Cause for firing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP I was in my own home. Is that such a crime? I am at (successful) lawyer that works FROM HOME. I need a nanny in case the kids are home and I need to run out to meet a client or take an important phone call.


We employ a nanny and a maid. Nanny = drive to kids home from school & to/from activities, help w/ homework, cook dinner, light housekeeping

Ok, so you just said it yourself. Nanny does not = organizing your home office (especially with you in it working from home?), your den, the fridge, or pantry since that is not light housekeeping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm with the OP on this one. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to go through a refrigerator and throw out some expired food and what not. Plus, OP mentioned the nanny is highly educated and has a college degree, so it's not like we're dealing with a high school aged ditz here. I do think firing her is very extreme. Definitely bring it up.

I tried a few times to clean out foods that were past the expiration date. My MB told me to leave them, since many foods do not really expire by the date. She checks them when she wants to use them, and would NOT appreciate me (or anyone else) going and tossing a bunch of "condiment" type items that I thought should go but she considers perfectly fine still.

[Anonymous]

This is honestly disgusting. Yes, most nannies do LIGHT house keeping. Related to the children! Not whatever you see fit. She is not your fucking housekeeper. She is not your personal assistant. Let her go read a book after her tasks are completed. If you want your shit organized, hire someone do it. You are a piece of work.

[Anonymous]

How dense are you people? Obviously she wouldn't organize my office while I'm sitting in it. And she signed a confidentiality agreement so I'm not worried about what papers she sees.

[Anonymous]

But you said you are working from your home office while she is caring for your children. You were also working in your office at the moment in question, so when would you have her clean it? Don't you think you're a little old to have a nanny clean up after you? It's YOUR office. Yes her behavior is certainly cause for firing. Since it bothers you so much, let her go, and she will easily find another more appreciative family to work for.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, if I had a nanny who had completed all the tasks she had agreed to and who was taking good care of my kids, I would be happy if she then read a book (rather than watched tv or surfed the internet), because I would want my kids to see that reading is pleasurable.

Organizing your house is not light housekeeping. Your nanny is not your maid or your personal assistant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How dense are you people? Obviously she wouldn't organize my office while I'm sitting in it. And she signed a confidentiality agreement so I'm not worried about what papers she sees.

Sadly, you are the one who is dense. You work out of your home, have a nanny for your middle school aged children and claim to have a housekeeper 3 times a week. Are you that much of a pig that your fridge and pantry get destroyed on a daily basis? It sounds like you have plenty of money to hire a personal assistant since you made your after school babysitter sign a confidentially agreement. Do yourself a favor and hire someone else to be your bitch.

[Anonymous]

I gave up trying to organize pantries, coat closets, etc because literally within a day or two afterwards, they are right back to same old shitty mess that they were before. I feel it is a waste of time to do something that they won't keep organized at least for a few weeks.

[Anonymous]

Confidentiality agreement? Ha! Who are you kidding? Do you really think your going to sue her in court for the 9.99 she's got in her checking acct?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I gave up trying to organize pantries, coat closets, etc because literally within a day or two afterwards, they are right back to same old shitty mess that they were before. I feel it is a waste of time to do something that they won't keep organized at least for a few weeks.

+1. I was a house manager/nanny for a family with 3 children. I would organize the children's art supplies, pantry, towel closet, etc and the very next day everything would be a mess again. Agree with you PP, organizing is only useful if everyone helps keep it that way.

[Anonymous]

Rich people are assholes.

[Anonymous]

Most all, but I've also had some very wealthy amazing families. It's usually "old money", not "new money".

[Anonymous]

are, not all

[Anonymous]

OP here, listen. I don't treat my nanny poorly. I'm not unappreciative either. She is very well compensated for what she does. If she wanted to make more money, she could have applied elsewhere! I asked her in the interview if she plans on heading to grad school and she said she's saving up for law school. So this gig is an in-between thing for her. She's not poor, it's obvious her family has money, so I know she's not struggling. All I asked is if yoj thought "sleeping on the job" so to speak was cause for firing.

[Anonymous]

OP, this is definitely not cause for firing. If you previously agreed to the tasks and feel like the nanny is not doing then, then let her know how you feel. If she already did what she is supposed to and just has free time, let her be.

My position is similar to your nanny's except my mb does not work at home and I don't organize offices, closets, etc. I pick up the kids from school, help with homework, take to activities, prepare dinner and then wipe down kitchen counters, table, load dishwasher and do a load or two of laundry. There are times when I have free time while the kids are doing homework, or themselves watching, tv, etc that I will use my kindle or other. I see nothing wrong with that.