IMO, reliability is second only to trustworthiness in terms of what you need in a nanny. If you can't count on her, you can't work either, and it doesn't matter how good she is with the kids. I agree: one more, very clear warning, and then find someone else.

the thing is if you insist on more notice she'll just not tell you she needs the time off and then call in sick at the last minute. I'd address the reliability issue as a whole rather than break it down with the being late and requesting time off as separate issues.

Thanks all, i think that's a good idea to give a formal warning. Yes she always tells us why she needs time off. Sometimes it is for things that could have been planned further in advance, so i will insist on her giving us more notice.

Do you have any idea why she needs so much time off?

Agree with pp give a written letter as a warning . If no improvement find someone else. You should also ask her why she is constantly late.

No you aren't being harsh, obviously you need to know that your nanny will arrive to work on time and will follow protocol (as much as possible) when requesting time off. I'd give her one final warning, in writing, letting her know that if she continues to arrive late or otherwise demonstrates unreliability she'll be replaced. Also hand her a copy of your contract (even though she should already have one) to review. If she doesn't start exceeding your expectations at that point she never will, time to trade up.

Our nanny is fantastic with the kids and we have no complaints at all on that front. However, she is very unreliable, to the point that we are considering replacing her. She is routinely late (usually 10 mins late, sometimes 15-20 mins or more) and often requests days off at short notice even though her contract says she must give a week's notice. We cannot rely on her. We spoke to her about these issues in the past, she improves a little and then slips back. Am i being harsh to think of replacing her?