Nanny during lockdown

[Bananasplease]

Ok so I fully expect to get flamed for this and I know that others have bigger problems!
DH and I are classed as key workers (justice) but are able to work from home most of the time. We have 2 children (4 and almost 1) and a part time nanny. Our eldest normally also goes to nursery but we stopped that over a week ago. Our nanny has still been coming to us and only taking the children out for short walks away from others over the last week. Now that a lockdown has been announced what do we do?? Do we cancel her but how on earth do we manage on the occasions when we will both have Court commitments (most likely by video or phone) at the same time. I want to do the right thing but I don't know how on earth we manage Court work with 2 kids in the house?

You really are.

There are all sorts of people that will be travelling to work over the coming weeks. Just relax. The primary risk of a nanny going to work in this situation is actually her infecting a wfh family anyway, not the other way around.

I’m also not wrong about courts closing, people from different households not being able to mix and people having to stay 2m apart if they do have to work. And yes, I am invested because I don’t want us to end up like Italy.

Also that wording that you just quoted “ And if the work is absolutely necessary.“ isn’t in the official government document.

There is also a huge list of businesses that have to close and it does not include every private business that is (a) not part of the Covid response and (b) employs people who still have to leave the house to work. Construction sites for example.

How many appointments do you have each week that clash? How long are they?
Can you contact the court and ask for the shortest of each clashing appointment to be moved?
Then make a plan moving forward so you consult each other before agreeing to an appointment to make sure there is no clash.
If there’s any appointments that you can’t resolve a clash you’ll just have to have a few bribes ready.

Good luck

You are so wrong ‘stealthbanana* The way this virus works is that people could be infectious but asymptomatic. They could quite conceivably pass the infection on to someone else. The virus is so infectious this could go on to infect 59,000 people, 590 of whom will die. But you’re right. I will try to relax

Things have moved on so quickly *Aardvark’ that some of the written advice you are relying upon is now obsolete.

They being the family. The two parent and their two dc.

Lancashire you are wrong.

OP, I too am a barrister. I asked a similar question last week (when nursery closed) and was shouted down in the same way you have been. People outside the profession do not realise that our professional obligations require us to put our work before our families.

FWIW, I think you are going to have to manage it between you as best you can, seeking judicial indulgence if necessary. We are all going to be in the same boat and I hope judges and oppos will be understanding. I would be if you were on the other side.

I think that you are going to have to self clerk to an extent, contacting the judge directly if you really need a hearing to be moved. That’s my rough plan, as far as I have formulated it in the last 12 hours. I was considering continuing to use childcare too, but now I have come to terms with the fact that we all must do our bit.

Hopefully the bar council sorts itself out soon.

Things have moved on so quickly Aardvark’ that some of the written advice you are relying upon is now obsolete.*

I read it from the govt website 10 minutes ago. It’s the version that has just been updated to clarify re kids travelling between non-resident parents.

I know loads of barristers who aren’t struggling with understanding the rules!

Also, people don’t realise that we are being told that covid 19 is not a reason not to go to court, and we therefore must go.

I understand exactly how the virus works Lanarkshire - I work in healthcare. The fact the virus is highly transmissible doesn’t make you right about the government guidelines though.

You clearly don’t understand how the virus works because you said it would only be transmitted one way

I haven’t read the guidance about children travelling between parents because in this instance we are talking about arrangements for travelling to and from work!

I know loads of barristers who aren’t struggling with understanding the rules!

Ha ha, people whose job is literally to argue with other barristers about conflicting ways to interpret legislation. Find me a judge who agrees with you and maybe then I’ll concede.

She was speaking in probabilities which is the foundation of government policy at the moment.

I am working flat out at the moment but have cancelled all help coming to the house (with pay) and DH and I are just having to juggle it all between us. Anything else is simply putting NHS staff lives at risk.

I haven’t read the guidance about children travelling between parents because in this instance we are talking about arrangements for travelling to and from work!

It’s not relevant to this discussion. My point was that the info I read was bang up to date because it included that extra explanatory text.

No I didn’t say that Lanarkshire

I said in a house where the family are staying at home it would be the nanny bringing it into the house rather than the household giving it to the nanny. Which is not an exponential transmission curve.

Aardvark I don’t think anybody gives a flying gig what barristers or judges would argue about Coronavirus. These are times when we should listen to our scientists.

DH & I are having the same debate. I’m a nurse, he works in broadcasting. DH is wfh as much as possible but he does have to go in sometimes (Before I get flamed about DH, ask yourself how you were managing to watch Boris on TV last night...it ain’t magic fairies)

So, is our nanny still allowed to come to work? On the 1 day a week where we both have to be in at the same time. I’m honestly at a loss.

stealth The family could give it to the nanny. Why were you arguing this isn’t the case?

If they are wfh and getting online shopping where are they going to contract the virus from Lanarkshire?

Zebra - yes you can have your nanny come. There is a small risk. You will just have to live with it, as do we all.

For me, as much as it hurts us professionally and whether a key worker or not, we HAVE to sail with the prevailing wind re childcare and that HAS to apply to nannies as well.

For as long as nurseries and schools are closed its contingent upon us to realise that the vast majority of us are in the same boat and that it really is our responsbility to handle that change.

Others I know have managed to split it thus with the blessing of their managers (or just fucking telling their managers)

Parent 1: 0700 - 1000
Parent 2: 1000 - 1300

Parent 1: 1300 - 1700
Parent 2: 1700 - 2100

Employers HAVE GOT TO listen to employees now. The HAVE TO.