Who is responsible for lost mobile phone?

[uwila]

Do you give your nanny a mobile phone? If so, who would be responsible for replacing it if she lost it? You? Her? Split the cost?

Incidentally, I own the phone, but it is for her sole use whilst she works for us.

If she lost it, then I would say her... if it was stolen, I would say you.

I have no nanny though, so have no idea if that is the right ettiquette!!!

don't you have insurance?

nope. Insurance not available on pay as you go plans.

Uwilla, can't you get a plan which has a free phone?? If she loses it just get another free one???

You can if you pay monthly. But I'm not willing to do that.

Actually I didn't look very hard. I just looked at the vodaphone webpage and the cheapest nokia on offer with pay as you go is £80.

Maybe chalk this down to experience and write in her contract if she loses it again she has to replace it?

would it not be covered by your home contents insurance???

It's mostly for your benefit, isn't it? I would say you, either way.

buy a phone off ebay. You could get one for £20! I have one you could have for £10!

There is a Nokia 3410 for £20 these days.

Uwill - you can buy a lot of months worth of air time on a monthly plan with that - and get the phone free!

Woolworth's sells mobile phones for £20, I think. You can then sign up with Virgin for a fiver.

And dock the cost from your nanny's last paypacket.

Well, the nanny is leaving in a few weeks. I will be hiring a new one in August so the phone will be for new nanny. And I don't really think it's fair for new nanny to have to accespt cheap crap ebay phone when I paid for brand new one only a year ago. My questions is really one of liability. What do think is fair. If I lost my work phone, I think my employer might make me pay for it.

By the way, she lost it. Left it on the train.

i really don't think it matters what a phone looks like, it's presumably so you can keep in touch, so as long as it works it doesn't really matter if it's not the latest model

I would definitely have her pay for part, if not all, of the replacement cost.

Otherwise, what's the incentive not to be so careless in the future?

My employer would just dish out a new one

I wouldn't make her pay, but thats just me, can uinderstand if you feel differently!

I would say 50:50 would be fair - you get a brand new phone but she contributes to the cost!

Agree, Bundle, and the new nanny will probably have her own mobile anyway.

Nokia 3410 - with Tmobile though, not Vodafone, but they're not locked on PAYG, are they? You could probably just get a new SIM card with your old number.

Personally I wouldn't give a nanny a mobile phone, most people have their own. I know last time you had a different scenario, but I wouldn't give them one. However I do think if she lost it, she should contribute TBH Different if her bag was stolen or something.

She is leaving in a few weeks, do you NEED to get her a new one?? Can it wait ??

yes, it can wait. But I am on the verge of hiring her replacement, and I have already told her that there is a mobile phone on offer.

I insiste however that phone be pay as you go because I don't want to be liable for either a potentially large bill or for a year's contract.

Uwila, I think you should tell your new nanny that she is liable for the replacement cost if she loses a mobile you supply then that's fair. Chalk it up to experience the cost of replacing the old nannies phone.

How is it going with the replacement nanny?

I've just had a thought, maybe the new nanny might refuse the mobile if she knows she's liable for the replacement costs.........maybe best to go 50;50?

what's in her contract re: phone?

The mobile isn't mentioned in the contract. So really I'm not obligated to give her one I suppose. But, I said I would and as we all know I don't pay a huge salary. But I think the young (early twenties) nannies put a lot of interest in their mobile phones. So, I'd like to give her a nice one. By nice what I really mean is middle of the road. Somewhere around £100 or so. I thinkI may deduct half the price from current nannies final paycheque. And I may mention it to incoming nanny and ask her if she has one she wants to use or if she wants one supplied. If she has one, then I'm off scot free. But, as I've already offered it, if she says she wants me to supply one, then I shall. I'm not going to get one with a PDA or video capabilities or anything. But I do like Nokias, largely because if I have to show her how to use it I'm already familiar with the menu. Current nanny couldn't plug a light in without my help and I'm sick and tired of being the support for all appliances. No joke. I have now shown her 3 times how to unfold and fold a maclaren pushchair... and still it baffles her. So it is Nokias from now on.