Nanny calling in sick

I suggest SSP only. You can of course use your discretion and pay her if its really only occasion, otherwise, as you're finding you get a nanny who is off sick a lot.

Sorry, but at that level of sickness she is swinging the lead. Time to replace her.

I strongly disagree Archie. Many employe S don't oay any more than SSP. the firm where I work was almost crippled by having to pay sick pay so actually niw has insurance. You get nothing for the first 3 days then SSP thereafter.

We had a similar problem with a previous nanny, I calculated a sickness rate of around 10% of her working days, all odd days here and there. It was so stressful, and she used to text me in the morning to tell me so I often did not see the texts until she was already late! It was a bad time, my job means people are very reliant on me, but she didn't seem to care. Awful.

I'm going to check the contract but so far I have paid full pay for all sick days (and then paid on top for cover/taken annual leave).

If you have a standard contract then this is unlikely to be necessary. You need a contract with the standard sick provisions which is nothing for the first 3 days then SSP. You can then of course always be generous and pay in full if you want to.

Tbf you have said she has something contagious so you don't want her coming in and giving it to you and your family OP.

That is quite close to working out as a day off per week. What have these illnesses been? I can't think of many contagious illnesses where you need a week off other than c pox.

So 11 days of sick in total? In 3 months? Working full time? So c65 days work.

So she is ill for more than 1 day in 6?

That is pretty terrible.

I don't pay for the first few days of my nanny being off sick and then only SMP. This is legal and I do find it means nanny turns up. If she was ill, I would hope she would turn up and have a quiet day with the kids

Your nanny payroll provider may be worth a call to have a chat. They may be able to give some guidance on starting the disciplinary procedure. Whilst it is not nice to think about ending the agreement, ultimately that is what will happen if your nanny continues to be frequently off work. Akire has had to let people go, so you might need to if the situation does not improve... you will run out of annual leave to take, the costs will get too much to make this nanny a viable option.

Why is she getting these illnesses? Is there something about where she is living which is making her catch these? Getting something is something that happens but getting things on a regular basis does begin to point towards there being an issue - perhaps with hygiene, living accommodation, food, who she socialises with. You can't do much about these things (except for hygiene which may some education in to good hygiene practices) but she should be looking at any potential cause for these illnesses. It may be just bad luck but there may be things that could be improved which would reduce risk.

Is the nanny new to the country and thus potentially picking up viruses they have not encountered before?

Useful booklet from ACAS on managing attendance (pdf).

God I thought you meant 3 days as well, I was sitting with YABU until you clarified!

That really is ridiculous, I think the only time I haven't been in to work in the last 6 years is when I've been in hospital, and once when I had D&V from food poisoning so badly that I was fainting from dehydration and was worried I would drop the baby.

Most employers are very fair in having quiet days when the nanny isn't feeling well. Your nanny may indeed be quite ill for all we behind screens know, but it does sound like she's taking the piss.

Have a chat.

I employ carers so similar sort of thing- at first I would pay full sick because that's decent right? But people did take the biscuit so now I only pay Satatory sick pay around £72 a week and then it's not paid for the first 4 days. Unless it's someone who has been with me for years and had excellent record and just happens to have run of bad luck.

The HMRC website have downloadable sick record forms and advice on what counts as days from same sickness (it gets confusing if it's within certain amount of time of last one) also advice how to run SSP

Unfortunately I've had to let people go who just get sick all the time, I'm sure they weren't putting it all on but I relied on them to get up and dressed if they didn't come I would be stuck for that day. Some jobs you just need people to be mostly reliable and if they are taking time off every month without fail they can't hold up their side of the contract either.

I thought you meant 3 single days OP!

tho in answer, you get a temp nanny in, work from home, beg other mums who know who have nannies etc

she didnt want to do a common core course tho you would pay for it

that would ring alarm bells for me

does she have any quals in childcare at all?

you are paying her full pay every time she is ill, check contract? and stop paying full pay if doesnt say it

ive always had sick pay in my contract but i dont take the piss with it, tbh think had 2 days off over 25yrs both due to having cancer cells removed

and one 3 week period off work due to blood clot going to lung and collapsing it and 2 weeks in hospital

i think she is pulling a fast one

She is taking the piss, imo.

Wait, I thought she had taken three single days off in three months - are you saying that some of those absences have been full weeks?! How on earth are you managing to function with so much absence, surely it is only a matter of time until it becomes a problem for either you or your DH at work?

Depends what she had,if it was sickness and diahorrea of course she couldn't come in,if it was a bit if a sniffle then you need to have a chat.

The PP is right, if your child was in nursery you'd more than likely be off due to them being exposed to new nursery bugs.

I also think Janier is right, people get sick and as an employer you have to factor that in.

Bit horrified at the people suggesting that you not pay sick pay to a genuinely ill nanny - sick pay is a pretty basic part of being a halfway decent employer.

If you think your nanny is genuinely ill, then of course you should pay sick pay. If you don't think your nanny is genuinely ill, then that's the problem that needs addressing.

Nannies do get ill, like everyone else - some more than others. If your nanny is genuinely ill, and if you do not want to live with the inconvenience, then perhaps a nursery would be better.