re Nanny Leaving Issue

[MelCookie]

Our nanny told me on 18 July that she's leaving to return home, but indicated that she'd be available until end September (no leaving date agreed).

We have now found a replacement nanny available to start in third week of September.

We have offered departing nanny her full hours for September, but condensed into the first three weeks (we do this sometimes in school hols - e.g. work full days this week and have next week off). She won't lose out financially but is kicking up a stink saying she wants to be with us until 30 Sep.

We can't afford to lose the other nanny, who seems perfect, or pay for two nannies!

AIBU?? .

[Doggity]

Just tell her the new nanny is probably only your rebound childcare. It'll make her feel better.

[MelCookie]

at crying and clutching her photo.
She's from overseas, hence leaving to go home.

[RichardBucket]

She sounds a bit immature! She leaves and wanted you to be in mourning for an appropriate amount of time?! Glad it's all sorted.

[AnotherPrickInTheWall]

I'd just pay the old nanny for the whole month; hardly worth splitting hairs over it; you can obviously afford to pay for the extra hours you suggested were built into her last few weeks of employment.
You are in effect going to pay for an extra weeks worth of help in September.
Why is the current nanny leaving? You say to go " home" but she lives out and pays rent for her flat/lodgings. I'm a bit confused.

[DrinkFeckArseGirls]

Why - while

[DrinkFeckArseGirls]

🙄 at your nanny then!!! What are you supposed to do?! Have no childcare why you quietly rock in the corner crying and clutching onto her photos?

[MelCookie]

Thanks for all your replies. Perhaps I haven't explained the situation clearly enough, in which my fault! We need the extra hours, nanny is perfectly happy to condense hours (which we have done throughout the contract)

Issue is pretty much resolved - she's miffed because we've found someone new so quickly and feels we're moving on very quickly. She's not worried about the money or hours.

[AnchorDownDeepBreath]

Was she expecting overtime in September then? And whilst she'll be getting a full months wage, it'll be less than she'd expected if she'd worked additional hours for you before your son started school?

[AndNowItsSeven]

Of course you are being unreasonable , end of Sept is the 30th. You will need to pay extra if you want her to do more hours for the first three weeks.

[Orwellschild]

Is it maybe because she is packing everything up to move, and therefore wants to work get usual hours so she can sort any admin / moving things out at her own pace? Just a thought.

[Nanny0gg]

Is it that you are increasing her hours for the first three weeks and that isn't convenient?
So she's still only getting paid for what she works, but 4 weeks in a three week period?

You then pay one week extra?

[diddl]

Don't you only need current nanny for first two wks of Sept?

[DrinkFeckArseGirls]

Inthibk her problem is she doesnt want to do longer days.

[DrinkFeckArseGirls]

In that case tell her you are giving her notice earlier, dont expect extra hours, pay what's due and the last weeks money spend on extra childcare you need.

[NeedsAsockamnesty]

I don't understand her problem but I also don't understand yours.

What you pay will be the same

[BananaThePoet]

To my mind it doesn't matter whether you ABU or ANBU - it boils down to whether or not you can do what you propose according to your contract with the nanny. If you can then do it, if you can't then don't.
She's leaving and you need to do what is right for your family. Your duties are to them and not to a grown up woman who you will probably not see again anyway. She can look after herself - your kids can't - which is why you pay for a nanny presumably.

[andintothefire]

What is her notice period if you terminate her employment? I think that if you have given her notice that you want her to finish before the end of September in circumstances where she would normally be entitled to longer notice then you may need to think again. On the other hand, if you can terminate with a month's notice (and after all you are in this position because she wants to leave) then it is fair enough to ask her to leave early because the new nanny needs to start earlier and you can't afford to pay for two.

Where I think you are being a tiny bit unreasonable is in taking the view that she is no worse off financially because you have offered to condense her hours. There are really two separate issues here: firstly whether you are entitled to ask her to leave earlier than she would have liked; and secondly whether she is prepared to do longer hours than usual at a time when you need extra childcare. I don't think you can really combine those into a single issue.

I think you need to talk to her and see if you can reach a compromise. However, I really don't think you can ask her to leave early if you should be giving her longer notice (given that she is expecting to have a job until the end of September) or expect her to do longer hours unless she agrees to them.

[MelCookie]

It's not for sake of I, because I need those additional hours - DC doesn't start school until 3rd week in September.

[ShoeEatingMonster]

Just get her to do her normal hours for the three weeks then pay her for the full month. Surely you don't actually need her to do all those additional hours so just pay her for a week off. I don't see the point of making her work an extra weeks worth of hours just for the sake of it.

[diddl]

I don't understand her problem!

You pay her until the end of Sept, she just doesn't need to come in for the last week!

[Shizzlestix]

Yanbu, the nanny is, particularly if she's being paid the same amount. Bonkers.

[yoowhoo]

You say you can't afford to pay both nannies but technically with your suggestion you are?! Because you want old nanny to work her full months hours into 3 weeks and pay her her full months wage, then new nanny will start last week and you will have to pay her. Can you see that?!

[MelCookie]

Appreciate your replies
There really isn't anything else to say (I'm not holding back anything juicy, honestly!). Not keen on a handover. We did this last time and it wasn't massively helpful for the kids to be honest.
Oh well, will chat with her and try and understand her point of view. It's going to be a lovely atmosphere at home!

[Lovelyholiday]

Could she not have a cross over with the next nanny, to settle her in and show her the ropes? I've done that before which also means you don't need to take the week off work.
Otherwise I can't see why current nanny wouldn't want a week off between jobs.

[Tohaveandtohold]

Yanbu at all. Probably she has some things planned for the third week that you want to condense so probably won't be able to do them now. You are sticking to the contract so I don't know what the issue is. And really, depending on your contracts, many of these nannies have a 4 week notice period for a change so you are within that period.