Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She getting paid 3 extra weeks to do nothing. That's a bonus in itself. Also, she hasn't been with you a year so you don't NEEd to give a week's salary.

The nanny has only been with OP's family for 5 months and is getting 3 weeks extra of vacation plus OP is going to get her a gift. Sure, it's after the holidays but OP has two babies, works, and is in the middle of the holiday season. Cut her some slack!

She's only getting her a gift because she feels guilty that nanny bought gifts for her kids. Everyone LOVES getting obligatory afterthought gifts right?? If OP was giving the time off as a true gift that'd be great. She's only giving her the time off because she doesn't need it. You all really don't understand gift giving. Its about showing your appreciation and how much you care about the person receiving your gift. OP has said loud and clear "We don't care!". Her nanny might be there when she gets back, but I'm sure OPs behavior is indicative of a larger problem, selfishness, and this employment relationship is doomed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She getting paid 3 extra weeks to do nothing. That's a bonus in itself. Also, she hasn't been with you a year so you don't NEEd to give a week's salary.

The nanny has only been with OP's family for 5 months and is getting 3 weeks extra of vacation plus OP is going to get her a gift. Sure, it's after the holidays but OP has two babies, works, and is in the middle of the holiday season. Cut her some slack!

She's only getting her a gift because she feels guilty that nanny bought gifts for her kids. Everyone LOVES getting obligatory afterthought gifts right?? If OP was giving the time off as a true gift that'd be great. She's only giving her the time off because she doesn't need it. You all really don't understand gift giving. Its about showing your appreciation and how much you care about the person receiving your gift. OP has said loud and clear "We don't care!". Her nanny might be there when she gets back, but I'm sure OPs behavior is indicative of a larger problem, selfishness, and this employment relationship is doomed.

Anonymous wrote:She getting paid 3 extra weeks to do nothing. That's a bonus in itself. Also, she hasn't been with you a year so you don't NEEd to give a week's salary.

The nanny has only been with OP's family for 5 months and is getting 3 weeks extra of vacation plus OP is going to get her a gift. Sure, it's after the holidays but OP has two babies, works, and is in the middle of the holiday season. Cut her some slack!

She getting paid 3 extra weeks to do nothing. That's a bonus in itself. Also, she hasn't been with you a year so you don't NEEd to give a week's salary.

Anonymous wrote:Ridiculous. Bonuses are not "standard" in any industry. They are earned for exceptional service.

Give a bonus if you want, OP, but don't feel pressured by some nonsense about "standard" bonuses or better yet, the insulting comment about what "seasoned nanny employers recognize that it's expected". This is all garbage.

NP here. You could argue that bonuses or tips are standard in service industries. That being said, I agree they are for exceptional service. OP stated that she was very happy with her nanny, and nothing she said would indicate that this nanny doesn't deserve a bonus. If absolutely nothing else, OP could have been thoughtful enough to give her a card. The whole "we don't have your gift yet" BS is what would really piss me off. If you're not going to give a gift, don't give it. Don't give me some obligatory gift because I got one for your kids.

OP I really don't understand how after this thread, and your own words, how you possibly could have dropped the ball like this. I promise you your nanny is feeling quite unappreciated right now, and 5 weeks is plenty of time for a good nanny to find a new position. You really deserve no less than for her to give you 2 weeks notice effective 2 weeks before you return. Enjoy your vacation....

Ridiculous. Bonuses are not "standard" in any industry. They are earned for exceptional service.

Give a bonus if you want, OP, but don't feel pressured by some nonsense about "standard" bonuses or better yet, the insulting comment about what "seasoned nanny employers recognize that it's expected". This is all garbage.

Anonymous wrote:Op here,

My husband was against the idea of a holiday bonus which is why we decided no bonus. However, I am thinking we may have made a wrong decision. She came highly recommended and is actually awesome.

Yes, you made an error in judgment. Holiday bonuses are standard - the amount varies but any reputable agency will tell you great nannies typically get one week's pay+ at Christmas. Send her a card with a check now, if you want to be sure she will still be there when you get back. Your husband may be opposed to the "idea" but seasoned nanny employers recognize that it's expected.

You didn't even give her a card??

xOp here,

So we didn't give our nanny a bonus, no gift, or card and she came in with great gifts for the twins. I informed her that we didn't have a gift for her as of yet and she will receive a gift when she returns in a month.

My concern is that she looked a little disappointed that we didn't have anything for her. Should we be afraid that she may look for another job during this time off as 18:01 has stated.

No. Smart nannies who are well paid and have five paid weeks off a year are not going to leave over a bonus, especially when many families don't give bonuses these days. If she does go looking for a new job, good for you and her. You can always find another excellent nanny who will appreciate five weeks paid vacation a year.

Anonymous wrote:Op here,

My husband was against the idea of a holiday bonus which is why we decided no bonus. However, I am thinking we may have made a wrong decision. She came highly recommended and is actually awesome.

You're damn right you did. Hope she's gone when you get back. Have fun!

Op here,

My husband was against the idea of a holiday bonus which is why we decided no bonus. However, I am thinking we may have made a wrong decision. She came highly recommended and is actually awesome.

Anonymous wrote:OP here,

Thank you everyone for your input it was very helpful. We would most definitely not expect her to work or to try and find work during her time off. I have realized that it is very last minute to have informed her of the change. If we knew of the change sooner she would have possibly made travel arrangements as she loves to travel.

We are now aware that she may be bored during all this time off as some nannies may have mentioned. We are also now aware that a holiday bonus is to show your appreciation and gratitude and we are most definitely appreciative as she is also a part of our family. She is terrific with the twins and you can see it when they see her walk in every morning.

OP, did you forget saying this??

Anonymous wrote:Op here,

So we didn't give our nanny a bonus, no gift, or card and she came in with great gifts for the twins. I informed her that we didn't have a gift for her as of yet and she will receive a gift when she returns in a month.

My concern is that she looked a little disappointed that we didn't have anything for her. Should we be afraid that she may look for another job during this time off as 18:01 has stated.

Troll troll troll your boat....

IF you're for real OP, don't worry about her finding another job! Just go on your vacation, enjoy the gifts she bought for your children, and drink your cocktails. Surely your nanny realizes how lucky she is to have bosses that think of no one but themselves! There's no way she'll be able to find anyone, a n y o n e, who will treat her better.

Op here,

So we didn't give our nanny a bonus, no gift, or card and she came in with great gifts for the twins. I informed her that we didn't have a gift for her as of yet and she will receive a gift when she returns in a month.

My concern is that she looked a little disappointed that we didn't have anything for her. Should we be afraid that she may look for another job during this time off as 18:01 has stated.

I would give her the bonus. you are giving her five weeks paid vacation. She might be upset about not getting a bonus and could use that 5 weeks to find a new job.