How to handle lateness outside of our control

[Anonymous]

Road construction started near my job a few weeks ago. The project will be going on for the next two years according to the city planner's website. I can't leave any sooner than my normal time but I am going to be late quite often for the nanny as a result. We have tried to find another route but they are all equally long. Do I pay overtime for the next two years? DH does not have a car so he isn't able to relieve the nanny either. It's about 45 minutes each night. Perhaps less in the future but we can't be sure.

[Anonymous]

If your nanny is already working 40+ hours per week, yes, you will need to pay OT. You should also seriously consider extending her official hours so you aren't late every day. Sure, sometimes you'll be home at 5:30 and will have to pay her for half an hour you didn't use, but better that than an angry nanny who never knows what time she'll be off each day!

[Anonymous]

Pay your nanny for the hours she works. Her hourly wage for the first 40, then time-and-a-half for anything over that. If the days will be irregular, its wise to keep track on paper, so its easy to figure out at the end of the week.

Also, make sure she is okay with this arrangement. If she has children to pick up or other obligations, she might need a concrete finishing time. If that's the case, it might not be a good fit. As a nanny, I would much rather the parents tell me worst case scenario, than to be told "we might be a few minutes late once in a while.". I've been there.

Best wishes.

[Anonymous]

Yes, of course, you have to pay your nanny for the time when you are late. She cannot leave her job until you get home and she is paid by the hour hence you have to pay her for the time she is working.

Are you seriously asking if it's okay to not pay her because you are going to be late?

[Anonymous]

???? YES. YES you pay overtime for the times when you are late! Do you think the nanny should work without being paid because there is construction at your work which is also out of her control? I'm a MB and I'm a little taken aback by your question!

[Anonymous]

DH and I maxed ourselves out on paying the nanny, we gave every last penny we could afford because she is amazing. At $19 base rate were at our breaking point with this daily over time. I think we will just give it to her straight and understand if she declines to stay. If that should happen, we will have to hire someone else at a lower rate in order to afford the overtime. Thanks DCUMers.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, you pay overtime for the next two years. It is not the nanny's problem that you cannot get home on time anymore - it's your problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH and I maxed ourselves out on paying the nanny, we gave every last penny we could afford because she is amazing. At $19 base rate were at our breaking point with this daily over time. I think we will just give it to her straight and understand if she declines to stay. If that should happen, we will have to hire someone else at a lower rate in order to afford the overtime. Thanks DCUMers.

Wow, so you're going to ask your nanny to work for free or you're going to ask her to let you break the law and pay her base rate vs. OT for the extra time?

I actually don't condemn the second quite as much - I have a flexible schedule and offered my MB and DB 45 hours a week at base pay and anything over as OT (all paid on the books) because there are times when I work 30 hours one week and 45 the next and I felt fine about the trade off. But please, don't ask her to stay for free and please guarantee her hours by an extra half hour a day so you're at most 15 minutes late.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I maxed ourselves out on paying the nanny, we gave every last penny we could afford because she is amazing. At $19 base rate were at our breaking point with this daily over time. I think we will just give it to her straight and understand if she declines to stay. If that should happen, we will have to hire someone else at a lower rate in order to afford the overtime. Thanks DCUMers.

Wow, so you're going to ask your nanny to work for free or you're going to ask her to let you break the law and pay her base rate vs. OT for the extra time?

I actually don't condemn the second quite as much - I have a flexible schedule and offered my MB and DB 45 hours a week at base pay and anything over as OT (all paid on the books) because there are times when I work 30 hours one week and 45 the next and I felt fine about the trade off. But please, don't ask her to stay for free and please guarantee her hours by an extra half hour a day so you're at most 15 minutes late.

I understood the issue to be actually that there is a change in circumstances and OP does not have to option, literally maxed her budget, and is not saying she would not pay this nanny if you were able.

[Anonymous]

Is there any flexibility in your daily schedule? Would it work for one of you to leave later in the morning? If that works and your nanny is later with the later start time and leave time, it would mean eliminating or cutting down on how much overtime you will need to pay her.

[Anonymous]

I guess this is what happens when you actually pay a nanny well, they still treat you like the people who pay a crappy $10 an hour. There is no gain in being generous. You can jump through hoops to let them have every perk under the sun and they will still not go one centimeter outside of the bare minimum. Wasted your hard earned money. They do not compromise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess this is what happens when you actually pay a nanny well, they still treat you like the people who pay a crappy $10 an hour. There is no gain in being generous. You can jump through hoops to let them have every perk under the sun and they will still not go one centimeter outside of the bare minimum. Wasted your hard earned money. They do not compromise.

I'm a nanny paid $20/hr who actually wrote about the compromise I made with my employers - up to 45hr per week at base pay. Who were you bitching about, again?

[Anonymous]

can you and your husband stagger your schedules a little more so one of you leaves earler in the morning and gets home earlier? As a nanny who genuinely likes the families I work for (share) I would definitely work with you on this. The first thing I'd want to know is about the schedule staggering and whether you actually asked your bosses or just assumed it would be a no w/o actually explaining the situation and asking for a concession. Then I'd offer to meet you somewhere en route (assuming it wasn't out of my way to get home) and doing the pass off elsewhere. If neither of those worked, I would accept some other type of benefit...extra day off once a month for example, or you stocking my favorite drinks and lunch items or something like that. Get creative! Most nannies are pretty flexible, unlike many of the nannies who often post here. A family you enjoy working for is worth more than $6 a day (or whatever the difference is.)

[Anonymous]

Is there a neighbor close by your child can stay with when you are late? May be you can repay them by wachimg their kids on a Saturday or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:can you and your husband stagger your schedules a little more so one of you leaves earler in the morning and gets home earlier? As a nanny who genuinely likes the families I work for (share) I would definitely work with you on this. The first thing I'd want to know is about the schedule staggering and whether you actually asked your bosses or just assumed it would be a no w/o actually explaining the situation and asking for a concession. Then I'd offer to meet you somewhere en route (assuming it wasn't out of my way to get home) and doing the pass off elsewhere. If neither of those worked, I would accept some other type of benefit...extra day off once a month for example, or you stocking my favorite drinks and lunch items or something like that. Get creative! Most nannies are pretty flexible, unlike many of the nannies who often post here. A family you enjoy working for is worth more than $6 a day (or whatever the difference is.)

Would you accept unwanted gift cards as payment?