Nanny has mono

[Anonymous]

Our wonderful nanny has missed almost two weeks due to a very bad case or mono. She was sickly a few weeks ago and we sent her home early to go to the doctors fearing it was COVID or flu. She was diagnosed with Mono on the 20th and we tried to have her return this past Monday. Our pediatrician said the risk for our kids was minimal and it was pretty rare for us to get mono at our age. Said it’s mostly bad for the 12-22 crowd. Our nanny is 20.

She stayed two hours. She had clearly lost a significant amount of weight and was very very weak. DH ended up driving her home because we did not think she could safely drive.

We don’t know what to do. Google says it can take some people weeks or not months to recover. We had my mother help but she cannot continue as nanny recovers. Nanny has PTO but those days are running out. We can’t afford to pay her and find a temp sitter as she recovers. We also don’t want to lose current nanny and I feel super bad for her. She is financially totally independent and has no one to really help her financially (really and home life growing up).

I can hope she is better by next week, but if not I need a plan. Has anyone been in a similar situation? What did you do?

[Anonymous]

Edit to add nanny desperately wants to work and was very upset when we sent her home. It is not that she isn’t willing she’s truly unable to safely watch our kids while this sick. She’s very worried about finances if we can’t continue to pay her beyond her sick days (she has 14 total, but we extended it to this week too.)

[Anonymous]

Can your nanny get paid thru disability insurance? Does she have a parent or other family who can step in and support her? If not and you are her only family you can treat her as such and move her in as an extended family member and take care the same like you would for your little sister. But that is no longer employer - employee and only you and nanny can decide.

[Anonymous]

Nanny here. I am older but had mono as a teenager and was out of school a whole month. I had to get IV treatments from being dehydrated and so exhausted. Hope she gets well soon

[Anonymous]

I would cut losses this is her problem to worry with not yours. You need childcare and can’t pay her and someone else. She’s exhausted her leave so just give a severance if you’d like and move on

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would cut losses this is her problem to worry with not yours. You need childcare and can’t pay her and someone else. She’s exhausted her leave so just give a severance if you’d like and move on

Maybe she got mono for m OO and her family. Next to you, the wicked witch of the west is sweet and gentle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would cut losses this is her problem to worry with not yours. You need childcare and can’t pay her and someone else. She’s exhausted her leave so just give a severance if you’d like and move on

Maybe she got mono for m OO and her family. Next to you, the wicked witch of the west is sweet and gentle.

Pp could have said it more tactfully but what do you expect her to do? Most people can't double pay like that. And OP obviously feels guilty about it and is trying to figure out how to handle it.

[Anonymous]

We were in a similar spot. Didn’t pay nanny for extra weeks off and we found a temporary nanny that was available.

[Anonymous]

Mono is known as the kissing disease for a reason. I attended boarding school, and the kids who got it had been kissing others, which is why it’s typically age 12-22. The kids who got it all left the school for the rest of the school year, because it took them a month or more to recover.

[Anonymous]

Nanny can apply for temporary disability insurance through the state sept of labor web site if you paid her legally.

[Anonymous]

The above - she can get disability do you don't have to pay her & you get a temp babysitter. She gets her job back when she's recovered

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mono is known as the kissing disease for a reason. I attended boarding school, and the kids who got it had been kissing others, which is why it’s typically age 12-22. The kids who got it all left the school for the rest of the school year, because it took them a month or more to recover.

Not just kissing. Any type of swapping of saliva/fluids. I know people who got mono from sharing a straw.

[Anonymous]

Is she in DC? Do you pay on the books? If so, you can apply for DC Paid Family Leave. Will pay 90% of her salary for up to 12 weeks. The big advantage is that you can double dip - she can get that money while also getting paid sick leave from you. She should fill out the forms ASAP. Then, pay her until all her paid leave from her contract (sick and vacation) runs out. Hopefully, at that point the PFL will have kicked in (the paperwork does take some time) and she should be set, you can put her, essentially, on unpaid leave. Then you can get a temporary nanny for the interim. White House Nannies is great for this.

Best of luck. I know it's a super stressful situation. BTDT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is she in DC? Do you pay on the books? If so, you can apply for DC Paid Family Leave. Will pay 90% of her salary for up to 12 weeks. The big advantage is that you can double dip - she can get that money while also getting paid sick leave from you. She should fill out the forms ASAP. Then, pay her until all her paid leave from her contract (sick and vacation) runs out. Hopefully, at that point the PFL will have kicked in (the paperwork does take some time) and she should be set, you can put her, essentially, on unpaid leave. Then you can get a temporary nanny for the interim. White House Nannies is great for this.

Best of luck. I know it's a super stressful situation. BTDT.

I should add, the time when she's essentially getting double paid will help counterbalance the time when she's on leave and only getting 90% of pay, plus will help pay for other expenses (doctors visits, etc).