Need Advice! My nanny expects me to pay her when our family goes on vacation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Isn't this essentially what the federal government is doing to all federal employees with furloughs?



Yes. It's also common in industries that shut down during the December holidays that employees have to take vacation time or it is unpaid time off, even though the employee is available to work. Problem here is nannies don't understand the real work world or don't think that they should ever be subjected to the unfairness in it like everybody else.

Honey, let me tell you about the real world. If you go on vacation without paying me I will not be there when you get back. Real enough for you?

That's OK. There are dozens of people waiting for your low skilled job. Real enough for you?

Give me a break! As an MB I would say the nanny is more important than everyone else to me. She is taking care of my children. I would be devastated if that lady left.

[Anonymous]

Agree w/ last PP. Nannies are not easily interchangeable. That is precisely WHY it is common to pay guaranteeed wages and give perks not common in other hourly jobs. Because unlike the retail clerk or cashier, there's a big human cost to the loss of a nanny, not simply a financial cost to training up someone new. Most MBs are loath to lose a nanny - even one who's not too great - because of the disruption to their kids. That is why it is in their interest to pay guaranteed hours but it is also why professional nannies need to do their part in the interview, especially if it is clear it's a new MB, to help provide information on what's standard/expected when it does differ so significantly from other hourly wage jobs.

[Anonymous]

Look its true that nannies are easily replaced and its true that MB's are loath to lose a nanny that they like. This is precisely why these issues come up. Nannies know that they are competing against 10 other nannies to get a job so they don't ask for benefits that they want. They also know that MB's don't want the hassle of finding a new nanny so they just bring things up later.

I remember checking references for one candidate and learning that the family would take off five weeks in the summer. The nannies previous family did this as leave without pay and mentioned that the nanny would travel back to her home country. I was clear when I was speaking with the nanny that we were only offering 2 weeks vacation (one of her choosing and one of ours) plus 5 sick days. She never once mentioned wanting to take off for five weeks. I asked the nanny about whether she was sure that she could be available the full year (minus the PTO being offered) and not take five weeks off and she seemed surprised. She then started asking whether she could just take the time unpaid. It was clear that she had planned on doing this even though she never brought it up. This would have been a deal breaker for us and I'm glad that I caught it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Isn't this essentially what the federal government is doing to all federal employees with furloughs?



Yes. It's also common in industries that shut down during the December holidays that employees have to take vacation time or it is unpaid time off, even though the employee is available to work. Problem here is nannies don't understand the real work world or don't think that they should ever be subjected to the unfairness in it like everybody else.

Honey, let me tell you about the real world. If you go on vacation without paying me I will not be there when you get back. Real enough for you?

That's OK. There are dozens of people waiting for your low skilled job. Real enough for you?

Give me a break! As an MB I would say the nanny is m
ore important than everyone else to me. She is taking care of my children. I would be devastated if that lady left.

Thank you for posting. It'd be good for more parents to be like you are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree w/ last PP. Nannies are not easily interchangeable. That is precisely WHY it is common to pay guaranteeed wages and give perks not common in other hourly jobs. Because unlike the retail clerk or cashier, there's a big human cost to the loss of a nanny, not simply a financial cost to training up someone new. Most MBs are loath to lose a nanny - even one who's not too great - because of the disruption to their kids. That is why it is in their interest to pay guaranteed hours but it is also why professional nannies need to do their part in the interview, especially if it is clear it's a new MB, to help provide information on what's standard/expected when it does differ so significantly from other hourly wage jobs.

Well said.

[Anonymous]

You are suppose to pay the nanny when you are on vacation because she is still available but you are not.

[Anonymous]

If she is a good nanny and you respect her and her job and you didn't negotiate how you would work out your vacation with her when you hired her, then it is only fair that you pay her for your choosing to go on vacation. Or at least understand her side of the predicament and at least pay her half the time. A week's long vacation is a long time for her to go without pay.

[Anonymous]

I'm an MB here -- it seems to me to be kind of ridiculous for you to not have anticipated this. How do you think your nanny would get along with pay for an entire week? Seems mighty unfair for her to give up pay when you are still requesting that she be your exclusive nanny all of the weeks before and after your trip.

[Anonymous]

This your problem,you have to pay a nanny everything,you and your husband need to know the right to pay this poor nanny,14 for 2 kids?!!! This is amazing!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an MB here -- it seems to me to be kind of ridiculous for you to not have anticipated this. How do you think your nanny would get along with pay for an entire week? Seems mighty unfair for her to give up pay when you are still requesting that she be your exclusive nanny all of the weeks before and after your trip.

