Am I being taken advantage of?
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dreamer2381
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Hi Everyone!
I am a new nanny and I have been working for a family for the past 7 months. I watch 3 kids (a set of 5 year old twins and a 3 year old). I work for a wealthy family and I make $17/hr. I also work 60-65 hour weeks that sometimes turn into 70 hour weeks. I love the kids like they are my own and I have a very strong bond with them. My problem is with the parents. They are always late (sometimes an hour or more) and I don't get any overtime. I gave them 9 months notice for a 4 day vacation and they said that they will try to work it out. I don't take sick days and although I was promised federal holidays off, I usually end up working those too. The father is a nice guy, but the mother likes to "job creep.". At first, I just took care of the kids and their needs. Now I do the parents' laundry, their dishes, clean the house and any other errands they need. I take the kids to their daily activities and I get to use the family car. I am always begging for gas money since the car is on empty at the beginning of the week. I sometimes have to use my own money to gas up the car. I don't get paid back. I dread coming in on Mondays because the house is destroyed. The dishes are piled, the laundry is everywhere and the kids toys are all over. I don't have time to play with the kids because I am always doing housework. I feel like I shouldn't be complaining, but I live in NY, have a degree on childhood education. I can't find a teaching job because of the economy. I make good money, but something seems off. Am I being used? I made a huge rookie mistake and didn't sign a contract. That will never happen again. |
dreamer2381
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| Also, sorry for the typos. I don't get computer access so I have to type this out on my phone. |
Anonymous
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Are you on the books? The no-OT thing implies not. So it's $17 /hr net?
I think you need to prioritize what is most important to you and then tell your employers that you would like to formalize your working arrangement, including hours, responsibilities, and pay, and then draft a work agreement. |
Anonymous
| The good news is that there is no reason for this to go on fot any longer. These parents will only continue to take advantage of you as long as you let them, so it is your responsibility to put a stop to it. Read through the threads here to get more information (for example, nannies are hourly employees by law, so OT pay is legally required), put it all down on paper in a coherent and logical way, then set up an appointment to meet with one or both of your employers. Emphasize how much you adore the kids and how happy you are to be working from them but say that the job you're doing now bears little resemblance to the one you were hired to do and you thought it made sense to sit down and talk about their needs and where you can fit in. If they want you doing housekeeping (parents laundry, cleaning) they need to pay you more per hour ($20/hr minimum). When you need a vacation, don't wait to see if they can "work it out," give them your dates and inform them you won't be in those days. You need a work agreement now (you can apologize and say it was your fault you didn't introduce it sooner but that you hope it gives everyone an opportunity to think clearly about their needs to ensure everyone is satisfied with the arrangement) and it needs to specify what holidays you get off. Be as professional and confident in yourself as you would if you were the teacher at a parent-teacher conference and they will begin to see you that way too. |
Anonymous
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OP don't beat yourself up for not having a contract. I have had many jobs w/out a written agreement and that does not give a family a free pass to use and abuse you.
You should not be washing the family laundry. Or picking up the house after the weekend mess, etc. !!!! It is so sad that this family is trying to squeeze all they can out of you at the expense of their children. Because you are so busy w/cleaning and washing, you are not able to be the attentive, loving and effective nanny those kids deserve. The parents could care less....they just want a "2-for-1" deal. Nanny/Maid for the price of a Nanny. Shame on them. And all others like them as well. First chance you get, sit down w/these parents, esp. MB and let them know you are a nanny only, not a housekeeper. While you do not mind picking up any toys played w/during your shift as well as washing any dishes used during your stay, you simply cannot provide adequate nanny care if you have to clean up the house after a chaotic weekend and wash the parent's laundry, etc. Tell them you are over worked and it really is affecting the care you are providing those kids. Now if these parents really and truly love their children, they will see things from your end and hopefully relieve you of your domestic duties and such. However if they balk and disagree, then I would move on. |