Expecting nanny to come in whilst they are on holiday

[pezza15]

My friend is a nanny and the parents are off on holiday in August for two weeks and have hinted that perhaps my friend should go to their house whilst they are away to “do a few bits” - meaning batch cooking etc.

Taking the piss or what???????

I think a lot of people take it easy when their boss is away, but this nanny (or her friend) is objecting to being asked to turn up at all!

twattymctwatterson

"So they are paying her, she isn't on annual leave and you think they're being cheeky by asking her to do some actual work? hmm"

^This.

Errr I also don't know anyone who's stops working when their boss is away! Maybe you don't rush if you're a few minutes late but there's always work that needs doing.

Where do you work Gwenhwyfar and do they have any jobs going!??

It make no difference to me whether my boss is at work or not. You wouldn’t last long in my team if you were that kind of slacker.

No, the only one taking the piss is you oops I meant “ your friend.”
What a lazy cow with a poor attitude to think they should be paid to do shit all because they weren’t taken on a paid hoilday - that’s the real issue, isn’t it?

When I go on holiday I tell my nanny that she can also take that time off as holiday and not deduct it from her own holiday entitlement. However, if I needed her to go in while I was away I would expect her to do so unless she took holiday

Sounds pretty straightforward to me. These are paid working days, so she works.

It depends what her usual duties are. If she usually cooks and cleans for the children as part of her working week, then yes it's reasonable to expect her to come in and do some of those tasks while the family are away. But not a full working week's worth of cleaning and cooking, unless her job description is actually housekeeper / cleaner. If she usually does a couple of hours cooking and cleaning a day then that's fair to ask her to do the same while they're away. But you can't suddenly expect her to do a deep clean of the house or do tasks she wouldn't normally do, just because the kids are away. It would be like asking your doctor to give you a quick haircut because they didn't have anyone else in the waiting room at that moment.

What a rediculous comment. I’m fairly sure you are not paying your doctor’s wages?

Of course she/he needs to work, and they can get on with whatever the employer wants them to do as long as it is within their skill range. I’m fairly sure cleaning / cooking would be easy enough for most people.

A contract usually says something along the lines of “and anything else that we require you to do”

It's funny how people have different attitudes to stuff.

I must have a great work ethic at the moment, I'm a swim teacher, my pupils have finished but I'm still paid so I go in and pootle around tidying cupboards, doing a bit of admin, having a little swim. I'm on cloud nine cos I'm not really working, yet I'm getting paid as if I am.
That's the same thing, not the doctor comparison.

I think a lot of people you know are lying to you then because I can assure you that in many offices when the bosses are away staff can take it very easy

So do jobs no longer need doing? Clients disappear for the duration? Does the business just close?! I wish mine did, we all work just as hard when the boss is away as when they are here.

I don't see my boss more than a few times a year, but I certainly don't take it easy when he's not there. In fact I usually end up with more work, as he's away and so I get asks that should have gone to him, as well as my own work.

I don't think you can expect a nanny to do proper cleaning (although tidying and sorting toys and children's bedrooms is fine). Batch cooking for children's meals also fine.

Are they paying her whilst they are in holiday? If they are not, they are being very cheeky, if they are then she cod do some chores.

"A contract usually says something along the lines of “and anything else that we require you to do"

It has to be reasonable. Nannies usually do light housework connected to the children only so cleaning the whole house would not be included.

"Clients disappear for the duration? "

Lots of people don't work for clients (like the OP). It obviously depends on the kind of work you do and what level you're at. In some places the work tends to come through the boss so if they're away you might not have anything, or they might tend to be away at quiet times. Alternatively, the work might come to you directly or you have accumulated work but you can decide on the speed at which you do it and take it very easy if you want to.

She won’t be on annual leave herself - she takes her leave separate to theirs.

So what's the issue?

If my boss takes 2 weeks off and I am not on leave, I still do my job.

So should she.