Nannies Do you care for a child who has a contagious illness?

[Xmastreat]

Hi, i would please like some advise on whether any other nannies has cared for a child who was ill with a contagious childhood illness, i.e chickenpox, congitvitus?
I know that children are more prone to catch the illness to an adult but there is of course the risk of an adult also becoming ill with contact.
Is there any agreement or procedures to follow?

Thanks

As a parent I'd expect the advantage of hiring a nanny is that if my child is sick she/he will still be cared for. I would simply need to cover when my nanny is sick him/herself. At a nursery, my child would not be able to go in, but otherwise would be able to go in every day regardless of staff sickness. I wouldn't be best pleased if my nanny refused to come to work when my child is sick and would consider it as an unauthorised absence which would have to be taken unpaid or as a day's holiday.

With regards to the illnesses you mention, conjunctivitis is contagious but if due care and attention is taken to handwashing, there's no reason why you should catch it. Most adults have had chicken pox or will test immune.

Yes.

1 of the things with contagious illness is that if you've spent the last couple of days with the child if you're going to come down with it then you've probably got it in your system already.

Yes the only illness I would not cover is diarrhea and vomiting because they would deem me unfit to work for 48 hours making me lose money but conjunctivitis and chicken pox are fine.

btw nurseries now accept children with conjunctivitis

Yes.Its one of the advantages of having a nanny. I've watched children with chicken pox,mumps,tonsilitus,conjunctivitis,sickness bug etc

If I hired a nanny the whole reason would be to cover exactly this sort of eventuality. Clearly if the child was so sick that they were in hosital that'd be different but ordinary childhood illnesses should IMO be part and pacel of being a nanny. I'd be mighty peed off if my child had D&V or conjunctivitis and the nanny refused to work (especially since the HPA says no need to excluse kids with conjunctivitis from school or nursery)

Refusing to care for a child that is ill is likely to be a breach of contract worthy of summary dismissal i.e. no notice or pay in lieu, unless the nanny is pregnant or has another health concern which the employer has a duty to take into account.

As a childcare professional you should be able to take precautions to mitigate the risk of infection.

Really Mythinyear - I also care for children with sickness bugs as I know I probably already have the virus.

If you reverse it though and you ring the parents to tell them you've been vomiting and you've got diarrhea the you go to work and pass it on to the entire family they would be really annoyed with me.

When I worked in a nursery I rang in to say I couldn't come in that day because I had been vomiting my manager said you cant come in for 48 hours so though it had completely gone that day I still lost 2 days pay even though Id caught it from the nursery.

I wouldn't go in if I was actively sick (saying that I am live in) but that wouldn't stop me looking after my charges if they were ill.

Does it not Wrk out much the same for parents they either take time off when there child has d & v or take the same amount of time off when nanny off. No win situation

See the main plus point with a nanny is unless we really, really can't go to work then we do. I know countless nannies including myself who despite being ill or only a day after a Vomiting bug who will still come into work and work - even if we do have a "duvet day"

Yep I do.

Conjunctivitus, chicken pox, sickness, all of it! Have had tons of colds and chesty things but not needed time off

I have contracted the norovirus from my charges, but that only meant one day off work

If my nanny is sick, I pay her. She's looked after DS when he was still in the dodgy period for d&v but if he's particular rough I'll try and get home early or work at home to make things a bit easier.

I would.csre for a child with a contagious illness yes...when it comes to d & v if it's that bad its un.ikely I'd even make the 1/2 hour it takes me to travel to work .... I had it couple of weeks ago, quite mild and gave my boss the option of me going in. She chose to let me stay at home!

*care