Also a MB, agree with this completely. If my employer had to shut down temporarily I'd still get paid ... if I didn't, I'd definitely be looking for another job.

Treat the person who is caring for your children with respect and you can't go wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Isn't this essentially what the federal government is doing to all federal employees with furloughs?



Yes. It's also common in industries that shut down during the December holidays that employees have to take vacation time or it is unpaid time off, even though the employee is available to work. Problem here is nannies don't understand the real work world or don't think that they should ever be subjected to the unfairness in it like everybody else.

Honey, let me tell you about the real world. If you go on vacation without paying me I will not be there when you get back. Real enough for you?

That's OK. There are dozens of people waiting for your low skilled job. Real enough for you?

Do you really have such low regard for your own children? Or do you hate yourself that much?

Neither, just the obnoxious nannies on this board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Me and my husband are planning to take our two children to visit relatives out-of-state in May. Last evening my nanny stayed an extra 15 minutes to discuss payment for the week we will not need her services. She basically expected to be paid the whole week for free and explained her reasoning including her availability and need of a stable paycheck, which I can understand. I tried to compromise with her, asking her if she would like to make up the hours over time (Saturday nights or If I run late or decide to run an errand after work). She told me she could not do this because of other obligations on her off hours, including spending time with her 11-year-old child. I told her I would need to talk to my husband and will get back to her.

No we did not discuss this prior to her employment last June. She is paid under the table and I pay her $14 per hour for two children (1-year-old and my eldest who spends 10 hours per week in preschool),
Can somebody please help me out and give me some advice on this issue. I know she's expecting an answer when I get home tonight.

What if you lost pay every time your boss went on vacation? Seems absurd, doesn't it? The nanny has bills to pay too you know . We have a nanny, and we certainly pay her when we take off work - it wouldn't be fair for her to lose pay at my every whim. I mean, I can understand not paying her for sick days when she doesn't show up to work and you have to pay somebody to cover her shift, but to cheat her from pay whenever you take off is very, very low and nasty IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Me and my husband are planning to take our two children to visit relatives out-of-state in May. Last evening my nanny stayed an extra 15 minutes to discuss payment for the week we will not need her services. She basically expected to be paid the whole week for free and explained her reasoning including her availability and need of a stable paycheck, which I can understand. I tried to compromise with her, asking her if she would like to make up the hours over time (Saturday nights or If I run late or decide to run an errand after work). She told me she could not do this because of other obligations on her off hours, including spending time with her 11-year-old child. I told her I would need to talk to my husband and will get back to her.

No we did not discuss this prior to her employment last June. She is paid under the table and I pay her $14 per hour for two children (1-year-old and my eldest who spends 10 hours per week in preschool),
Can somebody please help me out and give me some advice on this issue. I know she's expecting an answer when I get home tonight.

What if you lost pay every time your boss went on vacation? Seems absurd, doesn't it? The nanny has bills to pay too you know . We have a nanny, and we certainly pay her when we take off work - it wouldn't be fair for her to lose pay at my every whim. I mean, I can understand not paying her for sick days when she doesn't show up to work and you have to pay somebody to cover her shift, but to cheat her from pay whenever you take off is very, very low and nasty IMO.

Again, tone down the outrage. No it's not absurd. This is how hourly positions work. No one is cheating anyone.

Absurd would be me asking my boss to pay me extra because I had to stay late. Because I have salaried position. If I had an hourly position, I would get overtime, but I don't.

To repeat: in hourly positions, the standard is that you are paid for hours you work. Period. Full stop. Not for holidays. Not for sick time. Not for hours you are cancelled.

If you want these benefits, not matter how standard or market, you need to ask for them up front.

If you do not have a contract that gives you sick time or PTO or guarneteed hours, then you are not entitled to them.

[Anonymous]

PP once more.

I just want to clarify.... I'm not saying OP shouldn't seriously consider offering her nanny guarenteed hours. It's a very reasonable, common benefit. But the over the top outrage is obnoxious. And, it is actually a disservice to nannies who may be negiotiating a job in the future. You cannot either assume these benefits or demand them as a right. You need to negiotiate for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP once more.

I just want to clarify.... I'm not saying OP shouldn't seriously consider offering her nanny guarenteed hours. It's a very reasonable, common benefit. But the over the top outrage is obnoxious. And, it is actually a disservice to nannies who may be negiotiating a job in the future. You cannot either assume these benefits or demand them as a right. You need to negiotiate for them.

Since you are obviously not a nanny, you have no clue what is or is not, a "disservice" to nannies. You know what benefits your only yourself, never mind your child, or your child's primary caregiver.