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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

Should I pay Nanny for sick days?

32 replies

TerrysNo3 · 26/01/2017 21:50

Our Nanny started with us at the beginning of November, shes great and we really like her but since she started she had one day off last year, a day where she asked to go home for a nap because she wasn't well (I was working from home and DS2 was sleeping for some of it) and last week she had 2 days off with a sprained wrist.

She messaged me at 6am last week to say she wasn't coming in as she didn't think she could do her job and she also said she was happy to take it as unpaid. I was really annoyed, mainly because DH and I are so busy at work and we thought having a Nanny would make this problem less likely. And as parents we never really take sick days so we're not that sympathetic in that respect

Her contract says she should receive SSP but I am not sure what to do. I don't want to penalise her for being unwell but I am worried if I pay her she will be less incentivised to turn up if she's under the weather?

We can afford to pay her but also we had to find alternative childcare when she was off so it would be costing us twice. I don't want to be a horrible employer as (apart from the slight unreliability thus far) she is pretty good.

WWYD? Please tell me!! Pay day is tomorrow

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Geraldthegiraffe · 26/01/2017 21:56

Pay her.

Can't believe that just because you've not been sick enough to need time off work that justifies you sneering about those with ill health.

cushioncovers · 26/01/2017 22:02

I'm torn, she has only been with you for 8 weeks and has had 3 or 4 episodes of sickness. That's a lot to be honest. I work for the NHS and I would be called in for a meeting and put on stage 1 sickness by now.

MadHattersWineParty · 26/01/2017 22:02

She took two days off with a sprained wrist?!

She's taken the same amount of days off since November as I have in three years as a nanny, OP.

You wouldn't be a horrible employer not to pay her, I certainly wouldn't have taken two full days for a sprained wrist.

Quarksoundslikequack · 26/01/2017 22:03

Isn't it the law to pay SSP??

Original poster

TerrysNo3 · 26/01/2017 22:05

Thanks cushion and madhatters I think its quite a lot too, its basically 8% of her employed days with us.

I really don't mind paying her and I would like to keep her happy as she is doing a good job but I am concerned that if I do she might be more likely to take more sick days and we can't really afford that (from a job perspective).

She only works 3.5 days a week (as that's what I do) so it makes it so difficult if I have to miss work as I am the only part time person in my team.

OP posts:

MadHattersWineParty · 26/01/2017 22:06

SSP only kicks in after 4 consecutive days of sickness.

Original poster

TerrysNo3 · 26/01/2017 22:08

*Quark" according to the HMRC website you are not eligible for SSP until you are off for 4 days.

And please don't misread me - we are pretty generous employers, we paid her without question for the 1.5 days last year and we gave her a Christmas bonus even though she had only been with us 6 weeks so it is really not about money. I want to keep her happy as I think she will do a better job if she is happy but it just worries me.

OP posts:

AndShesGone · 26/01/2017 22:11

No, you need a nanny to be at work so don't pay her sick pay.

And start the managing out process now, 4 periods of sick in 8 weeks is ridiculous.

MadHattersWineParty · 26/01/2017 22:12

In my contract it's 'at my employer's discretion'. i don't assume I'll get paid for sick days (although hardly ever taken any) it's just normal as a nanny to be there and be reliable even if you would so much rather be in bed, I have had days when I've gone in and napped while my charge is at school/had a quiet day on the sofa and not done some of my other duties, but I'm there. I let my employer know I feel rubbish and she's usually good at making the effort to get home a bit earlier.

Obviously it's different if you are very ill/hospitalised!

I'd be inclined to have a chat with her about sick days, it's not great that she's had that many.

MrsWobble3 · 26/01/2017 22:15

Does your nanny know how you feel about this? We had a similar experience and because we managed in the early days she didn't appreciate the extent of inconvenience it caused us. I spoke to her and explained, and said that we would understand if she wasn't always on top form. This solved it for us - might it work for you?

underneaththeash · 26/01/2017 22:24

Just pay SSP as per contract. It doesn't sound as if she's due any sick pay at all.

