Feeling Depressed Re: My Boss Today ;(
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Anonymous
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I have been babysitting a now ten year old off + on since she was 4.5 years old.
Since then, we have gotten close & she still asks her Mom when I am coming again. For babysitting her, I have always made $15/Hour. Well a few years ago, she asked me to help her organize some stuff at her home like files, linen cabinets & large, plastic storage bins. Prior to starting I told her I would charge her $15/Hour to help her out and she agreed and had always paid me that amount for my assistance. Yesterday she asked me to come over & organize and I agreed to come. She has a double kitchen sink which had both sides filled to the max w/dirty dishes. Some had gross, hard food stuck on them + many of them smelled too. I told her I didn’t have a dishwasher growing up and haven’t had one since living on my own so I really have limited experience in loading one. She told me it was simple....Large items on top, small on the bottom. She did warn me to not put anything too close to the motor or I would damage the dishwasher = expen$ive repair. Well she left for 1 + 1/2 hours to run to Home Depot. She not only asked me to load the dishwasher, she assigned me another duty while she was gone. Long story short: She had a large, plastic storage box that a lot of cleaning products inside. She told me to take out the cleaning supplies & rinse out the plastic bin. Then make sure to put everything back. Note: The bottom of the bin had dried, caked on laundry detergent that had spilled years ago and hosing did nothing so I found an old sponge and scrubbed the bin which took awhile due to the toughness of the mess. Then she wanted me to put the cleaning supplies back in. *Specific Insructions: Make sure the plastic bin is 100% dry so no mold formation. Then clean off the dried on, spilled laundry soap on EVERY SINGLE cleaning item & make sure these are all perfectly dry too. Wash out any empty spray bottles + make sure they are also 100% dried to avoid mold! So.... She returns home & I still am working on stuff. I am taking it she was hoping I was done! It was a lot of manuel labor as I also helped her carry heavy plastic binds downstairs to the basement/storage area. When she is writing out my check she pauses and asks me if we can do $12/Hour. Me, taken off guard do not protest and accept the check as is and leave. Boy oh boy am I mad!! Was she in the right to lower my pay since she likely didn’t think I got enough done or should she have paid me our agreed amount and just not hire me again??! This has beaten me down a lot. |
Anonymous
| Obviously she should NOT have changed the amount after the agreement. Just don't do the cleaning gig again. |
Anonymous
| Never, ever, ever put yourself in that position again, OP. She is horrible woman. I know you are attached to the child but I would run so far away from that family as humanly possible. |
Anonymous
| Why on earth would you agree to the lower rate?? You need to stand up for yourself!! |
Anonymous
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"We can talk about that going forward, but for today you asked me to come over and work for $15 an hour and that's what I agreed to."
And then I'd refuse $12 an hour for cleaning. Tell her to go on Task Rabbit and try to find someone to work for $15 an hour. She'd never find anyone. |
Anonymous
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What a b.
You deserve much better ! |
Anonymous
| Hugs Op |
Anonymous
| I understand being caught off guard Op. cheapskates piss me off trying to hire people to do things then want to shortchange them when they could’ve done it themselves. |
Anonymous
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Thank you everyone for the wonderful feedback!
I am actually going to send her a text message kindly letting her know that I feel slighted by her actions & am no longer going to babysit or clean for her any longer. The text will be short + sweet because after five years, really don’t want to leave any bridges burned. However she needs to know that I also am not someone who can be low balled and will just accept it w/out giving her a piece of my mind. ~ OP Here Will keep you posted on how she will act. |
Anonymous
Um, this will burn bridges. Yes, you are in the right but the nannies who tell you to tell her off are just egging you on. Just decline the cleaning next time...tell her you are busy. If you enjoy the babysitting, keep that. |
Anonymous
| I would not send the text. Next time she asks you, simply say no thank you. Or if you want to babysit, say that you are willing to babysit only wothout any additional chores for $15/hr. Or tell her that you are happy to help and that your current rates are $17,18, whatever for babysitting and $25/hr for household chores. |
Anonymous
| i wouldn't want to continue babysitting for a person who would act that way. life is too short to be treated like that. i'd wish her good luck in the future and let her know i wasn't interested in working for her going forward. she should try and hire a housekeeper for $12 an hour and see how far off base she really is. |
Anonymous
Sorry but I don’t feel sorry for you. You sound very young. You can’t accept something and the whine about it later. You should have told her that was not the agreed upon rate, and not take the check. You set yourself up to be taken advantage of. You’re an adult - stand of for yourself during the situation. Whining and get mad after the fact is your own fault. |
Anonymous
This. You also have a shred of responsibility because you agreed to the lower rate. Coming at her aggressively now is just going to burn the bridge. Do the above suggestion and if she tries to lower from your predetermined rate SAY NO. I would possibly give her one more chance but if she ever suggested lowering it like that again I would be finished with working for her in any capacity. |
Anonymous
Easier said than done |