Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Based on the dates you provided, how WILL you manage the nanny's maternity leave, since you would normally be headed back to work after 3 months or so and she is due after you?
This is important to consider OP.
I also urge you to proceed with caution OP. One of my colleagues was in a similar position and ended up burned. Her nanny had been working with her family for three years when she announced her pregnancy. They loved her and wanted to continue working with her. They agreed to pay for 6 weeks of maternity leave and allow her to bring her baby when she came back.
Nanny had a rough pregnancy; in the first 6 months she called out sick more than 10 days; this was on top of the extra days she needed off for OB appts. She couldn't keep up with her normal duties (laundry, maintaining tidy play areas, cooking for children, etc). They tried to be accommodating but nanny was put on bed rest 6 weeks before her due date which left them scrambling. They ended up paying her for the full 6 weeks of bed rest plus the 6 weeks of maternity leave they'd agreed to.
After she returned nanny continued to have trouble; she called out frequently, she never got back on track with her normal tasks like laundry or cooking. My colleague described coming home every day to a messy house, dirty dishes in the sink, and children who had been watching TV for over an hour and were fed peanut butter sandwiches for dinner. She was paying over $20/hr for two children, ages 3 and 5, so after a few months she gently brought her concerns up to the nanny. The nanny initially promised to work on things, but then put in two weeks notice a few days later.
Between sick days, doctor appointments, covering bed rest and maternity leave, my colleague had given her nanny a total of over 15 weeks off with pay in the 11 months of nanny's pregnancy and maternity leave, and allowed her to bring her infant without a pay cut, only for nanny to quit less than 6 months after returning to work. My colleague was very upset, and I certainly would have been as well. Best of luck to you OP.