Nanny sick ALL the time - WWYD?

[Anonymous]

We've only had our nanny for 5 months. She's already used over two weeks of PTO. She is sick more often than anyone I've ever met. And if she's not sick, there's some other reason she's not here. We took a vacation (and paid her of course) but she mixed up the dates of our vacation and booked her own vacation for the wrong dates, so I had to take 2 consecutive weeks off work instead of one. Which wouldn't bother me if she hadn't already taken so much time off. It's become a significant burden to cover her days off, by either finding coverage or taking the day off myself. I have missed more work in the past 5 months than in the prior 2.5 years total with our last nanny.

All my friends say to fire her. But I feel badly. I don't think she's lying. I believe she's honestly sick. How awful is it to replace someone for having a crappy immune system?

[Anonymous]

Maybe she's sick or maybe she's a disorganized mess. Either way she's not able to do the job you hired her for. I think you should give her notice, but give her a nice recommendation, telling her that the stars just aren't aligned for your family and her.

[Anonymous]

Yep. This is when you pull out "this just isn't working out."

[Anonymous]

I would have let her go over the vacation thing. She should have cancelled if she was trying to start off on the right foot and build a good relationship.

[Anonymous]

You pay her to care for your kids. If she can't do it, then you need to find someone new. It is hard but this is not going to get better...

[Anonymous]

Nanny here. If she's used that much PTO, it would be a red flag, but not necessarily a firing offense unless it went over her allotted PTO/sick leave.

The firing offense (to me) is that she didn't make sure she was positive about your vacation dates when she booked her own travel, then she expected you to cover that week rather than rescheduling and swallowing the costs. There is zero reason that that level of disregard should be tolerated, and it doesn't matter if she's been with you 5 months or 5 years.

[Anonymous]

If she's making your life harder instead of easier, then she's not doing her job. Immune systems are to some degree controllable through diet. The better you eat, the better your immune system.

[Anonymous]

One way of potentially avoiding this in the future is to have a probationary period for a new hire of x number of months where benefits are on hold. So for example, no pto for sick days for first 4 months, and paid vacation may be used beginning in the 7th month. Then at her annual review you can always opt to credit her any formerly -unpaid- sick days from the probationary period because by then you hopefully have a trusted relationship and know she wasn't just using you. I learned the hard way.

[Anonymous]

Even if she's honestly sick, the reality is she can't commit to the hours of this job (for whatever reason). Your friends are right.

My sister has horrible immunity (and a better diet than me, by far). She is sick for about a week or two, four or five times a year. She washes her hands, takes vitamins, eats healthily, etc. It's just her body.

[Anonymous]

I've been a nanny for 15 years. I've taken 3 sick days in that time. I've also never mixed up vacation days because I double and Tripple check the dates with emails. I would find someone else.

[Anonymous]

How many sick days and vacation days does she have? Has she used all of them? Do you plan to pay her for unlimited time off? Sounds like she's used both her vacation and sick days, yes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One way of potentially avoiding this in the future is to have a probationary period for a new hire of x number of months where benefits are on hold. So for example, no pto for sick days for first 4 months, and paid vacation may be used beginning in the 7th month. Then at her annual review you can always opt to credit her any formerly -unpaid- sick days from the probationary period because by then you hopefully have a trusted relationship and know she wasn't just using you. I learned the hard way.

Or set up a one month probationary period, months 2-11 accrue 1/10 of total PTO/sick and vacation, no accrual in month 12, and nanny has to use, lose or rollover (optional on rollover). That way, you can't be hit with 6-12 months of sick leave in the first couple months.

[Anonymous]

That's ridiculous. I've been with my family 9 years and in that time I haven't taken that many sick days!

[Anonymous]

Pp again- Also why can't she work when she's sick? Right now I have a cold and the kids are all sick. And I'm working!

[Anonymous]

Did you find a new nanny yet?