Random hours question

[Anonymous]

First time employer. We give our nanny guaranteed hours per week and have a 9-5 schedule. I have to take the baby to an appointment in the morning and want to ask her to come in 10-6 ( if she can- would totally leave it alone if she says no). I have not done this in the past, have always taken baby to dr when the nanny was here in the past and frankly the nanny basically treated the time as just time off and watched tv ( after washing baby dishes etc). This isn't banking hours but I wanted to know if others do this when they know they won't need the nanny during a specific time ?

[Anonymous]

How will you feel if she says "Sorry, I can't - I have somewhere to be at 5:30 so need to leave at 5, based on the hours we agreed upon"? Because that very well may happen.

[Anonymous]

I do this very, very occasionally. How new is this nanny? She is going to want to know that this is a rare request, and not going to be a regular thing. I suggest you do not in this case, mainly because it's tomorrow. Here is my more extended thought process:

Here is why I don't make a practice of it:
1. She has her life planned around 9-5. It's just an hour, but she may have standing plans at 5:30 or 6, or just need to be home.
2. There is a major power differential. Unless she's one of our resident prima-donnas, she is going to want to please her employer, even if she really doesn't want to do this.
3. She is going to worry that this will be a regular thing and that eventually she'll have to have an uncomfortable conversation.

Here is what I have come to after 7 years of having nannies:
1. If I really, really need the help, like I can't cover 5-6 that day for some reason, AND I don't need her in the morning, I will ask about shifting the schedule. Otherwise, for just an hour, I would pay her extra, and still ask if it's possible. Earning overtime occasionally for just a little more work is one of the few benefits of hourly, at-will employment.
2. It's an hour. Like letting her go occasionally early, letting her come in late and leave at her regular time is a little perk that doesn't cost you any more than you had already budgeted.
3. I ask waaaaaaayyyyy in advance. Not the night before. If I ask her two weeks in advance, a schedule shift of an hour might really be no skin off her back. If I ask the night before, it almost definitely means she has to rethink her day, and she may feel pressured into saying "yes" even if she really doesn't want to.

So, here's a case where I did ask: Husband is out of town. Morning housekeeper is on vacation. Nanny is usually scheduled 8:30-5. I asked if she would be willing to shift to 7-3:30 so I could get older kids to school and have help with the younger kids. I asked a month in advance. She's worked for me for three years. She was happy to do it.

Another case: Nanny is leaving town Thursday evening. She asked to get off about 1.5 hours early about a week before her trip. That was still going to make it tight for her to get to the airport. It was too late for me to let her take the whole day. We had Rosh Hashanah services in the morning. I made a deal with her to take 1/2 day of PTO, and to work 10-2 (come in late and leave early, but maximize my nanny time for work in the middle of the day). This one was a negotiation, but, again, we've been working together a long time.

[Anonymous]

OP here, Thank you for this!! That is fair, really appreciate the insight.

[Anonymous]

Ask well in advance. My boss has been asking for a lot of last minute changes to the schedule and it's why I'm going to leave a job I otherwise like.