The flexible (yet not so flexible) nanny

[Anonymous]

Op here. Spoke to our nanny this morning and she said she’ does not want to be on call until 7. She said she has things to do after work. I understand that we totally were in the wrong of asking her to stay late especially when it was last minute. I told her that we would be looking for a nanny and her hours would be changed to 7-3/4. She said she would check her finances etc and let us know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Spoke to our nanny this morning and she said she’ does not want to be on call until 7. She said she has things to do after work. I understand that we totally were in the wrong of asking her to stay late especially when it was last minute. I told her that we would be looking for a nanny and her hours would be changed to 7-3/4. She said she would check her finances etc and let us know.

I think a step in the right direction but I don’t think it’s fair to cut her hours three or four when she is used to working until five. Unless I missed the reason why you would be cutting her hours until three or four. If it was the burn out issue that you mentioned I suggested earlier that the burn out could be due to the unpredictable schedule.

[Anonymous]

That’s great, op! I’m glad to hear you talked with her. This problem won’t be solved without some open communication between you guys. I hope you’ll update us

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That’s great, op! I’m glad to hear you talked with her. This problem won’t be solved without some open communication between you guys. I hope you’ll update us

Thank you so much I appreciate it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Spoke to our nanny this morning and she said she’ does not want to be on call until 7. She said she has things to do after work. I understand that we totally were in the wrong of asking her to stay late especially when it was last minute. I told her that we would be looking for a nanny and her hours would be changed to 7-3/4. She said she would check her finances etc and let us know.

I think a step in the right direction but I don’t think it’s fair to cut her hours three or four when she is used to working until five. Unless I missed the reason why you would be cutting her hours until three or four. If it was the burn out issue that you mentioned I suggested earlier that the burn out could be due to the unpredictable schedule.

Op here. We would cut her hours so we can have an evening nanny and offer the evening nanny 4 hours. She’s not willing to be available until 7, which I understand but finding someone from 5:30-7 will be tough.

[Anonymous]

I have to agree with previous posters that it's going to be tough to find a part time evening nanny that will be reliable and consistent. You'll be in competition with all the parents of school age kids who just need the afternoon/early evening covered.

But I can also understand why a nearly 12 hour workday is too much for your nanny. Isn't there any way that you and your husband can stagger work schedules a little?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s great, op! I’m glad to hear you talked with her. This problem won’t be solved without some open communication between you guys. I hope you’ll update us

Thank you so much I appreciate it.

I agree. You handled it well in approaching your full time nanny first in looking for a solution. Good luck! Those part time nannies are so hard to find and harder to keep but I know of one family that lucked out with a very dependable preschool teacher who worked in my friend’s neighborhood and was off at 3. She is fantastic and has been with them for nearly two years. I haven’t been so lucky...

[Anonymous]

Your nanny is going to quit as soon as she finds a better job. Cutting her hours eliminates her overtime pay. If you currently pay her $20/hour for 50 hours, she earns $1100 a week. If she starts working only 40 hours, her pay drops to $800/week. A pay cut of around 28% isn't sustainable for the vast majority of workers, and I am assuming YOU would suffer with that sort of pay cut and have to find a new job, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your nanny is going to quit as soon as she finds a better job. Cutting her hours eliminates her overtime pay. If you currently pay her $20/hour for 50 hours, she earns $1100 a week. If she starts working only 40 hours, her pay drops to $800/week. A pay cut of around 28% isn't sustainable for the vast majority of workers, and I am assuming YOU would suffer with that sort of pay cut and have to find a new job, right?

Well then, she can go ahead and find a new job. I would completely understand. And we pay her a rate of 1.5 after 40 hours so she willi be losing 10 hours a week on overtime pay. Needs change and she couldn’t meet the needs of our family so I’m more then willing to let her go if we don’t fit her needs anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your nanny is going to quit as soon as she finds a better job. Cutting her hours eliminates her overtime pay. If you currently pay her $20/hour for 50 hours, she earns $1100 a week. If she starts working only 40 hours, her pay drops to $800/week. A pay cut of around 28% isn't sustainable for the vast majority of workers, and I am assuming YOU would suffer with that sort of pay cut and have to find a new job, right?

Well then, she can go ahead and find a new job. I would completely understand. And we pay her a rate of 1.5 after 40 hours so she willi be losing 10 hours a week on overtime pay. Needs change and she couldn’t meet the needs of our family so I’m more then willing to let her go if we don’t fit her needs anymore.

You're such a gem. NOT!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your nanny is going to quit as soon as she finds a better job. Cutting her hours eliminates her overtime pay. If you currently pay her $20/hour for 50 hours, she earns $1100 a week. If she starts working only 40 hours, her pay drops to $800/week. A pay cut of around 28% isn't sustainable for the vast majority of workers, and I am assuming YOU would suffer with that sort of pay cut and have to find a new job, right?

Well, that’s why she spoke to the nanny first. Op just said that the nanny was going to look over her finances and get back to her. She’s giving her a choice. The nanny can either accept the guaranteed hours until 7 (but have to be able to stay anytime they ask), or she can drop to 7-3 or 4 if she can afford that. It’s not like op is just making decisions without asking.

[Anonymous]

OP, have you thought about having the part-time nanny work the morning shift 7-9 or 10, then current nanny works til 5.30 everyday, but is also guaranteed hours so that she’s available to 7.30 as needed? It’s usually easier to find a morning nanny than afternoon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, have you thought about having the part-time nanny work the morning shift 7-9 or 10, then current nanny works til 5.30 everyday, but is also guaranteed hours so that she’s available to 7.30 as needed? It’s usually easier to find a morning nanny than afternoon.

Hi there, yes we considered that as well. I texted her and told her that she could do 7-3/4 or to do 11-7.

[Anonymous]

I'd hate to be away from my kids, 7-7, BUT if I had to pay someone to work until 7 every night, whether I was working late or not, I would feel entitled to use that time. That is, on evenings when I didn't have to work, I might stop at the gym on the way home, or do the grocery shopping, or schedule doctor's appointments that only involve one kid. I understand the nanny's needs to have a reliable income and not to be asked to work "late" on short notice, but whether it's OT hours for the FT nanny or regular time hours for the second one, I would have a hard time regularly paying for them if they weren't working. Extra family trips out of town are a separate issue; I know "guaranteed hours" are expected to allow the nanny to plan her finances properly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd hate to be away from my kids, 7-7, BUT if I had to pay someone to work until 7 every night, whether I was working late or not, I would feel entitled to use that time. That is, on evenings when I didn't have to work, I might stop at the gym on the way home, or do the grocery shopping, or schedule doctor's appointments that only involve one kid. I understand the nanny's needs to have a reliable income and not to be asked to work "late" on short notice, but whether it's OT hours for the FT nanny or regular time hours for the second one, I would have a hard time regularly paying for them if they weren't working. Extra family trips out of town are a separate issue; I know "guaranteed hours" are expected to allow the nanny to plan her finances properly.

I just don't think that way. I understand that I am paying for our nanny's availability with guaranteed hours. I often come home early and relieve her. I never feel I have to get my money's worth!