Flexibility you say? In what job are you required to take on someone else's job? Even as a teacher I am ASKED if I'd like to sub for someone who needs to leave early, I am never compelled to. It is not appropriate to assume she should care for someone else's child. Her job is to care for your child and someone else's child. Period. I thought the daycare analogy made perfect sense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:her contract is with family a and family b. not family c.

Family A is basically subcontracting her services to Family C. She still gets paid by Family A, but family C pays family A.

Like another poster already told you, you are a real idiot.

Anonymous wrote:her contract is with family a and family b. not family c.

Family A is basically subcontracting her services to Family C. She still gets paid by Family A, but family C pays family A.

her contract is with family a and family b. not family c.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my office, sometimes I am sent to work in a different department if my usual department is not busy. How is this so different?

because it's not a CHILD you idiot. different children need different things and depending on the age, it is very likely that this child will spend the two weeks being miserable because he/she is adjusting to a new environment. there is absolutely no reason the nanny HAS to do this - it is a choice.

Sure- a choice to for the nanny to do her job, or not. Plus, any decent nanny should be able to help a child get adjusted to this situation easily barring any special needs, etc. It may not be ideal but it should be very manageable if the nanny knows how to deal with children.

Anonymous wrote:In my office, sometimes I am sent to work in a different department if my usual department is not busy. How is this so different?

because it's not a CHILD you idiot. different children need different things and depending on the age, it is very likely that this child will spend the two weeks being miserable because he/she is adjusting to a new environment. there is absolutely no reason the nanny HAS to do this - it is a choice.

Anonymous wrote:In my office, sometimes I am sent to work in a different department if my usual department is not busy. How is this so different?

Exactly! In a workplace people need to be flexible, one doesn't get paid vacation (apart from the vacation which is already in their compensation package), or get additional pay just because their duties are a little different for a few weeks.

In my office, sometimes I am sent to work in a different department if my usual department is not busy. How is this so different?

Did she already get the impression that she would get paid vacation for the two weeks you will be gone? If so, it is highly unlikely she will want to care for a new child since she assumes she will still get paid the same, just having only one child for the duration of your vacation.

However if she just thinks she will not be compensated a thing for the two weeks you will be out of town, then perhaps she will take you up on your offer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry nannies- I see this arrangement all the time on my neighborhood listserve, it is very common.

I would do this if the nanny is already familiar with the other child doing playdates, classes etc. To PP comparing to daycare its not the same having a nanny clearly this forum shows that.

No way in hell you would tell me that I am going to just care for someone else's child while you're on vacation.

Nice! You really sound like someone who should be looking after children.

I am an excellent nanny. I'm also an adult who has worked in this field for many years and knows how to stand up for myself. I have no trouble finding excellent jobs with families who respect me, my time and my role in their lives.
If I allowed people to walk all over me, I wouldn't have made it in this field for as long as I have.
You have to look out for yourself because nobody else will do it for you.

You go, Girl. That should shut her up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry nannies- I see this arrangement all the time on my neighborhood listserve, it is very common.

I would do this if the nanny is already familiar with the other child doing playdates, classes etc. To PP comparing to daycare its not the same having a nanny clearly this forum shows that.

No way in hell you would tell me that I am going to just care for someone else's child while you're on vacation.

Nice! You really sound like someone who should be looking after children.

I am an excellent nanny. I'm also an adult who has worked in this field for many years and knows how to stand up for myself. I have no trouble finding excellent jobs with families who respect me, my time and my role in their lives.
If I allowed people to walk all over me, I wouldn't have made it in this field for as long as I have.
You have to look out for yourself because nobody else will do it for you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nannies on here seem to think their job is in some special category that doesn't require flexibility.

What kind of flexibility are you talking about? Should I come into work as early as my employers want? Should I stay as late as they want?
Should I do all of their cleaning just to be a team player? Should I allow them to pay me late because they need me to be flexible?
Should I allow them to loan me out like a dish? Should I allow them to shift my hours to their convenience? Should I let them bank my hours to get around guantanteed pay? Where does " flexibility" end? "Flexibility" is just a fancy way of saying " doormat."

Very well said.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nannies on here seem to think their job is in some special category that doesn't require flexibility.

What kind of flexibility are you talking about? Should I come into work as early as my employers want? Should I stay as late as they want?
Should I do all of their cleaning just to be a team player? Should I allow them to pay me late because they need me to be flexible?
Should I allow them to loan me out like a dish? Should I allow them to shift my hours to their convenience? Should I let them bank my hours to get around guantanteed pay? Where does " flexibility" end? "Flexibility" is just a fancy way of saying " doormat."

The same flexibility a non-nanny job has. To never be 1% flexible because flexibility in its extreme is what you describe is absurd. Nannies want to be treated and paid like "professionals" while acting like factory workers who will only do one task, no matter what.

SOME nannies are professionals, most are sitters waiting for your constant instructions. And most parents can only afford a sitter. That's why those parents are here complaining all the time.

"You get what you pay for." It's really true.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nannies on here seem to think their job is in some special category that doesn't require flexibility.

What kind of flexibility are you talking about? Should I come into work as early as my employers want? Should I stay as late as they want?
Should I do all of their cleaning just to be a team player? Should I allow them to pay me late because they need me to be flexible?
Should I allow them to loan me out like a dish? Should I allow them to shift my hours to their convenience? Should I let them bank my hours to get around guantanteed pay? Where does " flexibility" end? "Flexibility" is just a fancy way of saying " doormat."

The same flexibility a non-nanny job has. To never be 1% flexible because flexibility in its extreme is what you describe is absurd. Nannies want to be treated and paid like "professionals" while acting like factory workers who will only do one task, no matter what.

I find it a little hard to believe that your friend needs care the exact hours the nanny works for the exact time (2 weeks) that you'll be away; that premise makes me suspect this is a troll.

However, in case this is a genuine post, I have to agree with the general sentiment that this is not really fair to your nanny. Personally, I've done shares before and try to be flexible. If a family approached me with something like this, I would say that I'd only feel comfortable with it if I was getting additional compensation (not just my normal rate).

Maybe an additional 25% of normal total pay (so 50% of your part of the pay). For example, if you each pay $12 for the share, so she makes $24/hr total, then in this scenario you would still pay $6/hr for the time you'd reserved as guaranteed hours that you won't be using, and then the temporary fill in family would pay their share ($12/hr), so she'd be making $30/hr during those hours.

This additional compensation is necessary because, as others have pointed out, just throwing another child into the share dynamic is not that easy. If she doesn't know the nanny there will be difficulties. In my experience it often takes at least a full week for a child to be comfortable with a new nanny, so there will be a lot more tears for nanny to deal with. There will likely be many other issues in terms of how this other child has been raises how nanny does things; if she's an only child she's likely used to getting her way all the time and that won't happen in a share, etc. And that's not even accounting for things like allergies or other dietary restrictions that might need to be considered.

You can complain about paying all you want, but at the end of the day you'd still be saving 50% of what you would normally be paying (and what you'd be paying regardless, if she has guaranteed hours in her contract). And keeping a share nanny happy is very important. If you choose not to offer additional compensation for the substitution of another child in your absence, then you might come home from your trip to find out you don't have a nanny at all!