Nanny and internet access

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We have a new nanny. She's great. We'd like to keep her. However, I'm not sure if this is a normal request or not - she asked today if she could have our WIFI key as she'd like to access the internet on her ipad during her lunchbreak - her mobile phone is out of range at our house.

In the contract, it expressly prohibits accessing the internet during work time. She has signed the contract. However, I don't want to be unreasonable. My gut feeling is to say no, but really not sure how to say so without sounding like a nit-picky, miserable employer. Any thoughts?

Agency contracts are rarely 'gold standard'. Not are payroll agency ones. If you think something is unreasonable in a contract and you wouldn't agree to it than chances are your nanny won't either. Very few template contracts will be ready to go - most need a bit if tweaking to take your circumstances into account.

I think you're actually being fairly sensible about this - it's just that your contract isn't!

Thanks all! We've provided the wifi code and will be reviewing that contract!

It's less likely you'd need to worry about this with a professional nanny than say with an au pair.

Our au pair last year was constantly on her computer during working time at the start of the year; we had to ask her to pack it in. It doesn't mean the situation was dangerous, it did mean she wasn't so engaged with certain things we would have liked her to be and also failed to get other stuff done. So, I wouldn't say that trusim (if you trust her with your kids, etc) is necessarily one to go by (that it couldn't pose an issue even though you fundamentally trust someone.)

I do think that perceptions of what is too much time on line may vary from generation to generation (our last few APs were born in the 90s!!!) and individual people. So just give her the key but like anything don't make an assumption of what woudl be "normal" for her; just tell her what you feel most comfortable with when the kids are around.

My "au pair" (although she is probably closer to a live-in nanny these days as she has grown into the job in the time she has been with us) has an iPad and a smart phone (Galaxy 3), which we gave her. I consider it an incentive and a necessary toold for the job. Would never ever thing of asking her not to use them. Seems akin to taking the car keys away from the chauffer.

Now my 2 year old, on the hand, could do with having his iPad access restricted.

I have my bosses wifi code and generally use the I pad when the children are not at home,I do also look up recipes and used it during the holidays to help with our Roman project.The children also do Sqeebles on it which is a game practising times tables .