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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

I am about to sign a nanny contract but not sure..

22 replies

BelleNanny · 17/03/2010 19:03

I have been offered a nanny job a few days ago and the family has invited me to go and sign the contract this weekend.
The problem is that today another family that interviewed me previously has asked if I can go for a second interview and I accepted.
I really dont know what to do because I preffer the second position more yet I am not sure if they will offer me the position.
My question is :If I decide to sign the contract with the family that has offered me the job already, am I gonna be able to cancel the contract in any way in case that the other family decides to take me?
Have any of you been in this situation before?I really dont know what to do..I dont want to loose the first job,but the second one is more rewarding financially and both families are similar

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Original poster

BelleNanny · 17/03/2010 19:33

bump

OP posts:

FabIsDoingPrettyWell · 17/03/2010 19:37

Of course you can't cancel a contract.

It is obvious. You tell the other family that you have been offered a job but would prefer to work for them and is there any chance you could see them sooner and have a decision before you need to sign the other contract.

Take the job you would be happiest in - more money won't help you through the day if you are not happy at work.

nannynick · 17/03/2010 20:12

Once you sign the contract it is binding. Not sure why you are going to their home to sign it, though doing it there does make sense... however I would strongly suggest you ask them to e-mail it now, so you are able to see what the terms are - and negotiate any that may need some changing.

The contract will say what the notice period is during the probationary period and what notice period is once you are permanent.

I feel it is not morally right to sign a contract with the intention of working for a very short period of time and leaving. It's just wrong in my view.

nannynick · 17/03/2010 20:17

Consider how family 1 are currently feeling. They have spent time interviewing various nannies and have selected you as being the best match for them. You have agreed in some form that you want to work for them and are at the point of signing the contract. The parents won't be interviewing other nannies... they may even have told other nannies they have interviewed that they haven't got the job.

Missus84 · 17/03/2010 20:55

I would call the second family and tell them the situation - you've been offered a job and have to sign the contract at the weekend. See if they can see you and make a decision before then.

A definite job is worth more than a possible job - if the second family can't commit before the weekend stick with the first family.

Strix · 17/03/2010 21:08

Agree with all the advice so far, especially Nick's tip to ask for the contract on e-mail so you can review it. This may also give you some stalling tactic negotiation time.

And contact family to ASAP to give them a bit of space for working you in sooner.

Original poster

BelleNanny · 17/03/2010 21:20

The first family is waiting for nanny tax to send them a package wich includes the contract, so I havent seen it yet. I will follow your advice and I will be honest with the second family.They are both really nice families with children the same age so its hard to separate them and say I deffinetly prefer one.Plus money is important when the second one pays 400£/month more.

OP posts:

Missus84 · 17/03/2010 21:31

I had a similar situation Belle - very little between two families, but the second one was a lot closer to my house. First offered me the job and I told second I needed to know by x. They couldn't commit that quickly though, which was fair enough, so went with the first family.

Blondeshavemorefun · 17/03/2010 21:43

Def don't sign contract. Tbh you are a bit naughty to have agreed to 2 nd interview as you have agreed&accepted a job.

But I would ring the 2nd job and say you are very interested in the job but that you have been offered another one and see what they say.

I do feel sorry for the 1st family as they have probably told other candinates the position has been filled

GoingPostal · 17/03/2010 21:46

but also make sure you have seen / read contract before going to sign (if that's what you end up doing) - you will feel pressured to skim through quickly if you have to do it with your employers sitting there with you and you should have read it through and understood every bit of it before you sign it. you may need to negotiate and that would be hard to do in person 3 mins after you've read the thing for the first time.

frakkinaround · 18/03/2010 05:49

Have you accepted job 1 verbally or in writing? If you have then it's a bit naughty to carry on interviewing. If it's just an offer and they said you should come round to sign in the same breath you have every right to stall.

Can job 2 see you sooner? I agree you should tell them you have another job offer but really like them and would be keen to see them before committing to the other job.

I definitely agree you should have 24 hours to review the contract away from the family so you don't feel pressured. You shouldn't sign the contract with the intention of breaking it as that wouldn't be fair. Besides £400 a month is a lot - are you sure you would stick with the family if they're offering this much less and not try to find a better paying job? IMO you shouldn't sign unless it's completely right. Negotiate on pay if you have to. I suspect if it's a standard contract, although I don't know the nannytax one, there will be thongs to change.

