Employing a nanny who is TTC

[getmeout12]

We have a lady who is a qualified nanny that has offered to start helping us with childcare. She is amazing and can work to fit around our schedules - basically on an on demand basis, some weeks we need 3 days, some weeks we just need a day.

She is employed as a nanny by another family on a more regular/consistent basis.

But here's the thing (or maybe two things).

1. She is very open that she is trying to conceive and hopes that by the end of this year she will be pregnant. If necessary they'll get fertility assistance if it doesn't happen by the summer.

That obviously means that if/when she goes off to have her baby, we will need a childcare Plan B (very young children- will need extra support for at least the next 4-5 years). That's fine and I will cross that bridge when the time comes, but we categorically cannot afford maternity pay whilst also having to fork out childcare fees elsewhere for the time she is off (she's said she at least wants the full year off).

How can I work this out so that we employ her yet are not stung in terms of maternity pay?

1. Whilst she is amazing with the kids from what we've seen so far (and her references reflect the same), one of her references mentioned a pretty poor sick record so again I'm concerned about sick pay.

Any help as to how we can do this without being stung financially would be gratefully received!

The government will repay you the statutory maternity pay, you’ll be liable for anything extra.

You’ll be liable for statutory sick pay.

If she is "on demand" (zero hours contract?) and you are not her main employer - is maternity pay still due from you?

Carry on as if she hadn't told you

It depends on the terms you'd be employing her. From the sounds of it some weeks you'd need her more and less in others. She's the one to answer the question on whether she'd be fine with a flexible approach to it. You may well find she wants set hours which you can't provide.

^this. You will get reimbursed for her maternity pay.

I'd be put off by a poor sick record. The fact they've mentioned it is concerning. I can count on one hand how many times I've been off over the last 6 years.

As for maternity pay, the gov pay that to you to pay her.

Don't do it. We had a similar situation and it was very tricky to find decent maternity cover, plus manage sick leave related to pregnancy.

I hope you had more understanding employers when you were pregnant.

Definitely, do not employ someone with a poor sick record.

You can claim maternity pay back from the government, but not sick pay.

Move on, not only does she had a poor sick record but she will need more time off for pregrancy related issues.

For very young children who attach to a single cater like a nanny, I think disruption to that relationship is significant. Obviously sometimes we can’t help that and any nanny could go off for this reason or others. But in this scenario when you know very clearly that it’s coming, I wouldn’t do that for my kids’ sake, more than the financial issue.

I'd be put off by a poor sick record.

Me too. That's far more worrying than the possibility that she'll get pregnant (which is a cost you won't have to bear). I'd look for someone whose reference said how reliable she is, personally, not someone whose previous employer has felt it necessary to point out how unreliable she is!

It is not legal to discriminate against a woman because of her reproductive choices.

Yes you need to be ready to cover (and claim back) maternity pay, arrange maternity cover, and pay proper sick pay.

Whether it's for this nanny or any other one.

If you don't want to do this, pick a different form of childcare

Please don't take us back to the bad old days where women of childbearing age were routinely denied employment because the bosses didn't want the hassle/expense