'll drop it. It's a bummer because other than this I have no issues with them, they are really nice people and I love their children so much.
Am I asking for too much? Is getting paid while MB is on maternity leave such a great perk that I'm expected to drop the other benefits I want? What would you do? Thanks! |
Anonymous
| If they can't give you a solid answer, or an answer you don't want to hear, then you make the choice. Do you stay, or do you go? If you are full time, you should be getting two weeks of vacation. Do you have a written contract? If not, and you choose to stay, get it all in writing for the future. |
Anonymous
| I would have gotten a signed contract. Her non-answer IS an answer. So if I didn't have a signed contract with this family I would start looking for a new job, and when asked why I'm leaving say "My former employers did not value the importance of a contract, and did not get back to me over the course of six months about whether or not I would get any paid time off or sick days, or health insurance. I really enjoyed working with them and loved the baby, but had to move on." |
Anonymous
| You've basically asked for extra pay and benefits and they have not agreed to give you it. They haven't completely shut the door on you by giving you a flat no but they also haven't agreed to them. It sounds like you are both passive aggressive. You want more than they are willing to give you. Simple equation. You can decide if you can find it elsewhere and if not then suck it up. |
Anonymous
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Time to leave. Lesson to learn, agree to all terms before you start a job and have a contract signed.
My gut says that they might let you go during her maternity leave to save money, thats why they haven't responded to any of your requests. |
Anonymous
I agree...sorry. Don't ignore this sign and stating looking for another job. IME, when an employer/company is quiet, it means something else is brewing. They may be looking for a cheaper nanny so they don't have to spend any more on childcare when the baby comes. |
Anonymous
This. They're being secretive, and probably only thinking about their interests. Screw or be screwed!! |
Anonymous
| Do you need a thumderbolt? You have been screwed evrry which esy from Sunday. Get out now . Screw her in return. |
Anonymous
+3 |
Anonymous
| Some families take forever to commit to any kind of contract or agreement. Send a formal email with the contract and the amount of time you need to hear a response. If they can't commit, you can tell them you are not comfortable working without a contract and you will be seeking other employment. Be direct from here on out and quit letting them call the shots, you'll feel better when you not living in limbo! |
Anonymous
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In general I like to give people the benefit of the doubt and when the situation is unclear then it's time to schedule a formal meeting to discuss and get answers. Maybe try to schedule a meeting with both MB and DB together.
I am in a similar situation but from the other side. I am a MB. I negotiated and agreed contract terms with my nanny and provided a draft contract before she started working with us. We were slow to actually produce the signed contract but my nanny has had the signed contract for several weeks now and has not given it back to us signed and after only a few months she has told us she needs to change her situation because she needed more hours and more $. We very quickly reviewed what we could do, longer hours, additional tasks, more $. I gave her details/proposals in writing and she is generally unresponsive to them and ignores them. Says she hasn't looked at it or discussed with her husband. It's been a few weeks now and it is not clear to us if she wants to stay with us under the new terms. I would like to give her the benefit of needing time to sort it out but we are quickly approaching the date when she said she needs to change schedule (January). Family and friends feel she is likely stringing us along to see if she gets a better offer from a new family. Her non communication is a problem, in a vacuum people are left making assumptions. I suggest you schedule a meeting to specifically discuss the matter and be sure they know why you need to meet. I need to do the same next week. I am not thrilled that after just a few months my family will have a disruption and a change in caregiver when my kids are very happy with her but it is better to resolve it clearly and directly so you (and we on our case too) know where you stand and can move forward and make plans. No need to be passive aggressive, just be professional and hopefully they will respond we'll in response. I know I would respect that as an MB. Good luck. |
Anonymous
I agree with this. OP, were they originally planning to have you work during her maternity leave? |
Anonymous
| OP, you started a job knowing what they were agreeing to with the extra child (she was pregnant at the time of hire). You want to take vacation you have not fully earned fully paid - really? Very few jobs will give you that. The list could go on. Time for you to look for another job as you are way too demanding. |
Anonymous
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Are you asking to add 1 week of paid vacation and to add 2 days of paid sick leave beyond what you have or you currently have no paid vacation and no paid sick days?
If it is the latter - leave. If it is the former - then be patient however I would tell them you want a signed contract that you have negotiated by the end of the year. If they won't do that - leave. |