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

Nanny leaving and wants to break her notice period

69 replies

hemhem · 26/10/2021 17:02

Has anyone dealt with this before? Nanny announced today she wants to leave this week!! Her contract has a 4 week notice period but she has been offered a job overseas and needs to leave on Monday to start with them. I've told her we can't accommodate this but she says we have to as her new employer are demanding it.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Original poster
hemhem · 26/10/2021 17:57

Thanks, I suspected there wasn't much I could do practically to stop her. I can't take her to court if she's no longer in the country and frankly I don't have the time for it either.

It makes you wonder what's the point of a contractual notice period when people can just walk away and leave you up shit creek. God only knows how I'm going to find a new nanny for next week!

OP posts:
2bazookas · 26/10/2021 17:56

Cut her pay accordingly?

lisaandalan · 26/10/2021 17:49

I'd tell her not to come back when she leaves today but would not pay her another penny. How very unprofessional of her. X

IveGotASongThatllGetOnYNerves · 26/10/2021 17:47

Well if she's moving overseas what can do do? Even if you went to small claims court good luck getting the money.

She's not expecting you to pay her the notice she won't be working is she?

It's shit but what can you do? You cannot hold her hostage and it sounds like she's going whether you like it or not.

SunshineCake1 · 26/10/2021 17:47

Also, she owes you the rest of the notice period.

catfunk · 26/10/2021 17:46

@drpet49

Sue her for breach of contract. Will make the silly woman think twice about doing this to other family in the future.
And how much would that cost - financially and emotionally ?! Also she's leaving the uk....
SunshineCake1 · 26/10/2021 17:46

Let her go today. Don't pay her another penny. Use the money for a temporary nanny.

I once stayed past my notice as the family hadn't found anyone else. She's not mature or professional.

drpet49 · 26/10/2021 17:44

Sue her for breach of contract. Will make the silly woman think twice about doing this to other family in the future.

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 26/10/2021 17:41

But you can threaten whatever you want. But OP is on a hiding to nothing

Hoppinggreen · 26/10/2021 17:37

@MyrtlethePurpleTurtle

Unless you threaten a bad reference
You can only provide an accurate reference with facts in. So you could say she refused to work her notice but I doubt the new family will care
Danikm151 · 26/10/2021 17:34

Ask her if she has any nanny friends that can bridge the gap of her leaving.
She’s left you in a bad position but there’s nothing you can really do about it. You can withhold a reference but as she has her new job lined up that’s not going to have much weight.

DockOTheBay · 26/10/2021 17:32

@CreepySpider

Realistically, you can’t stop her or enforce it. You could sue her but are you really going to? And do you really want someone with a grudge against you for causing issues in a new job looking after your children?
Also wouldn't it be quite difficult to sue someone if they're living abroad and you don't know where?
Bluntness100 · 26/10/2021 17:30

Just let her go op, and start looking for other child care. Save yourself the heartache of trying o fight her.

CreepySpider · 26/10/2021 17:30

Realistically, you can’t stop her or enforce it. You could sue her but are you really going to? And do you really want someone with a grudge against you for causing issues in a new job looking after your children?

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 26/10/2021 17:29

Unless you threaten a bad reference

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 26/10/2021 17:29

Nothing you can do in practical terms

Nocutenamesleft · 26/10/2021 17:07

Sorry

It would be breach of contract through industrial tribunal.

I think there’s a cap though. Plus all that would happen would be monetary wise. It won’t solve your actual nanny problem.

PotteringAlong · 26/10/2021 17:07

Well if she flies abroad on Monday then, realistically, what are you going to do?

Nocutenamesleft · 26/10/2021 17:04

You could take her to small claims court. Regarding breaking contract.

Though people don’t often do it. There’s not a lot else you can do. Apart from get her to pay for her contract breaking financially