Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

PRobably daft question about holidays and nannies

40 replies

TwelveLeggedWalk · 12/08/2014 17:56

Our nanny started with us in March, two days a week. That gives her 9.5 days leave this year.

She has taken 1 day (booked off in June), and 1 (when she failed to turn up for work due to a transport crisis, but I let her have it as holiday retrospectively under the proviso that didn't happen again).

The contract says 4 days should be taken between Christmas and New Year - but looking at how the dates fall with her working week it will only be 2 days, to come out of her 2014 allowance.

It also says 2 days to be taken at our (employers) direction.

We went away in June, so there were 2 days when we didn't require her to work, and I stupidly didn't get into whether it was annual leave or not, and she's obviously been paid.

However, we're now going away at short notice again next this month, next month, and in December, so a total of 6 more days she won't be working.

How should this be handled? Is it bonus paid leave? Unpaid leave? Can I move 2 of her 'Christmas' leave days to earlier in December?

Presumably I can ask her if she can work some alternative days - so 3 days one week, 0 the next? But if she says no, which she's obviously entitled to, what do I do? Argh! Have gone all English about this and don't know how to raise it.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Original poster
TwelveLeggedWalk · 12/08/2014 19:26

And I've just realised I've forgotten about Bank Holidays.

So 3 days out of the 4 the contract specifies at Christmas (includes Christmas Day, as she works Weds & Thurs.

OP posts:
eeyore12 · 12/08/2014 19:22

Def get her to do batch cooking and if it helps you re heat and give it to the children when you are with them so they think it is your cooking and then when they eat it you know they will eat her cooking. Get her to make stuff you normally make anyway, that's what me and my boss did when my charge would eat something I made but not my bosses we did it the other way round and they are it for me, the just associated that food with me not her

Original poster
TwelveLeggedWalk · 12/08/2014 19:17

Ok, this is interesting. My two have a nap most days she's here so she often sits down with a cuppa and a book during her work days anyhow. I don't particularly have a problem with this, but I don't think she feels there is a lot that needs doing 'on her watch' as it were.

Washing is fine, but she doesn't do much/any craft stuff with them. Batch cooking might work, but she hasn't done much cooking for them recently either, mainly because they tend to eat my food better (this is deeply inconvenient, not a stealth boast! Grin). Maybe if I got her to batch cook some stuff so they get used to her cooking?

OP posts:
GinIceAndASlice · 12/08/2014 19:00

Not rude at all!

Better than suggesting unpaid leave and ending up with a disgruntled nanny looking for a job elsewhere.

Especially if you position it as a great opportunity to get those niggly jobs out the way without the dc underfoot.

Surely you are comfortable with her being in your home already? Ok I know mine is already planning to play loud child inappropriate music as she does things (I suggested that she could relax a little without the dc)

BristolRover · 12/08/2014 18:58

asking her to come in when there are no children is perfectly fine. We get stuff like doing the bath toys in Milton / name tapes / drawer organising / toy sorting. Doesn't have to be a full day of course but there are always jobs best done with no children around. Batch cooking would be ideal for eg

Picturesinthefirelight · 12/08/2014 18:58

I think you need to reword the contract so you specify that x number of days are to be taken as holiday on the dates of your choosing rather than specifying Christmas so it gives you some leeway.

Obviously you need to give sufficient notice.

eeyore12 · 12/08/2014 18:55

So the 4 days at Christmas are only actually two of her working days this year? So in effect she would be paid two extra days this year than the 104 days in the year that two days a week roughly works out to be?

I would as a nanny expect to only have two of those days at Christmas and the other two days at some other time, so in your case at the beginning of the month. I would only be expecting to be paid for the number of days in the whole year I would be working/ annual leave but not extra.

Maybe in January you need to look at next Christmas and how many days she needs to save to cover that period and then the rest is split between you for the year, but yes if you take more than your half you still need to pay her for those extra days off, you could ask her to go in and do some nursery duties on the extra days but most employers just give them as extra, it is not your nannies fault you are away they are available to work.

It is like your boss saying don't come in next week we don't need you but we won't be paying you either.

Hope that makes sense. Talk to her and explain she only needs to take two days at Christmas so you would like the others to be earlier in the month.

Any time off you give her of your choosing you don't need to discuss if it is annual leave, as she will be paid anyway, it is just if she takes time off that you need to know if it is annual leave or unpaid leave depending on how long for and what for.

Hope that makes sense and as I say I am a nanny and would be happy to do the days off swap.

GinIceAndASlice · 12/08/2014 18:53

Cross posted!I'm a slow typer Ithinkivebeenhacked!

GinIceAndASlice · 12/08/2014 18:51

You can also ask your nanny to do child related stuff while you are away.

Mine is batch cooking, sorting out toys, organising wardrobes, prepping craft projects etc.

I gave her the choice of taking holidays or working while we are away and she came up with a list of things that she could be cracking on with. As she only works 3 days with my 3 DC (all aged 3 and under) she's jumping on the chance to get ahead.

Original poster
TwelveLeggedWalk · 12/08/2014 18:47

Isn't that ruder? I'd feel awkward asking her to come in (its about half an hour each way) if there are no children here for her to look after, looks like I'm trying to stop her having a day off almost. Tbh I can't see her happily saying yes to that either.

OP posts:
ThinkIveBeenHacked · 12/08/2014 18:43

No, I think itd be rude to do that. For all you know she may have another job or duties on other days of the weeks.

You could give her some Nanny related jobs to do on those days you are away: childrens laundry, shopping to stock up on arts and craft supplies, sorting through toys/books of theirs for what theyve outgrown.

Original poster
TwelveLeggedWalk · 12/08/2014 18:38

Ok, so that's standard practice then. I genuinely didn't know, not being arsey.

How do people feel about asking her to move a couple of her days if she can? Obviously there is no incentive for her to do that if she could be paid for days she wouldn't work and potentially paid for extra days too (although in practice I doubt that's what we'd do).

OP posts:
ThinkIveBeenHacked · 12/08/2014 18:34

as above. You dont need her then you still pay.

ohdearitshappeningtome · 12/08/2014 18:33

Thought if a person was contracted to x hours she should be paid whether you need her or not? And why should her holiday au allowance cater your holidays?

GertrudeBell · 12/08/2014 18:28

Unfortunately OP if you decide you don't need your nanny on certain days, you should still pay her.

If she's nice, she might agree to transfer across two days from the Christmas period. But that's not what the contract says, so she doesn't have to.