snow days for nannies?

[smeraldina]

Hello there

We have a fantastic new nanny who started last month. Due to a large snowfall in our area she can't get here today - it's a half an hour drive away.
We didn't put a clause in our contract about enforced absence due to weather, and I'm not sure what to suggest.
She mentioned that in the nursery where she worked, they had 'snow days'.
If I had a job where I too could take snow days this would be ok, but a) I work from home most of the time and b) if I miss a days work for any reason, I have to make it up on another day.

Do any employers or nannies have any solutions? Would it be unreasonable to put in the contract that if weather prevents work she would make up the hours on another day? And if so, would that be all the hours, or a proportion of them?

many thanks

Sx

in my job it has to be time made up or taken as an annual leave day.

Think maybe you could suggest that she takes 1/2 as a snow day and has half unpaid or time to make up.

I am having the same problem -she called in again to say cant make it.Had posted here before this but did not say anything when she came back. Maybe this time I will have to do something. I am going to say that she either has this unpaid leave or pays back the hours.I do work at home part of the week and it a major problem.

Thanks - I should mention that in this case I'm not at all frustrated with my nanny - (I'm delighted with her - and I don't want her driving in these dangerous conditions.) She wasn't necessarily suggesting that she should have a 'snow day' - just that we needed to think of a solution.

It is a difficult one.

We are not badly snowed in this time but last time this happened I paid my nanny in full because I got paid in full by my employer.

Equally, I think if I had been made to take unpaid leave I would have expected the same from the nanny.

But maybe there can be a compromise between the two options.

I know although I say I will do this or that it never happens. I t is very difficult to be like that with someone who looks after youDC.

At my work, we were told yesterday to take work home in case we couldn't make it in today. If feasible, work from home. If not feasible to work from home then we could make up the time or take holiday.

Generally, I try to teach the nanny as my work would treat me. I am at work today, and so is she. The buses are running in Greater London. The school is open. We all got up, got dressed, and carried on as usual.

It's just snow. What is the big deal???

correction:

teach treat the nanny...

If it's really horrendous I would just let her have the day off and pay her.

It's these marginal days which are the issue for me.

Our nanny wants to leave early today. The main roads are clear, the side roads less so. DD's school is closing early but to be honest I really can't understand why, it isn't that bad. There seems to be an inverse correlation between the number of 4x4s owned by parents and kids able to attend on snow days !! We walk.

I guess I will let her go a bit early today. Hoping she can make it in tomorrow though!

I work about 8 miles from home, there was 5-7 inches of snow this morning but I did manage to get to work, after a few alternative routes needing to be used due to problems with hills. Took me 1.5 hours door to door including about 25 minutes clearing snow from the car itself.
My lovely boss managed to get her work done in double quick time and has let me leave a lot earlier than usual and I left her playing with the children in the garden.

Motorways are clear in my area (M3, M25), A roads are reasonable, B roads are horrible and unclassified roads are a nightmare.

Days like this are a problem but they don't happen that often. It would be perfectly acceptable in my view to insist that annual leave was used for a day like today if your nanny failed completely to arrive.

smeraldina given your nanny has only just started, I'd just say it's a day of annual leave. Making up a day isn't going to be easy for most people... though if that would work for both you and your nanny then you could agree that instead of annual leave that the time is made up by working a certain extra day next week.

I'm aiming to get up even earlier tomorrow (was up at 6 today), as I know my boss needs to get into work. It could be a fun drive in the morning... must try to clear some snow this afternoon from my local road, pity I haven't got a shovel.

We let her go early yesterday as she wanted to go when there is still light and she remarked she will be at work if all is well and called at 7 today saying that she cant come and will see how it will tomorrow.

I bet if you tell her that snow days are unpaid then she will miraculously find a way to show up.

i have tons of snow at my house, but not much at work 5miles away, i rang mb at 7am and she said they were ok and could i try to get in if i could, but not if i couldnt, as both mb/db needed to get to work

my road and 2 others to a main road were bad, but once on main roads they were ploughed

normally i am 8/10mins from work, left early and got here in 50mins

both db/mb APPRICIATE me going in and left to go to work and said they would come back EARLY if they can

we drove to friends this morning and seeing others for play in afternoon - both are drivable 20mins or so

but if i couldnt get in , then yes i would be paid, as both mb/db know that i will always try my best+get up hour earlier to try and get to work

Ahhhh She has not come in today as well.

