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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Reason 74 why I won't hire nannies who have young kids/step kids. Totally hypocritical, I realize. But it is what it is.[/quote]

At least you recognize your hypocrisy. I'm sure you would've raised a huge stink if anyone had suggested you were a less worthy employee because YOU have young kids at home. This nanny sounds unreliable, of course, but not everyone with young kids is. What "it" is is wrong.[/quote]

The difference is that my company's function doesn't rely on just me. There are others who can step in and do my job when I am out. Not so with nannies- they are a one-person business. A daycare also doesn't have this problem because there is more than one carer. [/quote]

I understand the "why." It's just frustrating that so many in this country can simultaneously say that childcare workers do such important work, and nannies specifically perform an indispensable function allowing working parents to fully function in their own jobs, and at the same time underpay and fight legislation that would protect us.

Your nanny is one human being. If she's so valuable that you can't afford for her to get sick, providing healthcare is a good start, as is usable time off, and pay that affords and healthy standard of living. It'd also be smart to have contingency plans seeing as how you rely so heavily on this one person. The answer to this problem is NOT discrimination. It never is, and you should be ashamed of yourself. [/quote]

You've rolled up a lot of issues in one. Yes, a nanny is indispensable.[b] But 5 sick days a year is more than I get at my own job- if that's not enough for a worker that's a problem. [/b]Additionally, I am going to discriminate based on my experiences and expectations. (Not OP, btw, so don't get mad at her.) I wouldn't hire a nanny with a chronic illness nor one who cannot speak decent English either- why? Because I want to be able to rely on and communicate with my nanny and those things have the POTENTIAL (but not the certainty) to cause problems with those criteria. No different with a nanny with small kids.

Now, wages have nothing to do with this. You think you are underpaid, but being a "nanny" requires no skills, education, certificate or license. Nanny wages are basically in line with-- or higher than-- other unskilled jobs, and, as we all know on this forum, some nannies far exceed those salaries.

As for legislation- I'm not aware of any nor am I fighting any. I do think, however, nannies must be cognizant that should their wages increase dramatically, their opportunities for employment will decrease dramatically unless there is some government subsidy.[/quote]

5 sick days is nothing--I get 12. The problem is your company is chintzy, not that being sick more than 5 days in a year is abnormal.[/quote]

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