Mom I work for changes hours last minute and do not pay me

[Anonymous]

Hi! I work for a pretty decent family, but as of late, the mom has been changing my hours last minute and often times cutting my hours (last minute) so I end up not getting paid even though I was schedule for 9-5 (end up working 9-1). I've talked with her and asked her, if you will not need me please let me know at least a week in advance so I can let the agency that I work with know so I can try to work more hours else where.. Well, she went from letting me know the night before to 2-3 days before which isn't enough time. I'm expecting to work my full 25 hours per week, it's been looking more like 20 hours per week and in my contract I listed that I must work a minimum of 20 hours per week. I never expected she'd start cutting hours because she wants to have lunch with her friend and take the kids with her or she wants to take them to the park instead of me so the last 2 hours of the day I am not needed (these are her excuses) I do not call off from work and have been very flexible and I believe we have a good working relationship so I am not sure where this is coming from. Basically, yesterday, she said she'd only need me from 9-1 friday and if I wanted the remainder 4 hours I can come to work on a day that I am typically off or use these hours towards when I babysit for them next Saturday. The point of me babysitting next Saturday was for extra $, not to be making up $ to equal my normal check. I told her id let her know if I'll work on my off day or just take the lost because she won't pay me if she doesn't need me. As I said, I've talked with her about this and i don't know what to say anymore without sounding unprofessional. I nanny as a job, I pay my bills with my check, it's upsetting that I am starting to not have a guaranteed set hours to work anymore. Advice PLEASE

[Anonymous]

I think you're in a tough position to negotiate because in your contract, you have guaranteed minimum hours of 20 per week and that's what you're getting. The fact that it was 25 historically doesn't mean she owes you 25 going forward. I totally understand the practicality of what you're saying, but she is honoring her side of the bargain - from what you describe.

If you need another 5-10 hrs/week to make your finances work, let your boss know what you really like your charge and working for her, but you need a certain amount of income to makes ends meet and your first choice would be to keep just this job that you have with her family; but that if the hours are going be only 20 going forward, you'll need to look for job #2 and will make sure it doesn't conflict with the core hours of your current job - but that does mean you'll be less available to shift around your hours last minute or take weekend jobs.

[Anonymous]

What do you want to do, OP?

[Anonymous]

Get a new job. It's not acceptable to expect you to keep 25 hours a week available and then not pay you for all of them without giving you enough notivce to notify your agency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get a new job. It's not acceptable to expect you to keep 25 hours a week available and then not pay you for all of them without giving you enough notivce to notify your agency.

+1

I've had clients do this to me before (guarantee hours, then when they wanted me on a Friday or Saturday night they would cut my regular hours so I wouldn't be getting extra for coming in on my evenings off, etc), and they were always bad clients for other reasons, too. Find a family who respects you and values your time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a new job. It's not acceptable to expect you to keep 25 hours a week available and then not pay you for all of them without giving you enough notivce to notify your agency.

+1

I've had clients do this to me before (guarantee hours, then when they wanted me on a Friday or Saturday night they would cut my regular hours so I wouldn't be getting extra for coming in on my evenings off, etc), and they were always bad clients for other reasons, too. Find a family who respects you and values your time.

OP HERE:
I was actually just offered a summer position/internship with a gov't agency which may become full term so I am leaving at the end of June anyway and will seek a part nanny job anyway, but at this point I'm not even going to tell her until 2 weeks before I leave.

[Anonymous]

I think she is taking what your contract states, that you need a MINIMUM of 20 hours a week, and thinking as long as she offers you that many hours, you will be satisfied.

However since you have discussed this with her and she still is not able to offer you more working hours, then this job may not be enough for you.

Stress to her that you think you both have an excellent working relationship now and that you enjoy their child.

However, you have bills that need to be paid, etc. and you really need more hours. Ask her if she can reinstate the four hours back.

Or if she really wants to be with the kids those hours, offer to do something else helpful to earn those hours.

Perhaps running errands, doing the laundry and walking the family dog would be good ideas.

[Anonymous]

I think there isn't much you can do between now and the end of June when you start your new job. I would perhaps have a chat with her and tell her you would like to discuss permanently changing your schedule to reflect fewer hours. It is not fair for her to keep you tied up and not able to work. After you have this discussion, I would find another part time nannying position that will also work as a second job for when you start your internship. That way, she doesn't bad mouth you to future employers if you use her as a reference because she doesn't know you are planning on permanently leaving yet.