Vacation day or day without pay?

[Anonymous]

Our nanny gets 5 sick days a year but she already used them all up in the first 6 months. She chose to use sick days instead of vacation and took whole days off for doctors appointments. She called in sick today and so I had to call in sick because of it. I don't get sick days or any paid time off from my job so I have to take the day without pay. Normally I have backup but today was pretty much the one day I don't have backup and my husband can't stay home. It's not her fault she is sick but it is her fault she used up her sick days. She gets 10 vacation days a year and has only used 5 so far. We do pay for any days she doesn't use so in the end it may all come out equal anyway but I feel like vacation days should be used for things that are planned in advance so I can find backup. That's why we keep sick days and vacation days separate.

[Anonymous]

I would have her use a vacation day OP.

At my office we can use any accrued leave to cover illness if we have exhausted our sick leave. It's a way to ensure one still gets paid.

[Anonymous]

Have her use a vacation day or take it unpaid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have her use a vacation day or take it unpaid.

+1. I'd let her know she has exhausted her annual sick leave and then tell her she can take it from her vacation bank if she would like, otherwise she can take it unpaid, her choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have her use a vacation day or take it unpaid.

+1. I'd let her know she has exhausted her annual sick leave and then tell her she can take it from her vacation bank if she would like, otherwise she can take it unpaid, her choice.

Thanks, I'm going to count it as a vacation day. She knows she used up all her sick days.

[Anonymous]

I'd give her the day without pay.

[Anonymous]

OP, I would make sure that your contract for next year states explicitly that appointments are paid as vacation unless vacation days are gone and sick days are paid as sick leave unless sick leave is gone. Any variation from that could result in a renegotiated or terminated contract.

[Anonymous]

Agreed that it should be a vacation day unless she requests it unpaid for some reason. Since vacation gets paid out at the end of employment anyway, it doesn't make much difference if she uses a vacation day when she's sick or saves it for an actual vacation. Can't go the other way (sick day to cover vacation) but we were always fine with vacation to cover sick days (and our older child's nanny was once out for a month on medical leave and used all her vacation for that, which seemed very reasonable for her to have as an option).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I would make sure that your contract for next year states explicitly that appointments are paid as vacation unless vacation days are gone and sick days are paid as sick leave unless sick leave is gone. Any variation from that could result in a renegotiated or terminated contract.

We have always allowed our nannies to use sick leave for medical appointments, including dental and vision. If they use up all their sick leave and need to take a day off sick, we give them the choice of using accrued vacation leave or taking it off unpaid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd give her the day without pay.

If I were your nanny, I would quit.

[Anonymous]

I take half days for appointments, which MB and I agreed to, so that I don't use up all my sick leave for appointments. It is common to use sick leave for doctors appointments in all careers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I take half days for appointments, which MB and I agreed to, so that I don't use up all my sick leave for appointments. It is common to use sick leave for doctors appointments in all careers.

I think OP's issue is that her nanny took full days for the appointments, rather than returning to work afterwards. It is common/expected to use sick leave for doctor's appointments, but if you exhaust it, you do then have to either use your vacation time or take a day without pay.

When we had a nanny who had an ongoing medical issue, she specifically scheduled her appointments at the beginning or the end of the workday so that she could come in afterwards or leave early, and we rounded to the nearest quarter hour for sick leave. It's not always possible to do that, of course, but when it is, it makes sense. I schedule my own appointments the same way for the same reason.