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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

Quick Question for those who have taken nannies on holiday-or nannies who have been on holiday with their employers.

13 replies

Whooosh · 18/01/2008 13:59

Would you expect the weekends you were away to be accrued as time off in lieu?

We are talking one child,in a hotel so no nursery duties such as washing,ironing,cleaning playroom etc.Later start time (by about 2hrs),2hrs off every day whilst LO slept plus time sunbathing whilst parents played with LO.
Days off offered but declined as nanny "wouldn't know what to do-not the sort of person to go and explore" was the quote.

Can I have some views please?

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NAB3wishesfor2008 · 18/01/2008 14:02

Years ago I went to Courcheval with the family for 2 weeks. I don't remember any proper time off but I think I got a bit of extra money.

I think if she is responsible enough to look after a child she should be able to entertain herself for a weekend tbh.

If she chooses to work, and you use her, then either offer her some time off once home in lieu or come to an arrangement about pay. Maybe she could use extra money and you could use some couple only time?

frannikin · 18/01/2008 14:08

Either TIL or paid extra, ask your nanny what s/he would prefer. Is s/he usually live-in or live-out? If live-out then I also recommend offering a bonus per night away from home unless travel was included in the original job description, because s/he will be spending time away from home, and it's not a holiday for her.

I recommend you negotiate a separate contract for the holiday period. You're likely to want more babysits than usual in my expeience, and the hours will change as you've said.

I'm assuming this is your normal nanny btw!

turtle23 · 19/01/2008 22:30

Important to remember that she is not on holiday while there. She is unable to go and see her friends or get away, so I would offer her TIL or extra pay. But that's just me...

Original poster

Whooosh · 19/01/2008 22:38

Agree to a point-we did offer the chance to come on holiday or nor so not sure how that influences things......?
She has always been treated as one of the family so when we chose to go to Disney in Florida-we took her too-not because we needed her but felt as she had become a "surrogate daughter", we should.
We paid for her passes into Disney (not cheap and also not necessary as only one dd) she had no washing or ironing,ate out with us EVERY evening-not s single night out on our own becauset hat is how we believe in treating people in our home.
We even upgraded her on the way back (God knows why-with hindsight).
And now-many moths later we are faced with TIL demands-some dating back 14mts!!!!!!!!!!!!

OP posts:

turtle23 · 19/01/2008 22:47

If you offered her the choice to stay home, then she's being unreasonable, really. Also, there's no excuse for "backdating." If she had a problem with it she should have said before. Strange behaviour. There's obviously something up with her. Is she still employed by you?

callaird · 19/01/2008 22:53

Does it not say in her contract that she cannot carry over holiday from the year? Tbh - even if it doesn't I would still tell her that she can't carry it over so at least you will only have time from this financial year. (btw, I am a nanny!) Any time I have been on holiday with my families, I have had time off during the day but babysat in the evening to make up the time, if I worked at the weekend or we were travelling on a weekend day then I would get time off in lieu or paid, but only for the hours we were travelling, not the whole day.

I wouldn't have offered time off, I would have told her to take time off (you are the boss, it is your holiday and I am sure you wanted time to spend with your child on your holiday) if she didn't go anywhere, then tough! I am not an outgoing person, but I still go off on my own when on holiday with family, I'll find a cafe/bar/beach to sit and read (but then I read anything, have book, will travel!)

I think she is taking the piss and you should maybe come to some compromise for the past but have a contract revue and tell her it is going in that she cannot carry over holiday/time off and that when travelling she will only do her normal amount of hours but they may be dispersed differently. Ok it is not a holiday for her but you are paying for her to go which is setting you back quite a bit on top of her wages.

Also, the dinner in the evening thing, I don't go out with the family every evening, maybe a few times (usually when begged to by the children!) but if I go more than 4 times in a week then I would pay for 5th meal out.

I also always buy my employers a thank you present for taking me! Usually just a bottle of their favourite wine/spirit from duty free (usually spirit as most of my ex-bosses wine tastes are way out of my price range!) a box of nice chocs and a card to say thank you for taking me.

nannyL · 19/01/2008 23:30

yes... it is NOT a holiday for nanny... you are taking her away from her home and friends and yes definitley time off either before or after to compensate...

it is YOUR holiday, not your nannies

I agree that you dont demand time off 14 months later though... its sorted and agreed at the time

frannikin · 20/01/2008 01:14

If she's backdating it 14months then no way. Holiday is per calender year.

And in future - seperate holiday contract. Holidays where the nanny has to work are not necessarily fun for the nanny, but it sounds like your nanny wasn't really working - by you own admission you didn't take her because you needed to...

callaird · 20/01/2008 18:52

But NannyL, Whoosh asked her if she would like to come or not, she didn't make her leave her home and friends! So I disagree that she should be compensated! Sorry!

Squiffy · 21/01/2008 11:42

ok. quite a few points

Paying for their passes into things and their meals etc - absolutely the family pays. The nanny should never have to spend money out of her own pocket unless she goes off on her own to do something. The fact she joined you for dinner every night is because you invited her to or didn't lay out the ground rules (suggestion for next time: "You are welcome to join us but in return for the costs of bringing you with us we will need you to agree to babysit for 3 evenings for us for free whilst we have dinner, in return we'll give you a couple of hours off every day. OK?"
saving on nursery duties - ignore. She will have had a mound of holiday washing to do afterwards so it would have evened out
Weekend time - your responsibility to be 100% crystal clear here - ie "do you want to have the two days off as normal, or do you want to work a full day both days?" If she chooses the latter then you have to give her time in lieu.
Time off in lieu going back 14 months - unless it is shedloads of hours let it drop and make it clear you will pay at end of each month from now on, and get her to agree the amount each month. Otherwise you are in a grey area - yes she is probably taking the piss but she is only able to do so because you didn't set things out clearly enough...

Next time round you need to set out everything in advance. It sounds as if she is working as a nanny, but you are treating her as a member of the family? Bad mistake. learn and move on.

RahRahRachel · 21/01/2008 12:34

Sounds like you were treating this holiday as if you were taking a friend/family member along, and she was treating it as part of her job.

mishmash · 22/01/2008 00:05

My tuppence worth - we took nanny away a few years ago and she most definetly treated it like a holiday. She was free most of the day and was only expected to be around at nap time and in the evenings for an hour or two. Kids were in kids club.

We provided call credit so we could contact her which was used on first night on phone home to bf so she wasn't contactable the rest of the time.

Yes she took DD for a nap in afternoon but at night it was me running round looking after the kids whilst she sat drinking beer.

It was only a week and yes we did give the weekend off as TOL but it was me who needed the holiday at the end of it all.

turtle23 · 22/01/2008 09:16

Again...it is absolutely vital on both sides that you set out the rules at the beginning (as this is a different situation from normal work) and if one or other sides falls down on their side of the bargain it is regarded as breach of contract. You wouldn't have put up with nanny going off drinking beer on your dime at home, so...
I am very grateful that my nannying days are behind me, as it is such an emotionally involved job. The only way to deal with these issues is clearly in black and white BEFORE the trouble starts. Otherwise, it's always tears all round.

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