How to write a resignation letter from a nanny job?

[bettina46]

Could you help me, please?
I need a good sample of a resignation letter from a nanny job. I'm in my second job now and I had a problem with leaving my previous employers as I gave them a verbal notice only so I'd like to give a written one this time.
My current job is only a part -time and I'm leaving because the child will start a nursery soon and I found a new, full-time job.
Thank you for your help.

You are right to be giving notice in written form. It can be nicer to do it verbally as well... so talking with them about why you have decided to leave.

How much notice do you need to give? This should be written in your contract/written statement.

You need to give the amount of notice stated in your contract and to give that sufficiently in advance so that you are able to start your new job on the date they wish you to start.

You also probably want to get a written reference from this existing job and leave on reasonable terms, so that verbal references are also possible. Thus if you can do so, talk to your current employer about the situation and aim to leave on good terms.

Your letter to your current employer just needs to go through the facts of the matter. So you could say something like:

I hereby give x weeks advance notice of my intention to leave my employment caring for x as I have decided to change to a full-time nanny job. This would mean that my last working day was xx/xx/2012.

If my P45 has not been generated by my last day of work, can you forward this to my home address as soon as possible. Should my home address change, I will let you know, so that my P60 can be sent to me at the appropriate time.
I have enjoyed caring for x for x years/months and I will miss him/her greatly and hope he/she enjoys starting nursery.

That letter's good Nick, but you don't get a P60 for a job you have left so they don't need a forwarding address for it.

Thank you for your reply. My current employers don't know about my decision yet. They would like me to stay but their son is going to start nursary in September and I know that my working hours would be reduced then. I found a full-time job that will start in August. I've got 4 weeks notice period in my contract but I think I will tell my employers about my plans of leaving them earlier than 4 weeks before I start the new job.
Do you think 8 weeks instead of 4 is OK?

Is the job starting in August another nannying job? If so I would be cautious about burning any bridges until much nearer the time (8 weeks is plenty) - things could change in the next six months that meant you couldn't take that job. If it is something more certain, such as a teaching assistant role that has funding (although as August is in the next financial year even that would be risky at this stage), you could perhaps give them more than that to find someone else (and expect an absolutely glowing reference in return )

Oh yes, should engage brain before posting... P45 would have the figures needed.

I agree, a lot could change between now and August. Whilst I have been known to give a school terms notice, it was risky giving more notice than contractually obligated to give.

Are the new job putting together the contract at this point, or do you have that sorted out already? Is the new job looking like it will be long term?

The new job is a nannying job arranged from a word of mouth. The baby is 5 month old at the moment and his mummy is going back to work in August.
Because I do 4 days a weeek for my current family (Mon to Thurs) I already started working for the new family on Fridays and everything seems to be finel. I've done 3 Fridays so far and they are willing to employ me in full time basis. When do you think I should ask the new family to prepare my contract and sign it?
And another question. My present family chose to go on holiday one week in March and one week in May. I've already told them that I would like to go on holiday on the first two weeks of August. Unfortunately I can't go away in March or May as I have two children on my own who are at school.
The new family is happy to employ me from 15th August. That means that I will have my August holiday period unpaid. Am I right?

You are already working for the new family, so I would have wanted the contract to be done before starting the job ideally. Legally it has to be done within the first 2 months. So the sooner the better - so you know what the terms of your employment are in the job, as a 1 day a week position. Then when it becomes full-time, the contract can be changed to reflect the new circumstances. Currently you have a contract with the family... it's a verbal contract, though could also include correspondence like e-mail and text messages.

What is the arrangement for taking holidays and how much holiday do you get - the contract/written statement should tell you that.
Sounds to me as though 1 weeks in March, 1 week in May, 2 weeks in August would equal 4 weeks. Then there may have been time taken off at Christmas? What about Easter? What about bank/public holidays?

If your last day of work for the current family was Friday 10 August and if your holiday allowance enabled you to take the two weeks 30th July to 10 August off, then I can't see that it would not be paid. It all depends on how much holiday you have already taken this holiday year, plus how much holiday you are entitled to get.

That's a pretty tricky situation you have to manage then: you need to think through what you are going to say when your 4 day family asks how your other job is going, particularly if they know the other mother is currently on ML.