Does your nanny work if YOU are sick?

[Anonymous]

I had a cold last week and my nanny said she doesn't work if the employer is sick (she doesn't work if the kids are sick). Is this normal/typical? She said you can't send kids to daycare if they're sick but...my kids weren't sick, I was. I stayed away from everyone. It was hard because I needed to rest to get over it and I couldn't AND had to work and take care of the kids all day.

This isn't a covid issue, we are all vaccinated.

[Anonymous]

That is not normal/typical. Get rid of her.

[Anonymous]

No, I could never agree to that. (If my kids are sick, theoretically, I can take off and take care of them; if I'm sick, I can't.) At the very least, she wouldn't get paid. But, in general, that arrangement would not work for me.

[Anonymous]

Our nanny works if the kids OR adults are sick!

One time a few years ago my husband and I came down with the flu (despite getting flu shots - I know they're not 100% effective, but just to stave off any "you should have gotten a flu shot" comments). Our nanny worked longer days, basically the whole time our kids were up, because we could not get out of bed. She even brought some groceries and made us soap. We didn't go anywhere near her and she didn't get sick but we were so lucky to have her. It's why we say she's our second spouse.

[Anonymous]

Op here, thank you for the replies. She really made it seem like I was some sort of monster for even suggesting she work. Her words were "what if you get me sick and I can't work, also I have stuff going on in my life". She said this was standard but I just wanted to check.

[Anonymous]

I always work when kids are sick and my employers. Yes sometimes I get sick to and I just keep working.

[Anonymous]

Was it covid? Did you get a test? Are you willing to give her extra time off if she gets sick?

[Anonymous]

Do you pay sick days? If not then I understand why she doesn’t what to work. I get 5 sick days so yes I’ll work if people are sick. If I don’t have sick days then my boss can go kick rocks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you pay sick days? If not then I understand why she doesn’t what to work. I get 5 sick days so yes I’ll work if people are sick. If I don’t have sick days then my boss can go kick rocks.

Yes, we give a week of sick leave.

[Anonymous]

My contract states that I have unlimited sick days, that way I'm covered if my charges or employers spread their illness to me. On the flip side, I work with whatever contagion in the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, I could never agree to that. (If my kids are sick, theoretically, I can take off and take care of them; if I'm sick, I can't.) At the very least, she wouldn't get paid. But, in general, that arrangement would not work for me.

Your employer won’t let you take off when you are sick?

[Anonymous]

Thats odd. The whole point of a nanny is that they work if the kids are sick (pre covid and not something serious that they would need their parent for). If the employer is sick its their business and they just separate themselves from the kids/nanny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always work when kids are sick and my employers. Yes sometimes I get sick to and I just keep working.

Really? If I get sick due to the family I take off. I caught norovirus from a family I was working with. It wasn’t even possible for me to get out of bed, much less go into work.

[Anonymous]

I have never heard of a nanny refusing to work because the employer was sick!! Our nanny works even when the kids are sick.

Your nanny is nuts!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always work when kids are sick and my employers. Yes sometimes I get sick to and I just keep working.

Really? If I get sick due to the family I take off. I caught norovirus from a family I was working with. It wasn’t even possible for me to get out of bed, much less go into work.

+1. Stomach viruses are the only thing I’ve ever taken off work for. I work through colds all the time because I’ve gotten them from the kids.