Original poster

TerrysNo3 · 26/01/2017 22:26

I think if it happens again soon I will have to speak with her, she is still in her probation period and whilst we really like her and I have some sympathy for the circumstance. we're paying a pretty hefty salary to have someone who is reliable.

OP posts:

fabulous01 · 26/01/2017 22:32

That is why we took nursery option. You are not them relying on one person. Just a thought

Artandco · 26/01/2017 22:37

It's unusual it's frequent in 8 weeks, but of course you need to pay her. You employ her and pay her when ill

A sprained wrist isn't exactly sick, but as you have a small child napping age I assume she is required to lift and pick them up a lot which she couldn't do if wrist sprained

DearTeddyRobinson · 26/01/2017 22:44

She wanted to go home for a nap?? Jesus don't we all but ffs that's ridiculous.
We had a lovely nanny who was prone to illness. We paid her in full for the first 3-4 times, thereafter explained we could only do SSP. Lazarus-like, she never took another sick day - go figure.

Fruitboxjury · 26/01/2017 22:45

Have you contacted her previous employer for a reference and asked how many sick days she had?

I think it's too much, personally after a bad experience myself I would not be hiring this Nanny without a clear conversation about expectations.

Four periods of leave whilst on probation is a red flag for me. You need to explain why now otherwise she will keep taking more.

wwyd as a parent if you had a sprained wrist, use the other and get on with it right? I regularly have a toddler in one arm and a phone something else in the other.

MadHattersWineParty · 26/01/2017 22:48

Nannies don't always get/expect sick pay automatically. It's different to a lot of other jobs in that sometimes there is simply no one else to cover you and it'd mean your employer then has to take leave from work. Something they pay the nanny to avoid. Most nannies are on board with this. It's the nature of the job.

Artandco · 26/01/2017 22:48

Fruit - yes as a parent you would struggle through with one hand, but you wouldn't nessecarily for your job. If you broke your arm for example you would still struggle through with own children, but wouldn't go to work if you need to use it.

FuckOffDailyMailQuitQuotingMN · 26/01/2017 22:51

Four periods of leave whilst on probation is a red flag for me. You need to explain why now otherwise she will keep taking more.

Absolutely this. It rarely ever fails to be any different in my experience.

Good nannies show up for work. They make themselves valuable employees. Then when they have a legitimate problem you are ready to step in and move heaven and earth to keep them!

FuckOffDailyMailQuitQuotingMN · 26/01/2017 22:52

Exactly MadHattersWineParty

NapQueen · 26/01/2017 22:53

I think when you next hire a Nanny you need to put a clear trigger point for sickness- more than X amount of days in a 3 month period or similar.

Fruitboxjury · 26/01/2017 22:53

If employee doesn't have same work ethic as employer, you're probably not really very compatible imho.

Fruitboxjury · 26/01/2017 22:55

Napqueen I understand where you're coming from but for some people that can also be seen as somewhat of an "allowance"

chipsandchilli · 26/01/2017 23:05

I'm not a nanny but work a minimum wage part time job and don't get paid sick day's, depends what's in the contract. I think i get sick pay after 4 days with a sick note. Ive only had one sick day in 3.5yrs and would only stay off if i really couldn't go in as i can't afford to loose a days pay. Maybe if i got paid i would ring in sick more, she has had a lot of days off for how long she has been employed by you.

Cindy34 · 26/01/2017 23:25

If you are paying tomorrow then payslip will have already been produced, so you are talking of taking it off next months pay. That is perfectly reasonable and you should tell your nanny that, so they know to expect next months pay to be reduced.

Probation may need to be extended. Their reliability is an issue, it's not that they are having a serious illness which is making them bed bound for many days, it sounds more like several very short things. Are those short things so bad that they could not come in to work and have a bit less active a day? Many nannies I know will work whilst feeling quite rough, as they know how parents rely on them. It is a judgement call sometimes, but you don't want to have someone as your nanny who takes a day off at the slightest sniffle.

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