Neighbor and her nanny

[Anonymous]

My neighbor constantly talks about money and is extremely flashy. She loves to sit outside with her wine and chat with me anytime I go to get the mail etc. she told me recently how she is so upset with her nanny and how she does so much for her like getting manicures for her and buying her toilet paper/ she also said she is illegal so she can't do anything legally against them as they recently decided to make her work 6 days a week and pay her $10 an hour basically and since she is illegal they just give her cash so they don't have to pay taxes on her. It makes me very uncomfortable as I see this poor, sweet nanny walking their dog in the cold every morning. I've heard her yell at her nanny and talk down to her. I just feel terrible for her nanny. I'm sure everyone will say mind your own business but this poor nanny...

[Anonymous]

We have a neighbor who keeps kosher but their nanny is not Jewish. They do not allow the nanny to bring food from home or touch any of their food. The nanny doesn't eat for 10 hours straight.

I told the nanny she could come into our kitchen and have her lunch whenever she wanted. I also have been looking for another job for her.

And when I saw my neighbor, I raved about how amazing his child's nanny was and how incredibly lucky he was to have such a great nanny for his son. I was afraid to say anything else because I didn't want to get the nanny into trouble.

So my advice is to rave to your neighbor about how great the nanny is and secretly try to find the nanny another job.

[Anonymous]

It just amazes me how terribly this women treats someone that is looking after her children. I hate that she brags about how little they pay her and how much she makes her work. It makes me sick.

[Anonymous]

You could turn her in, but then the nanny is out of a job.

If you see the nanny, maybe you could offer to help her find a new job?

[Anonymous]

OP, why don't you respond to the neighbor with your true opinions? "6 days a week? $10 an hour? Wow, you are treating your nanny very poorly."

[Anonymous]

I told her I could never pay a nanny that little and wouldn't want help 12 hours a day 6 days a week and she always says well you don't have 3 kids and it's expensive so we have to save money anyway we can. I also don't have a nanny so she thinks that My opinion means nothing. I should just try to hide more from this women. It's like every time I see her she has something new and obnoxious to share with me. The nanny wanted to leave the family and they threatened to call immigration on her if she left and told her no one would treat her as good as they do. Her living space is in the kids playroom in the attic space. It's terrible. Who do you report this too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I told her I could never pay a nanny that little and wouldn't want help 12 hours a day 6 days a week and she always says well you don't have 3 kids and it's expensive so we have to save money anyway we can. I also don't have a nanny so she thinks that My opinion means nothing. I should just try to hide more from this women. It's like every time I see her she has something new and obnoxious to share with me. The nanny wanted to leave the family and they threatened to call immigration on her if she left and told her no one would treat her as good as they do. Her living space is in the kids playroom in the attic space. It's terrible. Who do you report this too?

Where do you live? There may be some local immigrant aid groups who could advise you or help the woman without triggering deportment.

[Anonymous]

I live in DC. I don't know the nanny well enough to find her a new job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in DC. I don't know the nanny well enough to find her a new job.

Call Ayuda: http://ayuda.com/wp/how-we-help/ or DC/MD: 202-387-4848

Ask them if they can help her. If you believe this woman is being exploited or abused, or being basically trafficked as household help and trapped in this situation, you must try to help. Avoiding your neighbor is not good enough.

[Anonymous]

I'm not comfortable going to her house and giving the nanny this lawyers number. I'm sure she won't call and I'm not going to call a lawyer. How would that help?

[Anonymous]

$10 an hour is over minimum wage in most areas. Its not great for the nanny but its legal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not comfortable going to her house and giving the nanny this lawyers number. I'm sure she won't call and I'm not going to call a lawyer. How would that help?

Ayuda is not a lawyer. You call them, you explain the situation, and they go there and try to talk to her. At the very least, they could tell you who you could report the situation to that wouldn't immediately result in the nanny being deported. Are you seriously planning to do absolutely nothing?

You actually posted here to find out how not to hear about a woman being exploited and possibly held in a job/home against her will, not to try to fix it at all?

Disgusting!

[Anonymous]

Why did you post, OP, if you have no intention of doing anything to help this nanny?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why did you post, OP, if you have no intention of doing anything to help this nanny?

+1. OP, your silence about this situation is just as bad as what your neighbor is doing. If you have no intention of helping this poor nanny out, why even post? You can't be bothered to make a call to help her? You're not any better than your neighbor.

[Anonymous]

I will make the call. I thought it was a lawyer. I will call and found out if they can send someone or who I could call. I just don't want this poor nanny to get into any trouble especially with what is happening to immigrants today.