Advice pls - how to handle a nannies holiday request

[howdidthishappenthen]

Hi. We have a great nanny with us in her first year as our employ. We are London based. She gets 20 days holiday and the usual bank holidays. She has take 16 days so far, and had pre booked the 28/29/30 Dec, to return to work on the 3rd. On the 3rd she was to travel with us to Dorset to work the rest of that week with us in our holiday home.

She has just told me that she has booked the return coach trip from her new year break as an overnight 12-hour bus, arriving into London at 6.30am on the 3rd, and so she doesn't think she'll be able to work on that day. Annoying at the short notice, but not a disaster. However, we are planning on travelling as a group from London to Dorset on the 3rd, so if she doesn't work this day, we would now be leaving without her. Do I say tough, you didn't book the 3rd so you have to work (and would she really be in a fit state to look after 2 kids anyway?) or do I say she can have the 3rd if she wants it, but she has to get herself to our place in Dorset by 10am on the 4th at her own expense? Or maybe a compromise is that we leave for Dorset at 2pm and she gets to go home for a couple of hours to sleep, change etc, and takes it as a half-day?

What seems most fair on everyone?

(BTW have also agreed a trade with her that she gets an extra days' holiday as recompense for the inconvenience of working away from home for 4 days, so that's covered)

Maybe she has spent all her money on presents for her family and the cheapest way to travel back was on this date for a twelve hour trip -she is probably embarrassed to tell you

oh FGS that is so totally irrelevant.

Honestly -what is going on here? The nanny was due back at work on a particular day and then announced that had booked her ticket to arrive back at a time which meant she probably could no longer work on that day. Without checking with her employer, which is plain courteous to do. NOt the crime of the century but the OP is not obliged to make excuses for her either.

OP if you're not actually working that day, I assume the new holiday year starts 1 Jan. SO, if she doesn't come down she's taken a day's holiday. She can either come with you on the 3rd, as Karolann says, or take the train. It won't be £100. I would personally feel like a bit of an idiot if I'd done this and not expect someone to pay for me - OP your nanny may even offer.

This is not an au pair, this is a professional nanny.

i have flown and travelled over night and arrived at gatwick at 5am after a 3hr delay and been at work at 8am - knackering but my mb needed to work that day and was a work day therefore i turned up and went to bed very early that monday night

Quite frankly, as a childcare professional, I would never not go to work without there being a seriously good reason. Just because I couldn't arrange my travel correctly is not a good enough reason.

I think you are being very reasonable in changing your travel plans by leaving later, so it is therefore up to her to accept your compromise or get herself to Dorset by 10am next day. I definitely would not expect for you to be buying a train ticket.

It makes no difference of her age, she is an employee and she has obligations. If OP and she had already agreed she would have certain dates off, then surely she should get herself home and ready to work in suitable time - like every other employee should.