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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think if you have a nanny....

118 replies

HarrietKettleWasHere · 11/12/2017 14:48

And say, she's contracted to work for 8 hours a day, on a salary and not an hourly rate, but you come home on occasion 15-30 minutes early, and say 'feel free to go!' Or, if she says 'is there anything else I can do for you?' And you say 'no, all fine, see you tomorrow!'

Would you then tell her that you are going to be taking those 'early finishes' from her final payslip?

What about if the contract says '1 nights babysitting shift per week of approx 3 hours, to be agreed in advance. However sometimes we may not use these'.

Would you then expect to subtract the weeks not used, even if the nanny was available to babysit, against the holiday the nanny has outstanding?

OP posts:
Original poster
HarrietKettleWasHere · 11/12/2017 15:55

expat I remember you saying that they were cunts. Totally turned out to be true! Wish I'd never given her the benifit of the doubt about her just being too busy and stressed to do things properly. Knew leaving wouldn't be simple. They've got the next one on far less pay, weekly not salaried, (as they say she's a 'junior' nanny) and on a six week trial period.

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 11/12/2017 15:58

Bet they burn through nannies like loo roll.

mustbemad17 · 11/12/2017 15:59

She can't go against that contract. If it doesn't say that early finishes will be deducted, she can go jump. Similarly if it says she will pay your phone bill, she damn well has to pay it.

I'd email her back very calmly & matter of factly & say simply that 'as per the contract' you are owed x amount for the month. On top of that you are then owed x amount holiday, as per the contract and if it states about overtime, whack that in there. Just keep reiterating as per the contract we both signed

Get in touch with ACAS too just for some advice to start with. Some families totally abuse their Nannies - I had some horrific families!!

Hissy · 11/12/2017 16:03

Bet they burn through nannies like loo roll.

Poor kids! forever attaching, detaching and reattaching to people in their lives

Original poster
HarrietKettleWasHere · 11/12/2017 16:04

Bloody loaded they are as well.

But I know she's being chased for unpaid tax and driving fines that she deems unfair so she's no stranger to simply not paying up.

OP posts:
Original poster
HarrietKettleWasHere · 11/12/2017 16:06

The kid was the only good but about the job- and funnily enough they always said I was an amazing nanny (just crap at all the other stuff they got me to do, apparently)

OP posts:
stevie69 · 11/12/2017 16:08

No and No.

MomToWedThorFriday · 11/12/2017 16:09

I had a nanny once and when I came home early I always told her she could go. She never would she never did which was really irritating but I always paid the full day! Didn’t occur to me not to. 🤔

Ceto · 11/12/2017 16:16

I'd say in legal terms that they certainly can't dock pay for the occasional early finish that they've suggested/agreed to. However, the wording of the clause around babysitting doesn't necessarily suggest that they have to pay for that, because they do have that get-out statement that they won't necessarily use it.

Having said that, if they've paid the babysitting evenings to date, they can't suddenly backtrack and say that it wasn't payable after all and therefore they can deduct the relevant payments. How would that work if you weren't leaving?

hyperspacebug · 11/12/2017 16:18

It was upsetting to read the post (myself as employer of nanny), just no no. I'm pretty sure they are breaking rules. You have set aside and committed your available time to them that could be used elsewhere.

MentholBreeze · 11/12/2017 16:25

Was there no clause around holiday - ie they get to direct half and you get to direct half? That's pretty standard isn't it? If there is, then you could use that to leverage something out of them.

MrsKoala · 11/12/2017 16:26

That's outrageous. We have a nanny who covers the late nights DH works. She isn't contracted, but works on an ad hoc hourly rate. Sometimes dh randomly comes home early or works from home so we tell her to go home early. It never crossed our minds to not pay her the hours we had arranged. It's not her fault that we change our plans.

We realised what shysters other employers were to her when last year she offered us her tax rebate. She said all her other employers had expected it back as they paid her tax. We said not to be daft, we paid £x per hour for her services, it didn't matter to us whether she had it or HMRC did as it was what we agreed to pay so it made no difference. If she didn't earn enough to pay tax (because of all her charity work - the lazy do-gooding cow!) then she gets to keep it.

Hold firm OP. I hate employers like this. Unfortunately a lot of people see employing a Nanny as doing them a bit of a favour. Letting them look after their precious children in their lovely house etc, so they feel they shouldn't really need to pay that much. Just look at some of the ads for Nannies out there on Gumtree or similar.

Original poster
HarrietKettleWasHere · 11/12/2017 16:27

No clauses around holiday. The issue is I hardly took any, and so they need to reflect that in my final pay, but she's trying to wriggle out of it by claiming she can deduct from it for times I didn't babysit/left early.

OP posts:
Original poster
HarrietKettleWasHere · 11/12/2017 21:13

Definately did get that vibe from them MrsKoala. I thought I landed on my feet with that job at first Confused

OP posts:
TheOtherGirl · 11/12/2017 21:33

That's ridiculous. Do some people really think like that?

Our cleaner arrived this morning, which clashed with us having workmen in re-fitting our en suite, so she couldn't clean it or our bedroom, or landing and stairs.

So, I told her to just do a couple of hours, but still paid her for her usual three hours. Wouldn't occur to me not to.

I think people who are tight like your employers are always mean spirited and begrudging in every other facet of their lives. They are to be pitied nasty twats

mousemoose · 11/12/2017 21:45

The stupid thing is, the nicer, more respectful, fairer and more generous we have been to childcare, the greater they have been to us back - like my husband says, why would you EVER shortchange the person you leave alone in your house with your kids?!? Acas for sure, plus phone billing, and holiday days and anything else.

mousemoose · 11/12/2017 21:46

Plus what theothergirl said

MrsKoala · 11/12/2017 21:46

The problem with people like this is they are ‘employers’, they don’t run companies and see your contribution in business terms. They are just people who have had a baby and want someone to look after them while they work. They don’t really want a nanny. They’ve just worked out they need one, and they resent it. At first, on paper the sums add up. But then when the money starts really leaving the account it gets real and they start thinking ‘is this very easy job worth this?’ And ‘shouldn’t they be grateful I’ve let them sit in my house and eat a biscuit occasionally - I really am very generous’. And it starts chipping away.

I love our Nannies. As do the children (one is now in our wills as the person the children would go to if anything happened to us and she would be financially looked after). But we are under no illusions this is a job, they are professionals and they have bills to pay and a life of their own.

MrsKoala · 11/12/2017 21:47

Are NOT ‘employers’

Original poster
HarrietKettleWasHere · 11/12/2017 21:52

I certainly know now why they said they'd 'had rotten luck with nannies not being committed long term' at my interview.

They seemed lovley at first...

OP posts:
sashh · 12/12/2017 05:53

Do contact ACAS, they can then act as go between and tell your ex exploiter (not going to call them employer) their legal duties.

mathanxiety · 12/12/2017 06:25

They are trying to screw you.

Go to ACAS.

RavingRoo · 12/12/2017 06:27

Threaten legal action. A possible ccj might cause her to see things clearly

MaverickSnoopy · 12/12/2017 06:43

No no no no no! These people are cunts. I have never used that word.

Deductions can only be made if it's stated in the contract. My advice is to look this up on the government website and email this to her with the link. Then list everything you expect to be paid in your final pay as a breakdown. I wouldn't necessarily address each and every one of her points because I think she'll keep saying but but but. Let me know if you need help with the email, I've taken on lots of challenging types and succeeded. I agree about calling acas.

RavingRoo · 12/12/2017 06:46

Threaten legal action. A possible ccj might cause her to see things clearly