Nanny caring for sick children - what's the limit?

[Feelingverysleepy]

Currently interviewing for a nanny (I'm a first timer in all this). One of the potential benefits of nanny vs nursery I believed would be that a nanny would care for children when they might otherwise be too poorly to go to nursery - I.e. less disruption to my job.
Interviewee today said she'd happily look after them with coughs & colds, but not if it was tummy bugs as she would probably pick it up & become unwell herself. A fair enough answer I suppose, but is that the norm / usual practice? Seems like I might be paying for alot of days when nanny won't come in because of the dcs' sickness.

I look after the kids in my care as their parents would, through coughs, colds and tummy bugs to suspected meningitis. If I got a bug from the kids and it was only a cold I'd still work and if I got a tummy bug then I had it off without a blink from the parents as they knew the source.

Most would look after with sickness bug. The chances are they have already been exposed to virus anyway so seem pointless to stay away

Most only don't have child if child is getting worse. Ie if sick in night but just bit temp and chance of sickness in day it's fine. If in am child still vomiting/ lethargic and temp still rising then generally parent stays ( or goes but preparing to come back ASAP if child gets worse)

Thanks - that does seem more along the lines of what I was thinking initially. I don't mean to appear heartless, but I equally don't want to be paying a nanny to stay clear for 48hrs everytime there's sickness which is what this one was after.

Haven't heard of that one before but I was extremely ill with Noro Virus after looking after a baby with it only to be told I was a temp so not getting paid. Nice

At least offer some PPC and download some infection control
Advice. Noro Virus is only passed on by inhaling or ingesting the particles of vomit or faeces.

Maybe they've worked for someone who really enforced the ssp rule which is in most boilerplate nanny contracts. In which case if youre going to get your pay docked if you pick something up from the children I can see why you would try to agree this fit new jobs. I would never hire a nanny that didn't cover the full range of illnesses so to speak. But then we pay sick in full.

I have never come across this - we have had norovirus twice in the house and both times our nanny helped us through it. One nanny got norovirus from us and we paid her full rate sick pay as we knew it was specifically from our children so it didn't seem fair! But I have never come across a nanny refusing to work through a bout of tummy bugs - maybe she's an emetophobe?

I'm a nanny. I'll work through pretty much anything, though I did draw the line at suspected Bird Flu Anyway, I work on the basis that I will work no matter how ill they are and I will come to work through pretty much anything (if they want me to, I'd give them the choice - but generally it's come from there anyway!) but if I am feeling crap I will do what any parent would do and stay home, watch tv, easy meals etc and in return I would expect to be paid if I had to take time off. I've only ever taken 2 days off & I would have gone in on both of those if they had wanted me to, but both times alternative care was easily arranged and a nicer option for the child than being with someone as ill as I was.

I wouldn't touch her with a barge pole.

How silly and weird. I have always worked if child is ill and also have sick pay so if I did catch anything lethal and needed time off I would be paid

Nannies looking after sick children is the real plus over a cm or nursery

I agree with all PP...I have worked through all the childrens illnesses, tho when one LO had chickenpox, for the first day, mum had day off as he only wanted her...I have gone in sick too and had quiet day with her friends taking /collecting older ones from school etc....It is one of the 'perks' of a nanny....But then I have only ever had one day off with a tummy bug (in 30 years) as I am very careful about hand washing etc....
I suppose it depends how easy it is for the parents to have a day off...I have worked for Drs, surgeons and Barristers who HAVE to go to work...and for self employed people who can work from home if needed....Some parents want to be with their poorly children too...

I think it's wrong to say you won't look after ill children when you are a nanny, it's part of the job unfortunately. The children get ill, sometimes we get ill as a result.

Maybe she has a particulary low immune system? Does she have her own children? Maybe she doesn't want them to become ill?

It seems a little extreme to say during interview process and I can't imagine many parents would be keen to employ her. Of course if child is really ill they tend to only want their parent anyway, but that should be your decision, not hers.

I look after children when they are ill exactly how a parent would. I come to work when I am feeling unwell with cold as well but not if u have a tummy bug.
all nannies I know would look after a child with a tummy bug.

I have worked with children with various illnesses. Suspected mumps. Hand foot and mouth. Noro virus and other tummy bugs. Chicken pox. Its rare i will pick things up from the kids. I've literally had children be sick right down me and still not caught it. Think my immune system is quite high now. Least she has been honest so you can choose whether it effects you.

I will look after a sick charge, no matter what the illness is, chances are, I have been exposed to the bug anyway. After 28 years, I am pretty immune to most bugs (touches wood)

I do have in my contract that if I do go off sick because of a bug I caught from a charge, then I get paid full pay. However, as I have only ever had 11 days sick in my 28 years (4 of them where I went into work only to be sent straight home again) I have yet to find out if I would get full pay!!

All of my nanny friends will look after an ill child without batting an eyelid.