New job - advice needed from nannies

[bettina46]

Hi there, I started working for a new family 2 weeks ago and I've got a problem. I usually start work at 7.30 am but last Friday MB asked me to come at 9 am. I finished at my usual time but was asked to come for three hours, 12 to 3pm on Monday and will be paid for 1.5 hrs. extra work. I said yes to MB because she's got a job interview and I want to help her this time but Monday is my day off and I need to talk to her. She also asked me if I could come on Sunday next week and that's not possible at all. How can I tell MB in a polite way that I don't want to work on my days off? I'm their first nanny, they had an au-pair before.

Just say, "I'm sorry, I have prior commitments on my days off". I don't mind the odd degree of flexibility but odd hours here and there would annoy me. Tbh, if you are available to work your contracted hours ( I hope you have a contract! ) and they decide they don't need you, then you should still be paid for those hours and any additional hours as overtime.

You need to try to explain to her that you have agreed to work certain days of the week, certain hours. Whilst you may on occasion try to be flexible, if they do not use all the hours in a particular week they can not be carried over to the following week (without your prior acceptance).

You are not at their beck and call, you have other commitments and so can not do additional hours, or swap hours over unless your commitments enable you to do so. Flexibility is great but you need a good work-life balance and need your time off to do other things.

She can't swap her hours /days to suit her

I'm assuming job is either 3 days due to thur or 4 days tue to fri

Next time she asks you to work on a day you are not contracted to - simply say I have plans that day

That would grate on me too, swapping days/hours to suit. There is flexibility and there's flexibility. Two wks in and I'd have warning bells ringing in my ears already. We can't help emergencies, and of course it's common decency to alter the norm in those circumstances, but, not on a regular basis.

As for letting you come in a bit later and then expecting you to work the extra hours elsewhere, that's not really fair. If you are available to work your normal contracted hours then she should pay you for them anyway. If she has a problem with that, then do your usual hours, problem solved. We all have bills to pay.