Why do people get annoyed if I cancel but still pay them the full whack?

[seventhcircleofhellwithafag]

My family and I live quite a spontaneous life. Due to mine and DH's work we're currently based in two countries.

We have a cleaner, a nanny and a personal trainer in each country part-funded by the companies we work for. The companies understand that as part of the spontaneous nature of our work, plans change at the last minute and are out of our control.

Out of respect for the occupations of the people whose services we use when we are in each country, we fix hours per week in advance which they are supposed to work at a (very good) rate. (For e.g. we pay our nannies £20 per hour net.)

Often we can tell them about 24 hours in advance that we won't be there. Regardless of whether we actually make the appointments on the days that we have booked them, we always pay them the full amount that we have booked them for.

Despite this, some of them complain a lot that they don't want to be "sitting around." I am trying to understand this. No-one is forcing them to sit around. If we have given them sufficient warning, then they can find something else to do that they enjoy (while still being paid!) or they can take other work if it's available. Either way is not a lose situation.

I understand that people genuinely enjoy their jobs and want to actually be doing them - of course they do. But if they are unhappy in their job, they have a choice to leave.

Is there something I am not seeing here?

It's not just this nanny. It's a personal trainer last year who got fed up with it and left. I was sad because she was very good. But she just didn't want to "do nothing." This Nanny is making a lot of noise about it but I don't know if she will leave if I give her the choice.

We had a cleaner last year too who complained that she had run out of work. We said we will still pay you, but we still want you available for if we come back (we are a family of five.) She is still very chippy with me about this.

I’m a nanny and I would LOVE this. As long as I have the time blocked off for work I wouldn’t be making plans anyway and having time off is always a bonus. As long as you’re letting them book holiday off and being fair (not asking for last minute holiday changes etc) I don’t see the problem

Where are you, I’ll be your nanny

a. YANBU
b. Your life sounds very glam
c. I need to know what your job is

I’m desperate to know what work you do!

Are you telling them that they can have the whole day off and do whatever they like/go wherever they like? Only reason I can think of for them getting annoyed is if they've misunderstood "We just want them available if we need them" and are waiting around for 8 hours in case you suddenly need them.

Jeez, some people don't know when they're born.

I think it’s value - they don’t feel valued. For most people work isn’t just about the money - if it was they wouldn’t be nannies or personal trainers! These are the most well paid careers! People go into these careers because they love children or love training. You’re just treating them like a commodity. I’d get fed up with it after a while too.

I think if all 3 of them have been disgruntled there may be mroe to this...

*more

I can kind of understand their point of view, it might not just be about the money for them, they might prefer to organise their time with some certainty, maybe they turn things down thinking they've committed to working you only to be cancelled at short notice but not able to do what they wanted at the same short notice iyswim.

The fact that more than one person has said the same thing should make you realise that prehaps they don't want to feel that they are simply at your beck and call rather than, in the case of the nanny, being a valued member of the family. I'd get a bit annoyed too I think

I'd bloody love this .... but then I'm a bit of a lazy cow generally.

RainbowGlitterFairy Some days we give them three days notice. Others 24 hours. Less often, the evening before a day which starts around 10am. It's very rare that they are on their way to our house and ringing the doorbell and we haven't told them. In fact, I think that has only happened once or twice in the last four years.

Sometimes we need the cleaner to wait for a delivery or to do something in particular which takes less time than the time they are booked for. So they still make the journey and back. But they are being paid for all the hours.

Seriously OP it is not you, it is them, barking the lot of them

Wouldn't bother me - I would LOVE to be paid to sit on my arse!

Don’t really see your Nannys problem haha I’m a nanny and as long as I was being paid I wouldn’t care. I mean I would appreciate as much notice as possible when possible but sometimes it’s not

It's about being valued in your work, yes you are being paid to do but if you are made to feel like you don't count as a human being and are simply are service to be called on then , yes, a lot of people would get fed up.

Does the Nanny still come to your house? If so, why?

Really! All your staff complain
Come on people

But Pattistanger they're still getting paid for that time. So the fact that it is unexpectedly free for them should still be a bonus.

I can't think how delighted I'd be - even if I'd already opened the office door - to be told that I wasn't needed that day but was still getting paid. Bliss . Paid employment does mean you are at someone's beck and call for the time they have paid for your services - that's kind of how it works.

Might be tricky for the nanny I suppose as she'll want to have the DCs into his/her own routine and that would be hard if you don't have consistency.

But properlavs there is nothing dehumanising in my behaviour. I always notify them personally and I explain exactly why.

Do you think we are using them?

I’m assuming Nanny isn’t required to be sat in your house all day? But even then tbh as long as I could bring iPad or a book I wouldn’t care.

I have explained it like this, but got a response from a nanny just now saying "I didn't sign up to be sat on my own for eight hours a day." I can't seem to make her understand that she is not in a bad situation

If you are as patronising to her as you sound with that comment, I'm not surprised they don't love you!
Some people actually prefer to work for their money, imagine that. Its not for you to tell her that she has it good: if you took her on to nanny and she is not nannying, she is not doing her job. She is not using her skills and experience and training. She has pride in her work and when she doesn't do it, she is less happy.

Whats so hard to understand about that?

OP,
I don't see the problem, especially with the Cleaner.
I wouldn't have an issue with this at all.