Hiya,
Love mumsnet and wanted a quick vent, pls bear with!
So I am a nanny for a family who claim to be broke but (imho) have vast amounts of cash to spend on the dc's whims and desires.
No problem you might say, none of my business you might say (and I agree up to a point), but when I have been told there is not enough money to pay me properly and then the mum buys the kids a ridiculous amount of expensive gifts, it is difficult to say nothing. I work- have always worked hard- am never paid overtime or extra when I come in early, I end up buying stuff for kids when kitty runs out and when I used my car (I pretend I haven't brought it these days to avoid using it for work) I never got petrol money and reimbursed for wear and tear etc etc.
The latest is that I have been given my notice (a month) because the family is "broke", but on Friday I discovered that the eldest child (nearly 12yo) has been bought a designer bag which cost a whole month of my wages.
I am really upset because I was underpaid for so long (and it was insinuated that I was greedy when I politely asked for a raise in line with local nanny rates a while back), I have never been allowed a contract, the family refused to do nanny tax (which I found quite stressful to sort myself), and whenever a day of my work is taken from me by them (over bank hols, when parents decide to take the day off on a whim or work from home, and often at short notice), MY WAGES ARE DOCKED!!!!
Next week the mum thinks she "may have a couple of days off and may take the kids to a musical" but she doesn't know yet. Of course. But of course, I will have two days docked from my wages. But this is ok, right? My bills won't need paying, will they?
The designer bag chapter (as friends have called it) is the latest in a long line of "we are broke and cannot pay you more money" but, then "look what mummy bought me, Tash!" Yes, the bag was paid for by the mother but it feels that all the money I've been denied from my hard work (not money I fancy or feel entitled to) has, in a way, been squirrelled away to pay for this ridiculous item. Friends are urging me to joking say something like "no wonder you can't afford me; you have designer bags to pay for!", or "perhaps we could discuss the shortfall of my wages now, please?" as I have (sadly) made notes of how much I have been underpaid.
Sorry for this rant- I know many people in this world are suffering- proper suffering, but I hate any injustice of any sort and really want to say something but don't know how or if it'd be appropriate in any way?
I also can't imagine anyone treating a hardworking member of staff like this- underpay them, lie about being broke and then paying thousands for a bag for a (very badly behaved) child. I just don't get it!