Who is in the wrong here?

[IceAndASlice123]

Ella regularly babysits for Mark and is always paid for 3 hours work.
Yesterday, Marks adult brother, Tony, was at home. Mark told Ella she could leave the child with Tony if it went past her finish time.
About an hour in, Tony says he will take over the childcare from Ella. Ella says she can stay until her finish time but Tony insists.
Ella takes the money for the full shift despite only doing under half of it (Money is left in the kitchen ).
Who is in the wrong here? Should Mark be annoyed?

I think don’t give any money back and stop babysitting for Mark if he doesn’t apologise (not worth the atmosphere or aggro). I wouldn’t bother following it up with him either.

As a mother i’d Want to give the babysitter the full amount as good babysitters are gold dust. However, as a babysitter I would probably have taken less money out of fairness to Mark.

Ella was booked for 3 hours but if it was me, I would have only taken the money for the hours worked.

I think you should have stayed. When Mark left, he knew Tony was there and he told you that you could leave the DCs with Tony if it was past your finish time. If he'd wanted to leave his DCs with Tony after an hour, that's what he would have said.
I'd be annoyed if I was Mark and it wouldn't be about the money. It would be able the fact I thought you were responsible for my DCs and you left them with someone else. Regardless of whether Tony watched them at other times or was going to be watching them at the end of the night. That wasn't what Mark wanted to happen for those three hours and he's your employer and their father. I'd be annoyed with Tony too.

Booked for three hours, paid for three hours.

Reliable childcare is valuable so Mark would be foolish to upset you over this or he may find you aren't available next time.

OP you should not give the money back because you were booked by Mark and forced to leave by Tony.

A very awkward position, not of your own making.

I don't see why Mark is annoyed at you. Though if were possible maybe you could have sent a text? Otherwise what choice did you really have?

If Mark ever wants Ella to babysit again he should keep quiet. He booked her for 3 hours, he should pay for 3 hours. Try hiring a function room 6 to midnight, and decide to finish at 9 and ask to just pay half see how far you get.

That wasn't what Mark wanted to happen for those three hours and he's your employer and their father.

Someone who uses the services of a babysitter is not their employer. Just like when you use a cleaner or gardener or even hairdresser you are not their employer.

Mark needs to do some reading around sunk costs. He is in exactly in the same position as if you had worked three hours as planned. He is no worse off, and the fact you left early is entirely down to Tony. The only thing you could possibly have done differently is to text him, but you haven’t done anything wrong. He was clearly happy for Tony to be in charge of his child and trusts him.

Take a deep breath, stand firm and tell him he books, he pays, and you don’t appreciate being treated like this. Good luck. 💐

You are absolutely right - you we’re booked, had set the time aside and so you should have been paid for all of it. Reserving that time meant you couldn’t earn elsewhere. Your email was perfect. He is being a CF. Continue to assert yourself 🙂🙂🙂

Mark has asked Ella to stay for 3 hours to unless she had permission from Mark to leave the children in Tony's care ahead of the 3-hours she should not have left. She should have insisted back to Tony that she can only take direction from Tony.

There are plenty of services where you would be expected to pay in full if you cancel at less than 24 hours notice, let alone cancel an hour already into that person's time. Of course she/you should be paid for the agreed shift, regardless of whether you were sent home early.

Mark and Tony are in the wrong here.
Mark booked Ella for 3 hours and left the money. Not Ella’s fault Tony told her to go.
He has booked Ella’s time and then someone other than the ‘employer’ decides she is not needed. Ella could have been earning money elsewhere but Mark booked her and she didn’t let him down!!
If he booked a taxi and cancelled, he’d have to pay. There are many establishments that will charge if you let them down less than 24 or 48 hours in advance. Somebody else could take that slot.
It’s the same with Ella’s time !!

Ella turned up expecting to do a three hour shift. She should be paid for this length of work. Mark wouldn’t appreciate it if Ella announced when she arrived that she need to leave after an hour would he? Which would be kind of the equivalent of him not paying her for three hours. It is a regular agreement so they should both be prepared for a three hour shift and pay for it accordingly. It’s not Ella’s fault that his brother was there and sent he home!

Mark has asked Ella to stay for 3 hours to unless she had permission from Mark to leave the children in Tony's care ahead of the 3-hours she should not have left. She should have insisted back to Tony that she can only take direction from Tony.

Should have said Mark at the end!! (not Tony)

Ella is right

Is it a cash in hand type arrange or a formal contract. If it’s the latter you were entitled to the whole money. Unless he insisted you watch them all play Minecraft which would have been totally pointless. I’m guessing if you stay later he pays you more too? If it was an informal payment then I personally would have just taken what I worked but that’s me just being honest. I am a people pleaser thought and don’t like confrontation and do let people walk all over me.

You're overthinking this. At worst a misunderstanding and you offer to stay an extra hour next time for no extra charge. No need to reimburse hard cash

Mark told Ella she could leave the child with Tony
Is there another child or is Mark saying to leave himself with Tony? Confused.

It depends if you think your reaction will sour the working relationship beyond repair or not. Assuming you still want the work.

I would do one of the following:

a) say sorry for the misunderstanding but as you were booked for 3 hours and not cancelled with notice, you should be paid for the full 3 hours regardless.

b) return half the money and then advise that in future, if you are not cancelled with at least 24 hours notice, you will require the full pay because you have already given up the full time.

If you think option A will result in him not using your services again and you really don't want to lose the job, do B. If you think he's gonna continue using you anyway and you want to be more assertive, do A.

Mark is behaving like a sick and Ella is completely in the right

*dick

I think you were fine taking the money. I'm not sure why Mark is annoyed. What did he actually say? If he wants to get iffy with someone it should've been his brother for getting involved. I bet Mark wouldn't be impressed if he got sent home from work early and not paid because someone else who could step in just happened to be there. Or was he just hacked off because he wishes you'd checked it was ok with him out of respect?

Sometimes I cancel my dog walker only the day before as I decide to work from home at the last minute. But I still pay her as I’d booked her. And she hasn’t worked at all!

You did right to take the money.

OP - the more I think about it, the more I think Tony was hoping you’d take half the money and he could pocket the rest himself. He has ‘grassed you up’ as one poster put it because he’s sore that he effectively babysat for free, having believed he’d get the money that was originally yours.

This. Tony is on the take and his brother just can't see it so is taking this out on the OP. It's such a shame that we're now so inured to zero hours culture that we think it is OK not to pay people when we have booked their time, whether or not we then chose to use it. Businesses will charge cancellation fees for services not used - the OP can do the same.