I can't take a snow day as I live in! I think everyone should make the effort to get to work unless safety is an issue. Some people (see another thread) seem to be using the weather as a cover for their laziness rather than it being an actual valid reason for not making it in.

i got to work ok yesterday - roads ok, left early - roads were ok/not snowing till 5ish then had a freak blizzard while picking mb up from station - journey is 15mins - took 2hrs of slipping/skidding and eventually couldnt get up a small non steep hill ,got 3men to push car and had to abandened it a few miles from work

db came to rescue us, he crashed his car to get to us, he is ok, car is dented - i was so desperate for a wee i had to knock on a strangers door and ask to borrow their loo (if you are a fellow mn thank you so much)

left house 4.45 - back 8pm

was going to stay at work last night but then my knight in shinning armour came to get me/friends hubby in his huge monster of a truck - you wouldnt have known it was snowing/roads frozen in it

we all need one of those - cost prob £50k

my car is at work,but i dont work today - cant drive in my road anyway,so best to leave it at work tillroads cleared - no point in crashing it

looking out window,prob got 6+inches and they say more to come sunday

blondes garden and 6/7inches

notanidea - Did she call you and tell you she couldn't make it in, or did she simply not turn up?

Blondes - have you returned the strangers loo yet?

Employees not turning up to work is always going to be an issue, especially when it comes to nannies as there isn't someone else to take on some of the workload. Not sure there is any solution though.
As a live-out nanny, I make every effort to be at work... which may mean I arrive late, or may arrive earlier (like today, as I left home at 6am ish). Yes there are risks to driving in snow/ice, though there are risks to driving at any time... at least in these conditions there are less cars on the road. I've taken to going the long way to work, via the motorways - as those are kept as clear as possible of the snow/ice.

no - as havnt been out today, but i go past their house prob 4 times a day to and from work, to and from station so may knock again if in need

she called in and said and she cant make it at 7.30am I text her today and said I need to be at work and she said she will try and wanted to leave early(She had requested to go early before) but I said that people have been covering me at work so I cant ask again that I will have to go early tomorrow-she has text and said that it can be 1/2 day annual leave(this was not mentioned earlier when she requested to go early) but my point is I have been accomodating and there is no flexibility from her side. I am beginning to wonder whether this is the right form of childcare for us.

BTW Happy birthday nanny nick I have always valued your opinion thanks.

I don't see why it needs to be given a name. The weather was bad, she couldn't get to work all you have to decide is is it paid or not. I think you should pay this time as you hadn't talked about it but you need to talk about it now and decide what will happen as her not turning up, while not her fault, means you can't work either and presumably that affects what money you earn?

Fab some of us work in job if we dont go to lot of people are affected (Health sector) I will bend over backward to go to work so it does not affect other people in need.I dont mind paying her to be honest but it is the unreliability that bothers me. You see if I can go and get my work done during the weekend or evenings I will compensate by working those time. I have never spoken about money - a person who shows genuine affection to children are worth every penny you give them and are priceless.I dont have any family nearby and one of the reason for me to employ a nanny is to work unexpected long hours if the need arises.

notanidea - I am getting the feeling that the main issue here is that your current nanny is providing unreliable at present. The weather conditions are not helping things but is she actually making an effort to get to work? I got up at 5am this morning so I could deice (started deicing at about 6am) the car and set off early in an attempt to get to work by 7.30am May be hard to know if your nanny is making an effort or not, also hard to evaluate if the risk of driving is too high. This weather is causing problems all over the place.
Is the unreliability something that has only occurred now, or has it been an issue for a while?

smeraldina - Have you found a solution, did your nanny make it to work today, or is it going to be a Snow Day all week? What about next week... where I am (Surrey/Berkshire border) more snow is forecast at the weekend!

How often does this weather occur?? Once in a lifetime, so why are you worried about what to put in contracts and reliability. The chances are you will never have to think about it again and lets face it safety is the most important thing. I have never missed a days work before but will not be going in tom either and would expect to get paid. ( I am 7 mths pregnant as well!) I wouldn't be much use as a nanny if I fell on the ice or crashed my car now would I?
I normally go in how ever ill im feeling so not just being lazy!

Yes it is difficult to say whether she is making an effort .I did post regarding her sick leave but again I let it go as all of us fall sick and have to be compassionate. She always puts things on our calender regarding her days off etc., She did ask to leave at an earlier time which I agreed but never mentioned it is an 1/2 day annual leave If it was annual leave I would taken leave and but if I have not but a request to go earlier I dont take leave but try to organise my work in such a way for the rest of the week so can come home early .I have not done this obviously as I have not been at work.
Nanny nick you are right - I dont mind the money but the reliability is an issue.
I dont have a job from August and cant keep taking leave like this.

smearldina- sorry did not mean to hijack your thread.Hope your nanny came to work today.