What does a nanny do in this situation?

[Anonymous]

Live-in nanny moves across the country with her NF of two years. She's not paid by the books, and is significantly underpaid $600 a week for 24/7 care of three children under 10. No benefits. No health insurance. Nothing.

Visits her out of state boyfriend, gets pregnant. Tells the family about three months into the pregnancy and the next day they tell her she has 12 hours to remove all her belongings and that she's being let go for "moral ambiguity." She's given a severance pay of $350.

So she's homeless and jobless within a short time frame. Thankfully fellow nannies were able to help her until her boyfriend could arrive. I. Sure she would have had legal rights, but because nothing was done properly she was pretty much at their will.

I've never heard of a family treat an employee so poorly. I feel like many naive nannies can be really taken advantage of...

[Anonymous]

Her situation really sucks, but this is what can happen when you don't protect yourself as a nanny. A contract, if nothing else, serves as proof that you had an employment relationship with this family. Live-in nannies should also be sure to have a written lease or terms of your living arrangement spelled out in the contract. Don't put yourself in a position to be thrown out on the street. We seriosuly need a union that works to educate workers in this industry of their rights and resources.

[Anonymous]

This has to got to be a troll. Might me some conservative family but why would they rid themselves of cheap 24/7 childcare so abruptly with no plan in place?

If true that family is totally whacked. Nanny was stupid too, it is not all family's fault for this situation. Nanny should've seen it coming. Stupid is as stupid does...

[Anonymous]

Well at $600 a week she hopefully saved a lot of money with no living expenses. The same thing happened to me minus pregnancy, they fired me because I was getting serious with my boyfriend. They gave me an hour to move out, luckily I had $20,000 saved from working for them with no living expenses. I ended up just moving in with my then boyfriend now husband. I was young and stupid to accept the job, but I did meet my husband while working for them so no regrets.

[Anonymous]

It is illegal to give so lityle notice. There are laws re eviction and she should make them evict her. Moral ambiguity? What is this?

[Anonymous]

I feel so bad for this nanny. To lose a job as well as your home so soon after finding out you are pregnant is just MEAN.

Glad she had good friends to support her.

Legally, I am not sure if there is any recourse considering she was paid in cash. And even if she were paid "on-the-books," I don't know what legal recourse would be available.

If I were said nanny, I would simply cut my losses & move on. A stress-less pregnancy is vital for her own as well as her baby's well-being.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well at $600 a week she hopefully saved a lot of money with no living expenses. The same thing happened to me minus pregnancy, they fired me because I was getting serious with my boyfriend. They gave me an hour to move out, luckily I had $20,000 saved from working for them with no living expenses. I ended up just moving in with my then boyfriend now husband. I was young and stupid to accept the job, but I did meet my husband while working for them so no regrets.

Was the boyfriend related to the family?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well at $600 a week she hopefully saved a lot of money with no living expenses. The same thing happened to me minus pregnancy, they fired me because I was getting serious with my boyfriend. They gave me an hour to move out, luckily I had $20,000 saved from working for them with no living expenses. I ended up just moving in with my then boyfriend now husband. I was young and stupid to accept the job, but I did meet my husband while working for them so no regrets.

Was the boyfriend related to the family?

No, he was the computer guy at the business the husband owned. I met him when he came by the house one day to fix one of their computers, and then we ran in to each other several more times over the next 6 months before he asked me out. I think the reason they became so upset is because I started going out with him every weekend, I was never officially supposed to work weekends, but they loved having the ability to just leave the kids with me if they wanted to go out and do something. I was never paid for that extra time. When they fired me they told me I was no longer meeting their needs, and when I pushed for an actual reason the wife came out and said she didn't like that I had a boyfriend and was gone every weekend. When I said I thought I was off on the weekends, she said for the most part I was, but that the whole point of having a live-in nanny was so they wouldn't have to schedule additional help. Like I said I was young and stupid to work for them.

[Anonymous]

Our au pair works some of her 40 hours in the weekend. If she refused we'd find someone else to sponsor/pay/provide childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our au pair works some of her 40 hours in the weekend. If she refused we'd find someone else to sponsor/pay/provide childcare.

That's great. The family told me during the interview process that I would have weekends off and they would OCCASIONALLY ask me to watch the kids if I didn't have other plans. I already worked 50 hours or more during the week. I think I just spoiled them because during the first year I didn't go out much.

[Anonymous]

I'm a live in nanny paid legally with a contract and I have been let go ubruptly. I've never been told to get out in 12 hours but I am always provided with a 1 way plane ticket home, typically the next day. I can pack my bags in 1 hour if needed. For me it is a bump in the road but life goes on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well at $600 a week she hopefully saved a lot of money with no living expenses. The same thing happened to me minus pregnancy, they fired me because I was getting serious with my boyfriend. They gave me an hour to move out, luckily I had $20,000 saved from working for them with no living expenses. I ended up just moving in with my then boyfriend now husband. I was young and stupid to accept the job, but I did meet my husband while working for them so no regrets.

Was the boyfriend related to the family?

No, he was the computer guy at the business the husband owned. I met him when he came by the house one day to fix one of their computers, and then we ran in to each other several more times over the next 6 months before he asked me out. I think the reason they became so upset is because I started going out with him every weekend, I was never officially supposed to work weekends, but they loved having the ability to just leave the kids with me if they wanted to go out and do something. I was never paid for that extra time. When they fired me they told me I was no longer meeting their needs, and when I pushed for an actual reason the wife came out and said she didn't like that I had a boyfriend and was gone every weekend. When I said I thought I was off on the weekends, she said for the most part I was, but that the whole point of having a live-in nanny was so they wouldn't have to schedule additional help. Like I said I was young and stupid to work for them.

This is very common in the live in nanny world. I've had to sign contracts stating I am not dating anyone and that I won't date anyone while working. Availability in the live in nanny world is key. If I make plans on my days off I need to make sure they can be canceled at a moments notice so I can get back to work. I rarely drive more then 5 miles away from my home for this reason, I would hate to make my employers wait on me for childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our au pair works some of her 40 hours in the weekend. If she refused we'd find someone else to sponsor/pay/provide childcare.

I wish you all the things that you so richly
deserve and may they come soon and in spades.

[Anonymous]

I assume au pairs are vow those international programs and the work terms and hours are very straightforward and can encompass any of the seven days of the week.

Live in nannies are different. Totally different hours and "contracts".

[Anonymous]

We had a live in nanny who was never, ever required/asked to work weekends, federal holidays and 2 week vacation. It was good to have the flexibility during the workweek but once parents are home it's their time to enjoy their kids and its nannies' turn to enjoy her weekend. Just as we all are looking forward to our weekend, so is our nanny. Funny thing is sometimes she would get all dressed up and looking nice to go out with her BF and I would tease her that I would love to act as a single person maybe once a month. Anyways, it was good to see a young person happy in our home.