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AIBU?

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Original poster

Using ( not resident) nanny during lockdown?

295 replies

Ladyinamask · 05/05/2020 02:00

So found out today my SIL and BIL are still having the nanny take care of their children . Nanny does not live with them btw.
I am rather horrified but not completely surprised they do this. Not key workers but both highly paid and quite frankly extremely arogent at the best if times.
They live in a rather nice part of West London by the river so hardly a remote hamlet with no known covid cases nearby.
Is this against the rules or is everyone still doing this?

OP posts:
CloudsCanLookLikeSheep · 05/05/2020 06:41

Well people can still go to work when the work cannot be done from home, so that could include nannying.

No different from other non essential jobs where people still work in a workplace.

8by8 · 05/05/2020 06:51

People are allowed to work. The rules have never banned people using nannies. We furloughed ours as we don’t need her while all at home, but if we were both working she’d still be coming in.

NannyR · 05/05/2020 06:53

I'm a live out nanny and still working, the parents are key workers and the kids are at less risk having one person come into their home than they are mixing with a group of children and adults at two separate childcare settings.

Malysh · 05/05/2020 06:55

Not in the UK but my son's nanny still comes. Situation is a bit different in that I'm a single parent and heavily pregnant and I really need the rest. Before that I was working from home.

If they're both still wfh they cannot do that without the nanny (or at least it'd be extremely challenging). They also may not want to disturb the kid's routine more than necessary.

Flamingolingo · 05/05/2020 06:57

I think this is up to the individuals involved. It’s not against the rules, and is much lower risk than someone working in a supermarket coming into contact with hundreds and hundreds of people a day. If they’re all happy with the arrangement I can’t see a problem. But we have had builders in and out through lockdown trying to get out house habitable as it wasn’t at the start of lockdown

Ullupullu · 05/05/2020 06:57

This is against the rules as she is non resident so they are increasing risk by mixing two households.

Not much you can do or say though. Just keep your judgement to yourself. Even though you're right, they are selfish idiots

RedAzalea · 05/05/2020 06:59

Rules? Lol there are no r UK les here, merely guidelines

And she’s working ffs! It’s her workplace..... many of us have continued to work in one form or another all along!!

RedAzalea · 05/05/2020 07:00

*rules

hiddenmnetter · 05/05/2020 07:00

This is against the rules as she is non resident so they are increasing risk by mixing two households.

No, it's not. My wife and I are both key workers. Should we not use childcare for our 1yo DD? Or should we just lock her in her high chair with enough food and water on her plate and then walk out the door? If people still need childcare (i.e.: still working) then it's not against the rules to get their childcare..

Onlymewhereareyou · 05/05/2020 07:02

She can't nanny when not in the house, so she has to go there. Hopefully as they've remained safe so far, it will pass without them getting CV.

Your post does seem like you don't like them so this may be clouding your judgement, it's more that you're annoyed than you're concerned for their health.

maddening · 05/05/2020 07:02

The nanny is allowed to continue to work, yabu

daisypond · 05/05/2020 07:02

It is fine and completely within the rules:

“If you provide paid-for childcare in a child’s home, you can go to your place of work - this is in line with Government guidance that you can travel to work if working from home is not possible. However, it is important that you take as many precautions as possible in line with Public Health England guidance.”

Ullupullu · 05/05/2020 07:03

@hiddenmnetter the OP has said the parents in question are NOT keyworkers. Your situation is clearly different

SuperDuperJezebel · 05/05/2020 07:04

I am a nanny, I'm still going to work. I'm following the legal guidelines.

"12. Can I travel to someone’s house to look after children?
If you provide paid-for childcare in a child’s home, you can go to your place of work - this is in line with Government guidance that you can travel to work if working from home is not possible. However, it is important that you take as many precautions as possible in line with Public Health England guidance..."
(Source: www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do#can-i-travel-to-someones-house-to-look-after-children Section 12).

SuperDuperJezebel · 05/05/2020 07:07

Cross posted with @daisypond there!

daisypond · 05/05/2020 07:07

@Ullupullu
It doesn’t matter whether the parents are key workers or not. It’s irrelevant. All live-out nannies can go to work.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 05/05/2020 07:10

This is the problem - it's obvious from the actual guidance cited that this is fine, but so many people are quick to judge based on confused understanding of what they think the rules are/should be.

Did you go on gov.uk to check before starting your thread, OP, or did you just decide that because you don't like your relatives, they were bound to be doing something wrong?

Ullupullu · 05/05/2020 07:12

Ah right one rule for the rich another for the normals then. Many many people are WFH with no childcare at all because nurseries are closed and no grandparents to fall back on either. But if you have a nanny... FFS

DreamingofSunshine · 05/05/2020 07:12

I thought there had been further guidance that nannies can travel to their place of work? They come under the category of not being able to work from home.

MelancholyMoper · 05/05/2020 07:13

Little green eyed monster there?

Onlymewhereareyou · 05/05/2020 07:17

@Ullupullu how many children and carers are in a nursery compared to the amount that this one nanny is minding?

The risks are greatly reduced, you may be angry that anyone with a nanny is deemed rich, but the situations are different.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 05/05/2020 07:20

Ah right one rule for the rich another for the normals then.

Yeah, all those wealthy nannies who selfishly insist on continuing to go to work despite the fact that they could obviously put their feet up and live off the interest on their savings. Hmm

If it is not possible to WFH, it is fine to travel to your place of work. Do please explain how a nanny should work from home.

daisypond · 05/05/2020 07:20

Ah right one rule for the rich another for the normals then.
I do understand the point, but the difference is that nurseries are childcare settings, and these care for many children in close proximity and have been closed. Grandparents aren’t employed, so aren’t going to work. Nannies are like everyone else - they go to work if they can’t work from home.

Yelllow · 05/05/2020 07:23

You sound jealous 😂

hawai40 · 05/05/2020 07:23

Wow what a nasty post OP. As everyone else has pointed out this is within the guidelines. To add specifically that social distancing is also only required where possible.

Keeping or not keeping your nanny in work is a highly personal decision, balancing all the risks. We have three young children and self isolated at the beginning for two weeks (in line with guidelines) because one of them had a temperature. Trying to look after them, teach and work two full time jobs (ie12-14 hour day jobs) from home nearly broke us.

We discussed carefully with our nanny who was hugely bored at home and loved with one person on furlough and she has returned.

Whether or not you like your SIL DB a huge part of protecting the vulnerable and the NHS now and in the coming decades comes through people paying taxes (austerity is estimated to have contributed to the deaths of 130,000). From your post I imagine your SIL and DB pay rather a lot of that (including the tax on their nanny pay from their net pay) so I applaud them for that.