Snow days: regular pay?

[Anonymous]

When her county's schools are closed, her high school daughter is off school. She doesn't come to work. I end up staying home with baby and cobbling some hours together.
Nanny still gets paid for the day, right? we have been paying her but don't know if that's the norm for a contract. Don't want to be getting duped here.

[Anonymous]

All depends on what you agreed to in your contract and how far away the nanny lives.

Yes, as per our contract, we pay DS's nanny when she is unable to come to work due to snow.

[Anonymous]

Her daughter is in high school. Baring special needs, she can stay home alone. I can see coming late but not fully canceling.

[Anonymous]

This is a strange situation. You need to talk to her about it. Does she expect to stay home any time her daughter's school is closed, or is it because of the snow, and the school closing was also because of the snow?

You also have to decide how you want to handle differences in the weather if she lives far from you. I would not want to be on the hook for paying for snow days both when the roads are bad near me, and on different days near her. Some people might say that's a risk you took hiring someone who lives far away, but I tend to think that she needs to take on the burden of getting herself to work when the roads in your county are fine. If she has to stay home in those circumstances, she needs to use some of her paid time off.

[Anonymous]

Nanny here. IMO, this woman is clearly taking advantage of you! If her daughter is in high school, she can be by herself for the day. Another option: have you considered offering to let Nanny bring her daughter with her to work in this scenario? If she's like most teens I know, she'll be content playing on an iPad or watching tv (in a different room than the baby).

This just seems to be a slippery slope to me. She can't do her job any time her daughter has to stay home from school? What about all the numerous teacher work days and school holidays? Or days that her daughter is home sick? Does she get all of those days off paid as well?

Do you actually have a contract with her? Does it address snow days or days she has to take off to care for her daughter? Normally I would say days that work is missed due to snow should be paid, but it sounds like she isn't missing it because the roads are bad, but rather, because of her daughter being home, which is a different thing entirely. (Presumably, if her school was canceled, the roads aren't great, but often times in my experience school has been canceled when roads have still been passable.)

I've said it before and I'll say it again: If you don't want to deal with these or a myriad of other issues with your nanny, then hire one who doesn't have her own kids! I think I've seen more issues pertaining to nannies with their own kids posted on this board than any other singular issue; it's not that hard to understand, people! Nanny with her own kid = inconveniences for you down the road.

[Anonymous]

Op back. Snow days specifically in her contract. Delays she must show as soon as roads as safe to travel. But teacher workdays and professional days she does not have off. Daughter presumably is at home or with friends.

This is food for thought as we consider next years contract with her. I will probably just need to be more specific on snow day policy. I can't change the rules on her midstream. And as DH reminded me, this may be the last one this winter anyways. Thanks, all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op back. Snow days specifically in her contract. Delays she must show as soon as roads as safe to travel. But teacher workdays and professional days she does not have off. Daughter presumably is at home or with friends.

This is food for thought as we consider next years contract with her. I will probably just need to be more specific on snow day policy. I can't change the rules on her midstream. And as DH reminded me, this may be the last one this winter anyways. Thanks, all.

You were specific. She needed to come in as soon as the roads were safe. Everyone was on a two hour delay, so she should have been too.

[Anonymous]

I can't afford to tie my childcare arrangement to the county school board snow day decisions. We both have to work unless there is truly bad weather, and we all reassess how bad it really is and get back to our employers.
Some school boards or superintendents are very liberal with the snow days around here!

FYI, all the high school kids around here stay home alone on snow days of their parents go in. Your nanny has a juicy arrangement!

[Anonymous]

No, I would NOT pay her for snow days! Bet if you don't she will be more likely to only take truly necessary ones and let her high schooler stay home alone.

[Anonymous]

We had a nanny who abused snow days last winter (which we offered as paid days off). There were a lot of legitamate ones but she also took several where the roads were clear by us. She lived in DC so it wasn't an issue of snow near her but not near me, but even if it snowed lightly she'd call to say she couldn't come in, even late. We amended our snow day policy to say that if my office was open and I felt safe going in, she was expected in., although not necessarily right on time. If she didn't feel safe driving, we'd pay for a cab. If she took the day anyway because she felt unsafe, it was a vacation day (she got two weeks PTO). She agreed that was fair and was much more reasonable about snow days the following winter.

[Anonymous]

I don't get why she should be staying home with a high school child.

When my children were in high school, they didn't need me home all day long to watch them so she should be able to come into work unless she has a disabled child.

So yes, you are being duped.

Or as I prefer to say, "hustled."

[Anonymous]

It doesn't matter what you think of OPs agreement. It is in the contract that they will follow school.closings, so she needs to follow the contract. Certainly reconsider for next year, and negotiate something different.

[Anonymous]

Our contract states we follow OPM for DC with regard to snow days.

[Anonymous]

If that's what is in your contract yes she gets paid.
you may want to consider something different for future contracts.

When I worked for teachers when they had a snow day I was off and paid.

Currently I am off and paid if the weather is such that travel is dangerous or banned = state of emergency blizzard or hurricane warnings.

Or if my employer calls and tells me they are staying home due to weather and I can do the same.

If it's not one of those days I can call out but I'm using my PTO which is limited. I also know it's not a good look to call out every time it snows a little.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op back. Snow days specifically in her contract. Delays she must show as soon as roads as safe to travel. But teacher workdays and professional days she does not have off. Daughter presumably is at home or with friends.

This is food for thought as we consider next years contract with her. I will probably just need to be more specific on snow day policy. I can't change the rules on her midstream. And as DH reminded me, this may be the last one this winter anyways. Thanks, all.

You were specific. She needed to come in as soon as the roads were safe. Everyone was on a two hour delay, so she should have been too.

You live on her road?