Anonymous wrote:I know a great nanny we just used for are newborn who is available now if you want her info? She is great and very reliable.

Not ok PP. If this were a neighborhood mom the nanny knew then that is one thing. But to offer her information to an anonymous poster on the internet is a breach of confidentiality on your part. How about you forward a link to this thread and she can decide if she wants to offer herself up?

Anonymous wrote:I know a great nanny we just used for are newborn who is available now if you want her info? She is great and very reliable.

Does she know you offer her contact information to people on anonymous Internet forums?

I know a great nanny we just used for are newborn who is available now if you want her info? She is great and very reliable.

For a three-month position, I don't think it's worth firing her. However, she's probably not taking the job as seriously as she would a long term position either. Would you worry as much about upsetting your temporary employers? The day at the hospital with mom in the first couple of weeks might not happen if you were trying to prove your reputation for the long haul, but if you're only there three months anyway, mom wins by a mile.

I guess we can keep her. I worry about get taking days off and me missing work.

I can appreciate the difficulty in last minute backup care. However,you say she's come early and stayed late when you needed her to. Flexibility is a two way street.

I've been with my current NF since May. 2 weeks ago I had emergency surgery for my gallbladder followed by a week of additional hospitalization for complications. I am so thankful they didn't fire me (I have NEVER missed this kind of time as a nanny- 2 full weeks). I already have vacation scheduled to overlap theirs so I took an unpaid hit for 2 weeks. I don't think you should fire your nanny OP. Life always does seem to happen at the worst time....

Is it justifiable to fire for absence only?

You're only hiring her for three months? May as well keep her.

No, I do not think you should fire her. Even if this behavior does continue, you only have to put up with it for three months, and you don't have to provide her with a positive reference after that if you don't see fit.

Seriously, though...you got her sick and her mom had a heart attack! She probably really needs the job and money, and she can't help it that these things are happening in her personal life. How would you feel if your boss told you you were fired because you missed part of a day to visit your mother in the hospital?

Wow ladies - It wad just a question! Her mom had a heart attack early this morning and still came to work. She told my husband about it ASAP and said she could work. I guess she decided she needed to be with her instead and asked to leave a short while later. Overall she is great and there is no incentive as she isn't getting paid. The problem is my husband travels often and I used most of my vacation and sick days for maternity leave. I can't always find a cover last minute or take off.

You got her sick and her mother had a heart attack.
The obvious answer is to fire her. Her immune system should be in tip-top shape and her personal relationships should never get in the way of her job.
Do you seriously have to ask this?

You think she'll make a habit out of getting sick and having family member have medical emergencies? She doesn't get paid time off, so there's no financial incentive to slack.

Really? What's the big deal OP? You already said you understood and were okay with nanny taking off for having the flu and her mom having a heart attack. So what's the problem? I think you are lucky to have found someone decent for a 3 month assignment and should hang on to her. It's not her fault you got her sick or that her mom is in the hospital. Now the being late, you can speak with her about that, as I don't know the circumstances.

My nanny has worked with us for three weeks and has been late one time and missed two days. The first day she missed was kind of ok because I got her sick. I passed on my flu bug and I knew she felt ill when she called in. Not a problem as I worked from home and was sick myself. Today she came in to work but asked to leave at 10am. Her mother ( who has been ill for some time) had a heart attack and she asked to go the hospital. My partner was home and we have a backup for to cover today, so not a huge deal. We appreciate that her mom is sick and of course want her to be with her family in this situation. The only issue is I am worrying if this will be a habit. She doesn't receive pay for time off and this is temp position for 3 months.

Overall she is wonderful with our four month old and has been accommodating of my schedule when I need her to come in early or stay late. She has been highly recommended and worked for a family for years with no missed days or reliability issues. My co-worker said to just keep her as it will take a lot to find a replacement and she's not taking off for a " lazy' day. I'd like to hear from nannies and other parent's who employ nannies.