As a long time nanny and more than occasional sitter, i've often considered having a minimum fee when hired. It's not worth my time to sit for less than $50. However, this is tough to approach with folks with whom you've had a semi-long term relationship. Babysitting is not like being a plumber or renting a party venue. The relationship is more personal. My suggestion to you OP is to see if this is a one time blip on the radar screen or a common occurrence with this particular family. If the former, let it go. If the latter, slowly phase them out. No need to say why, just say you're booked when the call. This is what I've done with problematic families in the past.

Anonymous wrote:Ethically, yes, but hourly, part-time jobs don't always work that way. You need to have policies on this (48-hour notice?) and let parents know ahead of time, because there is no hard and fast rule on it.

This.

What they did is very common and IMO acceptable given the type of job this was. You need to have a policy in place if this is a financial concern for you, just let families know when they book you for the job.

Today's job didn't fall under guaranteed hours. You're just screwed on the money. But that happens all the time in babysitting - it's the nature of the job.

Ethically, yes, but hourly, part-time jobs don't always work that way. You need to have policies on this (48-hour notice?) and let parents know ahead of time, because there is no hard and fast rule on it.

Okay...So if a family asks me to watch their child from say 8AM-5PM and they ask me two weeks in advance and I say I will do it, then the day of as they are leaving the house, they inform me that there has been a slight change in times and that the children's grandmother will be visiting so instead of getting off at 5PM that day, I will be getting off at 2PM. Then they make it sound like it's a good thing by saying, "Oh...You will have more time to enjoy your afternoon!"

Yet when they pay you, they only pay you until 2PM, yet you were expecting for the last two weeks to make enough money for the extra three hours they canceled on.

Ethically, shouldn't they pay you the full amount?? Isn't not paying you sort of like when a family cancels on you last minute w/out compensating you?

After all, I wouldn't agree to work from 8-5, then arrive that morning and tell them I can only stay until 2 that afternoon.

Why should they be able to? Isn't respect a two-way street?