Re-iterate her hours in writing. Have her sign in agreement that those are her hours.

Ten minutes is enough time to be settled in and ready to work. 45 minutes early is ridiculous.

I would have a chat and put your foot down. I normally arrive early, but no more than 10 minutes early. I don't expect to be paid for me coming 10 minutes early. That's absurd.

I agree with nanny deb, except that I would not allow her to come in at 7:15am, even to do nothing. It would be too easy for her to claim that she was "working" during that time and that you owe her. She should come in at her start time. She has already shown herself to be dishonest by not honoring your terms.

Frankly, I'd replace her, because you are paying a high rate for someone trying to scam you.

Unless you have more than 3 kids, $17/hour gross is an great rate.

Write down her hours for her again in a letter outlining the discussion you had with her. I would add something like:

To clarify for you, your hours are 8 am - 6 pm. We pay you for 10 hours per day unless WE ask you to come in early or stay late. We do not want or need you to start work at 7:15 am, and we will not pay you for any time you choose to volunteer to work before 8 am.

You are welcome to come to our home at 7:15 if you have to do so due to a transportation issue, but we expect you to sit, relax, and read or listen to music until you are officially "on the clock".

Document EVERYTHING, so that you will have your house in order if she takes you before the wage and labor board.

(I do hope you have a contract that outlines her hours as well as her straight time and overtime rates? If not, and she works more than 40 hours a week and is paid $17 for every hour with no OT, you are likely going to be facing a claim before the wage and labor board!)

And if she tries to bully you into paying her extra again, I suggest you start looking for a new nanny. Heck, you might as well start looking now, because once your "nanny" realizes she can't bully you any more she may just quit.

Good Luck!

Thanks everyone. I honestly hadn't added it up over the course of the year.

I would clearly tell her that she will be paid to work at her start time, and no earlier (unless you ask her to come earlier, and she agrees).

At $17/hour, with her current method she is forcing you to pay her an extra $63.75/week, which is $3,315 per year. Not exactly chump change (and not including employer taxes you have to pay on top of that).

Be sure to document the warning in writing. Lay out what her contracted hours are, and let her know that she is not to begin working until her start time and that is when she will begin being paid. If she continues to work before her start time, she will be fired. That being said, legally you must still pay her for the extra time she has worked.

Anonymous wrote:She can't do that. Think about it. What if she decided to show up at 10 pm and demand to work because she needs the money?

Tell her she is to come during the hours you two have agreed upon. If she arrives earlier you will not be paying her. Plus, since she will be behaving in an insubordinate manner you will fire her and then she won't have any money at all.

This. And if you don't have a contract with her specific hours laid out, you need one ASAP

She can't do that. Think about it. What if she decided to show up at 10 pm and demand to work because she needs the money?

Tell her she is to come during the hours you two have agreed upon. If she arrives earlier you will not be paying her. Plus, since she will be behaving in an insubordinate manner you will fire her and then she won't have any money at all.

Pretty sure if she works, you have to pay her.

Why are you paying her when she arrives? Tell her you start paying her a XX time and if she comes in early she will not be paid.

Problem Solved.

Let her know every morning that she is not needed until X time, offer her somewhere to sit until the clock starts, and then stop paying her for the time she is there before she is needed. However, if she needs the money, I'd wonder if she's looking for other jobs. Can you offer her some weekend babysitting or put her in touch with friends that do? I think it's worthwhile to be sympathetic, while making it clear that her needing the money does not equal her making up her own hours.

Tell her your agreed upon start time is X and that's when the clock starts and that's when she will start being paid. If she shows up early and tries to work, tell her to stop and document it.

If you don't have a contract, you need one.

Granted I'd find another nanny because I wouldn't trust this one and would always be wondering if she was going to try to claim I didn't pay her for hours worked, etc.

Tell her to arrive no more than x minutes before her start time, no exceptions.
Where in Atlanta are you?

I read a recent post like this but it wasn't totally applicable to my situation. I work from home so there is no rushing around in the morning but my nanny shows up 45 minutes early every day. I do not need her here then - I am not even "at work" yet - although she does work when she gets here. I've told her multiple times it's not acceptable and her response was "I need the money". That grated on my nerves especially because she's making what I thought was a good rate - $17 an hour in Atlanta. Advice?