We've already had a few talks about time off. She's got 20 days' holiday a year. We're at 27 days off already including holiday still to be taken and 5 days sick/appointments. Some of that time is holiday we're taking, so she has to be off, but she's known those dates for ages and could have sorted her own holiday accordingly (she's young, free and single).
Last week she texted late at night to ask if she could have a.n.other day as she'd got flights wrong, and I said, OK, but we're going to have to start docking pay now as it's getting silly as I have to pay for extra cover/not work. Miraculously the flight sorted itself out.
Last Monday she had an urgent hospital appointment for a problem with her jaw. Fine. But she booked it in the middle of the day which meant there was no point coming in at all. Again, I couldn't work. She then texted to say it was because she was grinding her teeth thanks to stress, and she needed to calm down.
Am I being a beeyatch to think being a nanny isn't the most stressful occupation in the world????
And then at the weekend she texts to say she fainted, was taken to the walk in centre, who told her she was anemic, needs to be on iron pills, and was to take the whole week off.
I'm retraining in a medical field and this was my first week of seeing patients and I was so excited! Am scrabbling round trying to sort things out with a childcare jigsaw puzzle and trying sooooo hard not to text something counter productive and rude back/panic/rage...
WWYD wise MNers?
The DTDs (age 2) love her. She's v good at playing with them. There's some stuff I'm not happy with as she has funny priorities, but not sure that's relevant here?
AIBU?
Is my nanny taking the michael? Or am I being judgey?
stinkingbishop · 23/06/2014 09:24
This reply has been deleted
Message withdrawn at poster's request.
OP - I've been there, got the t-shirt etc.
It's a tricky situation. It's even worse when the nanny is brilliant in all other respects. The flakiness is HARDER to deal with in some ways.
My old nanny is lovely, brilliant with the DSs, but was crap at cooking (did put a bit of effort in and did become better), did sod all about getting her drivers licence or passport for well over a year (which were conditions of her being employed) and kept taking lots of sick leave.
It got quite acrimonious for awhile, and I did have to call it a day with her and find alternative childcare.
Several years down the line she is better with her current employers, but the problem for her is she is just not physically robust enough to do a full time nanny job - it's that simple. She is working 3 days a week for her new employers and is still struggling with her health, but manages to have most of her medical appointments on other days. What she is bad at doing is managing her own health, and does too much on her non working days which contributes to her poor health, if you're not physically robust, you need to take care of yourself when you're not working.
She occasionally babysits for the DSs now, but I have had a few too many cancellations because of ill health, so that is dwindling. But I have a few babysitters who I call on so don't feel as put out as I did when she was nannying.
But rest assured your DC will quickly like any new person looking after them - they're a bit fickle that way! My DSs loved the childminder I sent them to when I got rid of the nanny, loved the next childminder after that too. They also love all their babysitters, particularly the 18 year old females! 
Unreliable nannies don't get better in my experience (and that of friends). If she's giving you grief after 6 months it's time to move on.
For future reference split hols 50:50 - you choose two weeks and she chooses two, to be notified at least 3mths in advance.
Re sickness I pay a number of sick days at full pay but after that it's at my discretion. I also made it clear that I expect our nanny to turn up to work unless she is dead (only half joking 
) if she needs to lie on the sofa all day then so be it.
Also with drs appointments I request that she makes them for beginning/end of day so that she can work the rest of the day - otherwise she must take the day as sick or holiday.
In reality I am much more flexible than the rules I set but I believe it is helpful to have them in place
Don’t want to miss threads like this?
Weekly
Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!
Log in to update your newsletter preferences.
You've subscribed!
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.