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[quote=Anonymous]I have worked as a nanny for 10 years, and have been with my current family for nearly 4. For the first 3 years things were great, I got along well with the parents and kids and was very happy. But in the past year the jobs has morphed into a nightmare!

Initially the job was 2 kids, 5 days a week, 7 hours a day. I had a set schedule and was paid extra for additional hours. If the baby napped and I had time I would help with dishes and laundry, but it was not my job. The job was to supposed to end last fall, when youngest started preschool, but due to a change in the parents schedule i was asked to stay. I asked for a raise and was given an additional $1.50 per hour, but had to agree to take on cleaning, dishes, laundry, driving with my own car, and ridiculous flexibility. After 3 years without a raise I was really due for one anyway, even without the additional responsibilities. And I should have received an additional raise for the added work, but I was so happy to not have to look for a new job that I agreed to it. And since then everything has changed!

Despite receiving a raise I am now taking home less money because my hours got cut. And even though I am working less hours and making less money, this job now seems to take up more of my time. Instead of a set schedule, I am now on call from 8am-7pm. The parents don't let me know until the night before what time I am needed the next day, and do not inform me of when they will be home. It can be anywhere from 4pm-7pm before a parent comes home, and they typically do not let me know ahead of time when they will be back and I am just stuck there until they decide to come home. This makes it impossible to schedule anything during the week. They just do not value my time anymore. And the mom is always crying poverty and tries to keep me under a certain amount of hours. So if I need to do 10+ hour shifts (without a break) in the beginning of the week, I will often be asked to come in for just 2-3 hours at the end of the week to keep my hours in check. Which might be ok if I knew at the beginning of the week and could plan to make use of the time off, but I typically am informed the night before of the cut in hours.

The cleaning is so much more involved now. Instead of just doing the dishes I used, I now have a sink full of dishes left for me every morning. Occasionally helping with laundry has turned into washing, drying, folding, and putting away all of the kids laundry and bedding weekly.

I am also asked to prepare dinner for not only the kids, but the parents too at least once to twice a week. Not to mention that the kids no longer nap and I have to manage to fit all of these chores in along with watching the kids.

I also was naive enough to not insist on having a contract, and did not negotiate for sick or personal days, holidays, or vacation time. So if I take a day off or take a vacation I do not get paid. If they cancel on me or go on vacation I do not get paid. If it's a holiday I do not get paid. And if the kids are ill, with the flu or something else contagious, I am expected to come in and expose myself to it or take an unpaid day off. And if I get sick I have no sick days to use.

The mom is still nice to my face and I think has no idea that I am unhappy, or maybe doesn't care. I have decided that it's not worth discussing my problems with her because I am just done and I do not want to stay even if she does make changes. The more I have gotten to know her, the more I feel like our personalities don't click. Her snooty attitude and constant complaining makes me cringe! Not to mention that I am now 30 and I feel like I am burned out and need a change. But I am so afraid to tell her because I know she is going to be shocked and most likely angry. She is very selfish and self absorbed and I know that she will take it personally. I plan on giving 1 months notice. I wanted to give more but I am very worried that she will make my remaining time a living hell, or will let me go earlier out of anger and spite.

Has anyone else been in this situation before? How do you quit without making the parents angry?? The relationship between us is very casual, so writing a letter of resignation seems strange and awkward. [/quote]

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