If you have a sicky child, do you still expect other people to look after them?!

[HarrietKettleWasHere]

My boss is a tit. Apologies for the third thread on it

He really makes me cross.

Backstory- I am supposed to be leaving my job at the end of next month. I think I'm done from today. I'm a nanny and took a job that seemed interesting as it had PA stuff attatched too. It's been a disaster and I ended up doing the job of five people, so last week I said I wasn't going to continue.

Got an email last night to say my charge and his dad were currently cluttering up the local a&e unit as the child had been sick every 45minutes in the last few hours. Dad cross as no doctor had bothered to see them yet this was at 3am so didn't look until this morning.

They got sent home as child has a bug

Mum is away on business and dad can't cope. I was summoned in to work at 8 to a) clean up sicky bedclothes b) care for vomiting child.

I said no. I do not think I am being unreasonable. I have said I will come in when he has been sick-free for five hours.

Dad is now livid and can't get to work. I just had a voicemail saying I am uncaring and unprofessional.

ARGHHH. Not going to last until December, clearly.

I would expect a nanny to take care of a sick child, yes. Since that is your actual job and all. One of the main reasons people have a nanny instead of a creche is that they can't go to creche when ill.

YABU.

I am going in at my usual start time. I said no to going in earlier.

Nah I remember you. Don't do it. Walk now.

I wouldn't go to care for a child who has a sickness bug. You can guarantee when the bug is passed to you and you inevitably have to have time off, they'll refuse to pay you anyway so I say fuck them

Yes i would expect a nanny to care for a sick child. It’s part of the job surely?

Were you 'summoned in' on a day off? That's not on, you could have had plans and surely not at their beck and call 24/7. If it was a normal day you were expected to work though, I'd have thought looking after a kid with a vomiting bug would be expected.
Either way sounds like there are other issues and you'll be well rid soon!

I would expect a nanny to care for a sick child but only within their normal working hours

However I remember your previous posts and don't think you really owe this family anything at this point so you may as well avoid the bug

I have said I will come in when he has been sick-free for five hours
I am going in at my usual start time. I said no to going in earlier

Which is it?

I suppose it depends what's in your contract but I wouldn't necessarily think it unreasonable for a baby to look after a sick child as would see that as one of the reasons for choosing nanny over childminder or nursery.

I would definitely expect a nanny to care for a sick child. Is that one of the major advantages of having a nanny? I wouldn’t expect a nanny to go in early, although I would ask if it was possible for extra pay as a one off if I needed it.

I think it's part of your job tbh! I work in care and wouldn't refuse to look after a service user with a bug, I don't really see it as being different. Surely a perk of a nanny rather than nursery is they can look after a sick child?

Yes i would expect a nanny to care for a sick child. It’s part of the job surely?

When it's the Nanny's working hours, perhaps. Outside of those times, absolutely not. If a child is unwell the buck stops with the parents. If it means taking time off work, they suck it up and get on with it. The Dad is probably horrified at having to consider putting his own work needs on hold because of his child; which is pretty much what working Mothers do every day of their lives. He's just playing catch-up with the rest of civilisation.

Would they pay you happily if you go down with it and can't come to work? They'd have to look after the child then.
I remember your previous thread and no I wouldn't go in early for their benefit.

I wouldn't expect a Nanny to have to care for a vomiting child, no. The Nanny will inevitably catch the bug and have to take two or three days off work herself.

Coughs/colds/chicken pox (if Nanny not pregnant)/conjunctivitis - yes. But not d&v, that is a really unpleasant thing to expose someone else to.

Occasionally parents will need to step in if their child is sick, even if they employ a Nanny.

I don’t understand why it’s affecting the dad’s work if you’re going in at your usual time anyway.

I read your previous thread, where you’d resigned but had agreed the terms under which you’d work until mid-December, rather than just the week’s notice you were contracted to.

One of your conditions related to how you were treated by the dad, yes? And if he’s livid, that would imply he’s breached that? I would be disinclined to return to that treatment by an employer.

And what an arse that father is - taking the both of them off to A&E and exposing a waiting room full of vulnerable people to their virus!! Idiot.

I work 3-10pm today. He hasn't been sick for 2 hours now, apparently. They are still sending him to his after school sports club.

Of course I've looked after sick children before. Oh god maybe IBU. My boss is just not a nice man. If he was things might he different.

There will be an absolute scene of vomit waiting for me to clean up, knowing him.

When I catch it, they will not give me time off.

I would not expect a nanny to come in earlier but looking after an ill child during your usual working hours is par for the course. Assuming no special circumstances such as pregnancy/immuno suppresed.

Well, because the boy would have been at school. And he's not. So the dad is at hole with him instead of being at work.

They are still insisting that he should go to his club as it's too important to miss, apparently.

I remember you as well. Cut and Run Fast

After school club as well as a&e? What is wrong with them?

Sending him to a sports club is ridiculous.

If they have left vomit for you to cleanup that is wholly unreasonable.

Presumably the dad wants op in as normally child would be at school and currently can’t go and so needs an adult to look after him

Sorry should have said they shouldn't expect anything extra outside of your working hours. Asking is fine. Being shitty with you about it isn't.
Is cleaning part of your job? If not then I'd refuse to clean it up and state that you are there to fulfil your role of looking after the child.

Actually the only thing that might change it if the express deal when you started was that you were expected to step in to cover when child cannot attend school and were remunerated accordingly. But I assume not.