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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Nanny looking for jobs while at work

22 replies

Poppy1234 · 04/01/2013 11:57

Hi Everyone, we have a fabulous nanny who has been with us 14 months and we all adore her. The children have an ipad which is used for their songs, apps etc and our nanny uses it during their nap time etc.

This morning I was using it to google a recipe for the children's dinner and I saw a google search for job sites. I had a quick look at the history and yesterday she spent quite a lot of time looking at job sites (albeit when the children were asleep).

I'm not sure if I should raise it with her or just leave it as it may just have been a case of New Year itchy feet. I was upset at the time as I thought if she wanted to leave she may not be as interested in caring for my children as fully as before but I see no evidence of that.

What would you do? Confront or ignore? It also makes me feel a little edgy that she could say she's leaving at anytime, sometimes ignorance is bliss.

I would love any input/advice you may have.

Thanks so much.

OP posts:

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SPBInDisguise · 04/01/2013 11:59

Have you had any sort of informal review yet? Chat about how's the job going? Are we both happy?

Original poster

Poppy1234 · 04/01/2013 12:10

Yes, we did have a review at the end of her first year and a party to celebrate. She has never indicated she is anything other than entirely happy. She has a new boyfriend and he lives quite far away from where we do so I'm wondering if she is looking for something nearer to him.

It's just very unsettling as I was so confident she was 100% committed to the job and the whole thing makes me question if she loves the children as much as she led me to believe. But then I could be overreacting as I often check out other opportunities at work to keep abreast of the market, I just wouldn't leave the evidence to be discovered.

OP posts:

HeadFairywithacapitalHandF · 04/01/2013 12:13

I look at the jobs market all the time, I don't really want to leave my current job. It could be she just wants to keep an eye on whats out there, what current rates are being offered, any changes in terms and working conditions. It may not be that she's unhappy, just keeping abreast of what's out there.

PoohBearsHole · 04/01/2013 12:16

Or she may have been looking for a friend?

notfarmingatthemo · 04/01/2013 12:29

She may have been looking to see if there are jobs are near him. She may just have been looking to see what it out there for the future. I often used to look to see what jobs were about it didn't mean I wanted to leave. I used to like counting how many nannies one of my old jobs used to get through (12 in 2 years) Don't think it was the nannies.

callaird · 04/01/2013 12:32

I'm very happy in my job. Love my charge to pieces and my bosses are amazing. I still look at jobs!! Friends e-mail and text links to awful sounding jobs!

But if you are worried, I'd ask her. You'll be able to tell by how she reacts!! I'd hate for my boss to look for a new nanny because she thought I was leaving.

Original poster

Poppy1234 · 04/01/2013 12:47

Thanks so much everyone for putting my mind at rest, it's much appreciated. I think I will leave it and just keep an eye on things. Part of me thinks if she was seriously looking for a new job she wouldn't have looked at work or would have deleted the history so it may well have been a bit of internet browsing at lunchtime that she didn't give a second thought to. A problem shared is definitely a problem halved.

OP posts:

scoobychocolate · 04/01/2013 13:36

Im a nanny and have been for nearly twenty years, I also like to stay with my families for as long as possible but I'm always looking at other jobs and childcare websites not because I want to leave and start a new job but to just keep up with what is out there, or sometimes i have been looking for other nanny friends who are looking for work and also cause I'm a bit nosey too lol.

Blondeshavemorefun · 04/01/2013 15:14

as other nannies have said we often all look at jobs, not coz we are unhappy in our current job but just to see whats about/look for friends/click on links for terrible jobs we have seen through other forums etc

where the jobs she was looking at in your area or other ie boyfriends

we do love our charges, or we would be in the wrong job - but in the end nannies do have to think about theirselves and their own lives so if a job came up that was say a lot better pay for less hours/or nearer home/nearer their partner then they may chose to move jobs

it isnt a reflection on you as a employer or the lack of love and care they have for your children

personally i like to stay in jobs till youngest goes to school 4/5years and be part of the family but in the end she has been there for a year and some nannies (and other employees) do swap jobs/get promoted etc and no one thinks bad of them

children are very resilient and if you or another mum on here needs to find new childcare whether nanny/cm/nursery then your child will be ok and adapt :)

andrea29 · 04/01/2013 16:33

I am also a nanny and often have a look at the job market just to see what is out there. And I am perfectly happy at my job and don't intend to leave. So it's probably nothing to worry about.

