Cancelled travel plans

[Anonymous]

Our nanny works 5 days a week, salaries and is not on vacation this week. We were supposed to take the kids to go visit cousins this week but it looks like we need to cancel because one of them is ill. We had told
Our nanny we would be away and we're going to pay her for that time though as she is salaried. Can we now ask if she would be able to work? I know it would be best not too but I am just so tired from this year and could really use the time to catch up at work. She generally ends up with 2-3 weeks of paid time we are away (not her vacation) although it is not necessarily relevant.

[Anonymous]

What does "salaried" mean? Is she not an hourly employee?

Regardless, I think you are in a tough position. You already gave her this paid time off and it feels wrong to take it away from her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our nanny works 5 days a week, salaries and is not on vacation this week. We were supposed to take the kids to go visit cousins this week but it looks like we need to cancel because one of them is ill. We had told
Our nanny we would be away and we're going to pay her for that time though as she is salaried. Can we now ask if she would be able to work? I know it would be best not too but I am just so tired from this year and could really use the time to catch up at work. She generally ends up with 2-3 weeks of paid time we are away (not her vacation) although it is not necessarily relevant.

No,no,no.

[Anonymous]

My contract discusses this in the guaranteed hours clause; you might want to revise yours for the future. Here is what mine says:

• Family agrees that Nanny will receive the guaranteed base pay 52 weeks per year, even if Family chooses not to utilize Nanny’s services for some or all of any given week such as for Family vacations and holidays. Guaranteed hours assume you are available to work, and that we have canceled. We have never had to cancel a vacation, but it could happen! In this case, your choices would be 1) come to work, 2) use paid time off, 3) take unpaid time off.

[Anonymous]

Giving her time off then taking it away is pretty awful. Can you pay time and a half ?

[Anonymous]

If I was your Nanny and you asked me I would make up some reasons for why I couldnt now work. I am sure she is not sitting at home twiddling her thumbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My contract discusses this in the guaranteed hours clause; you might want to revise yours for the future. Here is what mine says:

• Family agrees that Nanny will receive the guaranteed base pay 52 weeks per year, even if Family chooses not to utilize Nanny’s services for some or all of any given week such as for Family vacations and holidays. Guaranteed hours assume you are available to work, and that we have canceled. We have never had to cancel a vacation, but it could happen! In this case, your choices would be 1) come to work, 2) use paid time off, 3) take unpaid time off.

Nope, this wouldn't be acceptable to me or most nannies I know. Guaranteed hours assumes I am available UNTIL you tell me I don't need to be. If you tell me you're going away for a week, I'm not going to sit and stare at the walls in case you cancel.

I highly doubt this poster would appreciate this in the reverse and I would suggest you consider how you would handle it OP. Say nanny asks for PTO to go away for a week. You make plans, be it a vacation or backup care. Her trip is cancelled and she is now available to work but you don't need her. Would this now fall under guaranteed hours or does it come out of her PTO?

[Anonymous]

You cannot take care of your children for a week? Ridiculous and pathetic.

To answer your question no, you cannot ask her to come in. For all you know, she may have left town for the week.

[Anonymous]

Loool is this a joke? Can't u watch your own kids? How about your husband? I am guessing "catching on some work" wouldnt be that demanding. You can easily do it while keeping up with your kids. Nannies have to multitask all the time like doing laundry, making bottles, cooking, cleaning, organizing while wrangling the kids. OP try some.

[Anonymous]

It is fully within your rights to have her work since she is being paid to be available. That said, she probably won't like it and may start looking for another job.

[Anonymous]

Nannyhere- I've been with the same family for 10 years and would have zero problem coming in to work. Guaranteed hours means you're available to work. If the family's plans change, you still need to be available. The nannies harping and complaining are probably the same ones who can't keep a job longer than 6 months.

[Anonymous]

I'll take not being able to keep a job for more than six months than be a doormat any day.

[Anonymous]

Nanny here. Totally within rights to ask her to come in. Guaranteed hours are a two-way street. I guarantee consistent availabilty and you guarantee a consistent paycheck. That said, the courteous thing to do would be to offer to let her either take the time as unpaid or to use her week of paid vacation for those dates, and if she does work try to make it an easy week if you can. But no way should you feel you are stuck home with disappointed kids and suitcases to unpack while she goes on a paid vacation. That is not what guaranteed hours are for.

To the nanny who says she shouldn't have to sit home and twiddle her thumbs just because her boss is out of town, no, but you should be make flexible, easily-changed or -cancelled plans for those random weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nanny here. Totally within rights to ask her to come in. Guaranteed hours are a two-way street. I guarantee consistent availabilty and you guarantee a consistent paycheck. That said, the courteous thing to do would be to offer to let her either take the time as unpaid or to use her week of paid vacation for those dates, and if she does work try to make it an easy week if you can. But no way should you feel you are stuck home with disappointed kids and suitcases to unpack while she goes on a paid vacation. That is not what guaranteed hours are for.

To the nanny who says she shouldn't have to sit home and twiddle her thumbs just because her boss is out of town, no, but you should be make flexible, easily-changed or -cancelled plans for those random weeks.

You must be confused about guaranteed hours. The nanny was promised the time off and paid, employers should honor plain and simple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nannyhere- I've been with the same family for 10 years and would have zero problem coming in to work. Guaranteed hours means you're available to work. If the family's plans change, you still need to be available. The nannies harping and complaining are probably the same ones who can't keep a job longer than 6 months.

Stop embarrassing yourself. I am a previous poster telling OP that it would be wrong to ask her nanny to work and I am an MB.