Coronavirus- can nanny still work?

Go for it Cloudchaos the steps the government want you to take obviously don't apply to you.

If your job is critical, then it is a balance between the help you can provide to the fight against this epidemic versus the risks to your family and any consequential spread of infection your Nanny can bring in (and then out) of your house.

If your job is not critical then it's a moral choice between making money and risking health/spreading infection. That's your choice.

@Patchworkpatty The OP asked where she stood regarding the nanny and no one has suggested they are not taking the social distancing seriously.

I've been at home now for 3 weeks. I've not left since then, and am certainly doing my bit as far as isolation is concerned. I took my kids out of school before they shut again to minimise contact with others... but this could go on for a year, maybe longer. It's going to be nigh on impossible to never have any contact with anyone for over a year. There's risk from the postman, from touching my gate someone outside might have touched the day before.

If I know my nanny is coming to my house and staying here and just going home each night and going no where else, then I think that's responsible and fine. I think you're being a bit ridiculous to suggest otherwise.

If we get sick she can isolate for 14 days and of course if we get sick she will stay home. But as long as everyone is fit and healthy and the government say essential workers who can't work at home are to go to work, then she's going to keep coming here and she's happy with that too.

Exactly OP

Well yes, unless literally nobody leaves their house for months on end there will always be a risk. There are risks of our nanny not coming. We'll also be continuing to food-shop and go out for fresh air and sanity, so. Obviously if there is a full quarantine, no nanny will be working.

A 'lockdown' is required when people can't work it out for themselves. FGS..

Of course you can go out if you want. You can do anything you fancy. You can invite all your mates round and have a party if your daft enough.. but if you can't work out that the chances of catching an INVISIBLE virus that can spread BEFORE you have any symptoms.. is multiplied exponentially by every place/person you see and every thing they touch then you really need to start doing some serious reading about epidemics and transmission.

Why do you think a CONSERVATIVE government has just ploughed 350 BILLION in to the economy and just promised open ended financial support for employees? Because t's'not that much of a worry ?'

Is your job worth risking your or your employers health for .. or any of the people you come in to contact with. The country needs everyone to do their bit to prevent transmission. You shouldn't need the government to tell you to do this. But they will because people won't think for themselves.

Every individual situation needs to be risk assessed.

Anyone coming into your home can bring the virus with them, undetected. That's the problem, it is putting your family at risk.

One trail of thought I have is that as a live-out nanny has been coming and going from your home over the last few weeks, then the virus may have already been transmitted. If assuming nanny has no already got the virus, then with less people out and about then there is less chance your nanny will pick it up but it's not a zero chance. Leaving their home they will be touching things that other's have touched - I now wear gloves to open the door of my block of flats for example to help reduce the chance of transmission but I will run out of disposable gloves fairly quickly.

Everyone I feel needs to risk assess and keep doing so as the situation is constantly changing.

But it’s not a lockdown. You are suppose to limit contact where possible, eg not go to pubs and clubs and have unnecessary contact but there are provisions of where people are unable to work from home.

None of this makes sense.. social isolation means just that. If your nanny lives in and doesn't go out to shops, touch supermarket stocks /door handles/ trolleys .. travel on busses sit right next to other people, touch seats to hold on, strap hang from tubes... see people in her own home who haven't done e all the above - who could infect her ... then fine. Have her in and out of your house. !

The virus can be spread by people who show know symptoms. I can't believe people don't know this yet.

If you are a critical worker then kids can go to the schools accepting children for childcare. Nannies in and out of the house? Going to other people have the potential to take the virus into your homes. It's madness.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200316143313.htm

I’m not sure how the financial compensation scheme will work. Your not being let go by your employer m, but equally if can’t prove because you have a high risk child and all have to self isolate then that would seem fair that the compensation applied to you

The parents I nanny for are both key workers. So they’ve asked me to work. But I also have my own children to care for , one high risk. Do I take them with me (this has been suggested) or say no to my parents? Where would I stand if I couldn’t work for key workers

Yes the rules say if you can work from home then you should. Nannies going into sole care should work if no one has symptoms.

Nurseries and school settings are different, they are stopping mass gatherings of children.

If my nanny didn't want to work I would accept that and continue to pay her so long as I am paid but she does, so I think we will keep going, but I will start picking her up and dropping her off by car so she no longer takes public transport.

We’re doing 14 days self isolating as baby had a fever. So our nanny is at home for now. We’re planning on doing some sort of part time arrangement, and we’ll pick her up and drop her off if necessary. We’re not key workers but have a business with employees to run so can’t take time off indefinitely. Obviously I’d guidance becomes clearer we’ll reevaluate.

In fact, even in the link you sent the bullet point says:

Public urged to stay at home and limit all but essential travel - people who can work from home should do so

Which is basically saying, if you can't work from home, you can keep going in. Essential travel is fine.

"Work from home, where possible. Your employer should support you to do this. Please refer to employer guidancee_ for more information"

That's the guidance.

Nurseries are not open as they are mass gatherings, and children are super spreaders. I know plenty of businesses which are still operating with workers going into work if their job can't operate from home. Even in Italy people can still go to a place of work and return. Shops are still open - they need workers, people are at work if they can't work from home.

Consider it this way...

If children went to a nursery instead of having a nanny, would they be going on Monday? If not, because the parents are not Critical Workers, then should the nanny be working? I think not but there is no clear guidance on that.

www.gov.uk/government/news/government-announces-further-measures-on-social-distancing
"Everyone to stay at home unless they need to get essential supplies such as food and medicines."
Why should that not apply to nannies as well, unless they are enabling parents who are Critical Workers to go to work?

I think it will be up to the individual nanny and employer to come an agreement but Government does not want people travelling very far.
"Only traveling if absolutely necessary - while public transport won’t stop, this should only be used for essential travel – for example by key workers to travel to and from work."

Agree, @cloudchaos. I will be continuing to work. I get in my car and drive to their house and then drive home afterwards. I don't need to go on the tube or bus etc to do so.

Thanks for posting OP I had a similar thread but no one replied.

My interpretation is that my nanny will continue to work whilst none of us have symptoms.

Nanny-that guidance is for if I can’t afford to keep my nanny anymore but want to retain her. I need my nanny currently. Nannies are not caught under the childcare setting if in sole care arrangements

I don't see why they wouldn't continue to work? The government have only said people should work from home if they are able, and if you're not in isolation just social distancing why would the nanny not go to work?

Thanks for your help and input. I may wait for clearer advice and see if PACEY update then.

I mostly work for key workers. But there is one family where both still need to work (at home) and I live a 1 minute walk away. That is what I am mostly wondering about.

Presumably PACEY wrote that before 5pm today.
It's a constantly changing situation.

I think you need to decide with your employer if they really need you to work given that one or both parents may not be working.

www.pacey.org.uk/working-in-childcare/spotlight-on/coronavirus/closing-settings-coronavirus/

Thanks nannynick. I don't know what to think or do now then? This says nannies can still work?