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

What do you do about your nanny when you go on hols?

38 replies

MrsFogi · 29/09/2006 15:43

Does she come with you/get paid and not work/enforced holidays for her etc etc?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Hamandcheese · 01/10/2006 19:08

To bluebear's question - I'm happy for our nanny to take odd days here and there (I'd only refuse if it was impossible for me to manage), but our contract states a specific notice period for dates (1 month I think) that is more useful than your 1 week. I'd be unhappy insisting on her taking 1 week at a time: I often take odd days holiday (for long weekends, special events / appointments on weekdays, if hols tie in with BH that leaves you with odd days leave etc), so I wouldn't want to refuse her that. In reality, leave is often agreed with shorter notice if we're both happy about it.

we chose two of her four weeks leave, to tie in with our family holiday - so far, we've not wanted the expense of taking her - but we might ask her to come with us in future (in which case, it wouldn't count as her A/L). On the very occasional 'odd day' extra when we're away and she's not on A/L, she usually ask her to come in and do some child-related chores, which she usually finishes by lunchtime and then gets afternoon free.

I was wondering - if peoeple take their nanny on holiday with them, do they pay extra (e.g. for weekend days travelling? or being away from home?)

WishICouldGiveUpWork · 01/10/2006 20:04

Have to say I had exactly the same take on Dominiconnor's post-nanny came on holiday but because she got some time off it was counted as annual leave....glad it wasn't just me!

DominiConnor · 02/10/2006 08:58

OK, I've got my Monday morning head on, so have to ask how I screwed up what I wanted to say so badly ?

I said if we tell her to come, we pay, and it's not counted as holiday.
Our policy has been to replicate the sort of normal policies we've had at work. If an employer sends you away from home, he foots the bill, and it's not holiday even if it's a nice place.

I did say (though apparently with not enough emphasis) that one should not use the power of an employer to force them to give up holiday.

We've tried to make working T&Cs as similar to fair ones we've work under ourselves.
From feedback we've had from nannies, that's surprsingly not the norm. We've heard of curfews and intrusion into their private life. Arbitrary and stupid rules, and ignoring the expertise in the subject they get from first hand experfience of your child.

We see our nanny as someone doing a critical job, occasionally under non-trivial stress. Also if they live with you, it's harder to leave it all behind. I'm big on human factors when managing people, and I know that without a break, your performance simply degrades, occasionally quite catastrophically.
Thus even if your nanny wants to come on all your holidays, I'd be relcutant to do this, regardless of the legalities you must leave it all behind or go at least a little loopy.

Uwila · 02/10/2006 14:11

DC, you are a pompous twit. I have yet to see evidence of your superior intelligence: not superior to my own, and not superior to that of the many other MN posters whom you so routinely accuse of requiring smaller words.

It is the manner in which you string them together and not the words themselves that I sometimes find difficult to make sense of. This is not because I lack the intellectual capacity to digest your superior thought processes, but because your arguments are sometimes full of shit.

bossykate · 02/10/2006 14:17

since plenty of other people didn't get your post, dc, i'd say you owe uwila an apology.

WishICouldGiveUpWork · 02/10/2006 16:11

Ditto!

DominiConnor · 02/10/2006 18:29

OK, let's put it to a vote.
I originally wrote
"I think the main issue to to negotiate reasonably, not push them into giving up their hols. "

If a majority of people hereabouts think this can easily be mistaken for forcing a nanny to lose holiday. Then I will of course apologise.

Uwila · 02/10/2006 19:22

DC, your practice is cheeky at the very least. And that is saying something coming from me. I bet no one on here will disagree (that it is saying something coming from me).

antidisestablishmentarianism Top that Mr. Bigword (without using a dictionary or other reference material). Disney words not allowed.

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 02/10/2006 19:29

dc - you really are being pompous on this one - classic post from uwila. when surrounded by intelligent people it is a pompous one who blames misunderstandings on the inferior capacity of others to comprehend, rather than on their own ability to communicate clearly. face it DC everyone who read your post didn;t get it. Either we're all thick (which I don't just doubt. I know to be untrue) or you, on this occasion, didn;t get your point over. It's not a big deal. Happens to the best of us...

Uwila · 02/10/2006 20:00

Can I just clarify that I don't believe I misunderstood anything about DC's post. I always understood that he gave the nanny the option to stay home or go on hols with them in exchange for babysitting. But, it was still her holiday. The swap was DC flips the bill and she babysits a bit in return. But, I still find this worthy of the Grinch title. I mean, if my boss came up to me and said "Uwila, can you work on Christmas Day?" that is a question and I have the right to say, "no.". But, do I really. I mean what my boss is really saying is "Uwilla, I want you to work on Christmas Day". So, saying "no" might be abad career move. I would say "yes" not because I actually want to work on Christmas day, but because I am dedicated to my work and would feel obliged to accommodate the request.

So, I think DC's practice is still cheecky to say the very least.

jura · 02/10/2006 21:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Uwila · 03/10/2006 07:14

Hey, DC, I think I'm winning the vote... unless of course you'd like to call for a recaunt to check for dangling chads?

wakeupandsmellthecoffee · 03/10/2006 19:14

you get my vote uwila

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