Do employers have the right to change nanny’s schedule?

[Anonymous]

We have a great nanny four days a week and have had this four day work week for three years. Do I, as an employer, have any right to change her to five days a week (still a weekday)? She was hired for four days a week initially but was open to expanding her hours on those days.

[Anonymous]

Yes if your needs have changed. I think you need to give plenty of notice in case she decides it wont work. And obviously compensate for extra hours.

[Anonymous]

Only if you discuss with her and she agrees
How would you like it if your boss told you he wanted you to work an extra day every week.

[Anonymous]

That's a weird way of looking at it. Of course you can do anything you want to (if you have a contract though, you'll need to look at the terms of the contract to see what you can do midway through the contract), but she can also say no and leave.

[Anonymous]

No! I don’t think you have the right to make/ask an employee to change her schedule so drastically as to extend her from four to five days. It’s like demanding an employee work every Saturday.

[Anonymous]

You have a contract that states four days a week. You cannot (or should not) fire her if she refuses to change her contract.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have a contract that states four days a week. You cannot (or should not) fire her if she refuses to change her contract.

Um, yes you can "fire" her if she can't do five days a week. It wouldn't really be a firing, it would be a letting her go due to schedule conflicts. Nothing wrong with that as long as you give her the standard 2 weeks. Also, if you live in an "at will" state like VA then she can be let go for any reason.

[Anonymous]

You say, "Nanny Larla, our needs have changed. We're going to need coverage on Mondays now. Is that something you're interested in? If not, we could hire someone just for Mondays [if, indeed, you're willing to do that], or we will need to hire someone new."

There is no rule that a job has to stay the same forever. You need to follow the notice/severance rules in your contract, but if the job you hired her for no longer exists, give her right of first refusal on the new one, and move on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have a contract that states four days a week. You cannot (or should not) fire her if she refuses to change her contract.

Um, yes you can "fire" her if she can't do five days a week. It wouldn't really be a firing, it would be a letting her go due to schedule conflicts. Nothing wrong with that as long as you give her the standard 2 weeks. Also, if you live in an "at will" state like VA then she can be let go for any reason.

Your attitude will have nannies working in a revolving door. This nanny has been with her charge for three years. If not legally wrong, it is morally wrong to let a good nanny go because the employer’s schedule changed.

[Anonymous]

A nanny contract means nothing. I don’t know why people bother with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A nanny contract means nothing. I don’t know why people bother with them.

FYI, a contract is legally enforceable, that’s why I insist on a contract.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have a contract that states four days a week. You cannot (or should not) fire her if she refuses to change her contract.

Um, yes you can "fire" her if she can't do five days a week. It wouldn't really be a firing, it would be a letting her go due to schedule conflicts. Nothing wrong with that as long as you give her the standard 2 weeks. Also, if you live in an "at will" state like VA then she can be let go for any reason.

Your attitude will have nannies working in a revolving door. This nanny has been with her charge for three years. If not legally wrong, it is morally wrong to let a good nanny go because the employer’s schedule changed.

I've had the same nanny for 3 years now too. If my schedule changed and my nanny was not able to accommodate what am I supposed to do? Tell all my clients that pay me so that I can pay my nanny that I can't take them anymore due to my nanny's schedule? No, that's when I tell my nanny that I need to find someone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have a contract that states four days a week. You cannot (or should not) fire her if she refuses to change her contract.

Um, yes you can "fire" her if she can't do five days a week. It wouldn't really be a firing, it would be a letting her go due to schedule conflicts. Nothing wrong with that as long as you give her the standard 2 weeks. Also, if you live in an "at will" state like VA then she can be let go for any reason.

Your attitude will have nannies working in a revolving door. This nanny has been with her charge for three years. If not legally wrong, it is morally wrong to let a good nanny go because the employer’s schedule changed.

I've had the same nanny for 3 years now too. If my schedule changed and my nanny was not able to accommodate what am I supposed to do? Tell all my clients that pay me so that I can pay my nanny that I can't take them anymore due to my nanny's schedule? No, that's when I tell my nanny that I need to find someone else.

That is really bad for the children.

OP, ask nanny if she can do it. If she says no, get someone in to cover the extra day. As an employer, this is the only fair thing to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A nanny contract means nothing. I don’t know why people bother with them.

FYI, a contract is legally enforceable, that’s why I insist on a contract.

Then, in your view, this nanny cannot be fired for refusing to work an additional day not specified in her contract.

Is it a religious thing, OP? Our nanny is a devote, Orthodox Jew, I would not take our position if not guaranteed to be off on Fridays at 1:30 to prepare for Shabbat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You say, "Nanny Larla, our needs have changed. We're going to need coverage on Mondays now. Is that something you're interested in? If not, we could hire someone just for Mondays [if, indeed, you're willing to do that], or we will need to hire someone new."

There is no rule that a job has to stay the same forever. You need to follow the notice/severance rules in your contract, but if the job you hired her for no longer exists, give her right of first refusal on the new one, and move on.

This.