ConfusedPixie · 04/01/2013 18:46

Another nanny who looks at jobs even though I'm perfectly happy in mine! I go on to check one, then just browse the market for a while. I'm dreading leaving mine, hoping that my bosses in one job keep me on if their son doesn't end up going to school and that my other bosses have a baby so that I can stay when their little one goes to nursery

confused66 · 05/01/2013 12:22

Exactly the same thing happened to me. At the time, I wasn't working because I had left my job and was looking for another one so I decided that if she was planning on leaving, anyway, I'd save myself some money and ask her to leave straight away and I did. I did explain to her why and she swore she was looking just out of curiosity. She ended up going back to her old job that offered very poor conditions, just because she would rather have 'the devil you know' so she was telling the truth.

In any case, I would definitely talk to her, a good nanny is worth a lot, I've had so many crappy ones, so I would try to find out if she is happy, and if there is something she is not happy about discuss it and try to find a solution.

Mosman · 06/01/2013 06:47

I have seen people fired for less tbh. If she's looking for a car or a new sofa fair enough but to use your employers time and internet access to job hunt is taking the piss tbh.

nannynick · 06/01/2013 08:18

Confused66, you mean you made the job redundant, resulting in her being given notice.

Looking for a job is not illegal activity, so if an employer has given permission for their employee to use the Internet during working hours, dismissing them for using the Internet I feel may be tricky. Doing illegal things on the Internet is different.

Mosman · 06/01/2013 08:23

In the first year Nick, nothing is "tricky"

nannynick · 06/01/2013 08:28

True Mosman, subject to notice being given or pay in lieu of notice. Instant dismissal without pay is always tricky in my view.

nbee84 · 06/01/2013 08:56

Yet another nanny here who keeps a close eye on the job market. It really is just me being nosey. I've been in my job for 18 months and have no intention of leaving.

smilingthroughgrittedteeth · 07/01/2013 10:29

Also a nanny who regularly looks at job sites, I love my job and have no intention of leaving even though both of my charges are now at school.

I sometimes look for friends and sometimes just because I'm nosy but mostly I look for babysitting or temp work during my al or days off also like someone else I find it interesting and sad to see how many nannies my ex family are going through since I left (last year they advertised 5 times)

Occasionally I see a job closer to home with better hours and more money and I'm tempted for all of 5mins before I remember how much I love my job, charges and bosses.

confused66 · 08/01/2013 09:30

Nannynick. She didn't have my consent to use the internet, in fact I specifically told her not to use my laptop. She did have permission to use another computer outside working hours. In any case, I wouldn't dismiss a good nanny for that reason. I would give her a verbal warning but I understand we are all human, and it's very tempting to do personal things when the boss is not around.

I wasn't really planning on making the job redundant, I was planning on keeping her because I was looking for another job and I was going to need her when I found one. But when I realised that she was looking for another job, I didn't see the point on holding onto her if she was planning on leaving anyway, so I decided to give her notice anyway and to look for another nanny once I'd found a job.

Reinette · 10/01/2013 19:42

Another nanny here who is completely happy at her job but is also guilty of browsing job websites regularly Like others have said, I like to keep an eye on the market, see what other job requirements are, and to have a laugh at the nutty postings some parents put up - but there is NOTHING that would ever lure me away from my current family. Glad to hear your mind is more settled, OP; I really do think you'd have had other signs from her if she were really considering moving on (and, like you said, she wouldn't have been hunting while at work).

JustFabulous · 10/01/2013 20:32

After reading this thread I thought I would go on the The Lady website to look at jobs. I used to be a nanny in a previous life.

This wasn't one of mine but made me laugh.

LIVE-IN WEEKEND NANNY/HOUSEKEEPER (FRIDAY - MONDAY)

I need a mum to work live-in Friday-Monday to help look after 3 incredible children. Need an obsessively tidy housekeeper who adores playing with children between the ages of 4 and 9 (+ dog). Incredibly hard working and trustworthy with a big heart. To facilitate and support the parents during busy full-on, energetic weekends. Only the best need apply.

Mimishimi · 11/01/2013 09:24

Everyone looks at job ads for their industry don't they? I know I do as does my husband. If our employers got upset and started worrying that maybe we didn't love our projects quite enough even if we still did a good job at them, it would be quite awkward. Her job is to take good care of your children, it's yours to love them.

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