Original poster

BelleNanny · 18/03/2010 11:00

I accepted the job just verbally, over the phone.I know I am being a bit naughty , but is my future and I want to be sure I am doing the right thing.
Just 6 weeks ago I was offered a temporary position , everything was agreed through an agency and just a day before the job was supouse to start I received a call saying they changed their mind and dont need a nanny anymore. It was really hard at the time as I stoped looking for another position so I dont want to make the first family go through what I went at the time.
I will contact them today and ask to see the contract before. The second interview with the other family is tomorow and they should make a decision over the weekend.
Of course I will commit with any of the position I choose at the end.I didnt plan to have interviews anymore, I stoped applying for positions and even refused to go to some interviews but I wasnt expecting to be contacted by the second family and be in this position.Both families are in my top 5... and the money is not that important, but just thinking that I can pay the rent with that extra.. it is something. If I will know the first family is deffinetly better and I will not be happy with the first one, I will forget about the money instantly.
Anyway if the second family is not able to commit this weekend I will know I made the right decision.
Someone was saying to negociate the salary... We kind of negociate it during the interview , so the salary is fixed now and I am happy with it.

OP posts:

sunnydelight · 19/03/2010 06:10

Until you have signed a contract I don't think you are being "naughty" by continuing your job hunting. My OH was offered and verbally accepted a job. He cancelled another (final stage) job interview feeling it was the right thing, ethically, to do. When the contract came through from the job he had "accepted" it was very different to what had been discussed so he didn't take it. At that point he had blown the other job - keep your options open.

thaliablogs · 20/03/2010 21:32

I think it is more than naughty to be still interviewing, I think is simply dishonest. We spent the whole of the autumn looking for a nanny and this happened to us twice. It is incredibly disruptive, upsetting and downright unkind, when you have set your heart on someone to fill the most important job you could ever hire for, and then they let you down or lead you down the garden path. Please be honest with this family, it's a bad start to your working relationship otherwise.

runikka · 20/03/2010 22:40

As a parent who has employed a couple of nannies, I would rather be let down before the role officially has started than, say, a few weeks/months into the role where the children are involved. So, I agree that it may cause grievance with family 1 and they might not take kindly to the news if you u-turn an acceptance. However, it is probably better than taking a job with doubts and then shortly after leaving.

Turniphead1 · 20/03/2010 22:56

I think it is fine to continue looking at your options until Monday. Family 1 could pull out on YOU until the last minute, so you are under know (legal) obligation to them until you have signed. Clearly, morally, you don't want to mess around so telling Family 2 the position will bring matters to a head in a decent amount of time.
Best of luck

Missus84 · 20/03/2010 22:59

You don't want to mess anyone around, but until the contract is signed it isn't a done deal. The family could just as easily change their mind or want to change the details of the job you agreed to before then.

Bink · 20/03/2010 23:05

If the first family matched the second family's pay, would you go with the first family?

I think you need to contact the first family right away and revoke your verbal acceptance, and tell them frankly you are reconsidering - and if it is only a matter of money, tell them that is the reason.

It's just wrong not to (and your experience with the temp job should tell you that). If you tell them up front you have a chance of them matching the other job's pay offer. If you don't and you let them down then (a) you've burnt your boats with them if you take the other job & it doesn't work out and (b) you might find the tale gets round, to agencies or other potential employers, and it will just give you a reputation you could probably do without.

It's a tough phone call, I know, but you've got to do it.

Blondeshavemorefun · 21/03/2010 14:05

so belle , did you meet the 2nd job/get offered it or are you accepting thr 1st job?

Original poster

BelleNanny · 22/03/2010 12:33

I would like to thank all off you for the advice.
I went for the second interview with the second family and I found out that they asked 4 nannies to come for a second interview and that gave me the impression that they are still really unsure about what they are looking for.I told them that I have a job offer from a similar family and they said they cant decide until the end off this week ,so very polite I told them to cut me off their list.
I also received the contract from the first family and it looks great.
At the end I am really happy that I made the right decision and I decided to sign the contract with the first family.

OP posts:

nannynick · 22/03/2010 12:52

4 nannies for second interview - yep, think you are right that they are really unsure about who they are wanting.

You made the right decision not to pursue that any further. Good luck with the new job.

Blondeshavemorefun · 22/03/2010 17:58

agree 4 nannies seems a large choice for 2nd interview

hope other job goes well

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