Advice about work situation

[YellowWave]

I'm a nanny for a family. I will be faced with a situation in a few weeks time. Basically one of the children requires medical treatment abroad. One of the parents is due to fly abroad with the child for a week long stay in a childrens hospital on the continent. Then they come home.

The current advice is for the family to quarantine and isolate themselves.

The mother that I work for wants me to continue to attend to work in their home and she dressed it up as the two of them isolating in their rooms when they come home. The child will be in isolation for the first few days alright due to her health condition. I know the mother like the back of my hand and she won't isolate herself. She broke social distancing guidelines several times already and got into my personal space to breath down my neck. The woman will want me in their home minding the rest of the children, and doing her laundry. These will be 8 to 12 hour days working with the possibility of an exposure with no PPE. I will have my own masks, that's it. The children require close contact due to their needs.

So, what do I do? The woman has dressed up the situation saying they will quarantine in their rooms but I know them, that's a lie. She's putting me and my family at risk for covid infection and exposure. Should I be standing firm with her and tell her the public health guidelines of quarantining the family? She probably won't take it too well being told no but fcuk them.

I would just pack the job in, you obviously don’t like or respect your employers or enjoy your job. Why not just go and work got someone else?

Fuck that. They don't care about you, why should you care about them?

I wouldn’t do this and would be looking for a new role.

Thanks for the replies

Toolatetooearly, that's actually a good question to ponder and ask myself.

They had me working with the possibility of another exposure a few weeks ago in August and their children were coughing. Thankfully in the end it was colds but it was a frightening few weeks.

I told my partner and my family the upcoming schedule and they are jot happy with me attending to work especially considering the family should be quarantining. They view flights and travel as high risk for the virus considering people brought back virus from Northern Italy earlier in the year. They would view hospitals as similar risky environments.

I've been looking for other work since the summer time because I don't want to continue in my position where I'm put at risk and I can't trust them to do the right thing either. No luck yet.

What's worse is that, a lot of my duties is like dogsbody stuff - tidying and cleaning up after the family. The father could easily step in and take over from me for the quarantine time.

You are right to not want to work in these conditions but you speak about them very harshly. I don't think I would want you nannying for me, tbh.

As above, just resign, you clearly don't like them so it's not worth continuing. It's reasonable to say you won't go in during their quarantine period, it isn't reasonable to work closely with children whose mother you so clearly despise doing work that you seem to feel is beneath you.

MRex

No, that is wrong. I loved my position for a long time. There were some aspects I wasn't happy with. Like last summer the parents didn't to go out for dinner after work and it was approx 10pm at night by the time they came home. I was in work since 8.30 am. That was a 13 and half hour day. I always loved helping them but there some aspects that the family see as beneath them and they have pushed so much onto my back, a lot of it was never in my original contract. For instance, the woman that I work for sulked because I never got around to doing laundry loads from her laundry basket. She focused in on her own laundry basket being full never mind about all of the other jobs and all the other laundry that I did do. I was tasked with the position of caring for her children and now it's a dogsbody position.

The family that I work for will be high risk for infection soon. The parents still want me to continue to attend for work. They dressed it up at the mother and child in isolation in their rooms but I know them so well. The mother definitely won't be in isolation in her room. They are in a position where 2 members of the family will have to quarantine themselves in case symptoms arrive and they want to break the quarantine to have me continue to attend for work. My risk for exposure could be minimised if they could learn how to pick up after themselves.

What is wrong exactly? You don't like the people nor the job, as shown again by just adding more disgruntled comments.

Could you agree on the basis they quarantine but leave as soon as they (inevitably) don't?

You dislike them intently and don’t like your job. Tell them you’re not going in, whether they pay you or not is a different story. Not as in should they, but will they.

And find yourself another job. You can’t be in someone’s home when you dislike them.

I haven't a clue what I'm going to do.

I know the lady very well. She says they will be in isolation in their rooms. She probably won't stay in isolation in her room. On one hand I don't trust her because of the isolation thing but then on the other hand, I do trust her about the hygiene measures. She won't be coughing openly or into her hands or pick or nose or drooling into her hands and spreading fluids onto her hands and around the place. I do trust her 100% on the hygiene measures. I don't see a problem as such with the mother and the hygiene measures. So long as they don't develop coughs. I don't see the mother going around licking the door handles or spreading mucus on the common surfaces. So to some degree I do trust the mother on the hygiene measures so long as they don't start coughing. What I don't trust the parents with is if they become unwell and show symptoms of cough. She will probably expect to continue to attend to work and I'm not happy or comfortable doing that.

I don't have any training in infectious control but I'm hyper aware. Ideally I probably shouldnt be bring any of my belongings into the or house. I do bring my own lunch, coffee cup, water bottle and cutlery so that I don't use or share their stuff like the kitchen handles and utensils.

I will check with the authorities what the guidelines are about the quarantining after travel and about workers in the home. I will follow the advice of the health authorities and public health guidelines.

Currently it states people should quarantine after travelling. Is there and documents about workers in homes? And what their position is? The health authorities recommend no visitors in homes if you a confirmed positive. Would I be considered a visitor or a worker?

Well here's the official spiel www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-how-to-self-isolate-when-you-travel-to-the-uk/coronavirus-covid-19-how-to-self-isolate-when-you-travel-to-the-uk

"Within your accommodation
The people you’re staying with do not need to stay at home, unless they travelled with you.
If you’re staying in a hotel or guest house, you must stay away from others who didn’t travel with you, so it’s important that you don’t use shared areas such as bars, restaurants, health clubs and sports facilities. Stay 2 metres apart from other people staying there at all times.
It’s important to avoid as much contact with other people as possible in your home in order to reduce the risk of transmitting coronavirus. You should stay in a well-ventilated room with a window to the outside that can be opened, separate from other people in your home."

So it seems what she is proposing is legally ok, but I wouldn't be happy with it. To my mind quarantine should be just that.

I disagree, the advice is that there should be no visitors unless they are providing essential care. If the couple are physically unable to care for themselves or their children then OP could go there to help, but she's been explicit that the husband could do the tasks that are largely laundry and tidying up. www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/when-to-self-isolate-and-what-to-do/

That's right. I'm not too impressed with the situation. It's all about minimising risks. The mother will be at home for an isolation/quarantine period. She could easily reduce the workload she gives me during that period. A huge smack in the face is that the father will continue with his golf while having me there working under possible exposures. Could he not cut out the golf for a 2 week period until the quarantine period is over and minimising my risk of possible exposures.

I need to look after myself and my own family first and foremost. Are there any solicitors I could go to for advice?

I would view essential care as someone who is completely dependent on someone else for their care.

I think the parents would be able to care for their own children during the quarantine period. They are wishing for extra care to come into their home - putting me and then also my family and also my partner and his family at risk. One of the parents works in the health service and should have a reasonable grasp on the guidelines especially considering its their job to advise others if they have covid symptoms.

ACAS are generally happy to advise anyone about employment and sick pay advice, regardless of union status. You can contact them here: www.acas.org.uk/contact.

But what would you have her do OP? It's hardly reasonable to expect her to delay her child's treatment indefinitely!!!

Do you just hate your job and really want the time off?

I don’t really understand what the questions is. You are not comfortable working in these conditions so quit? What exactly are you asking about.

I don't expect her to delay the childs treatment. I expect them to quarantine as per the public health guidelines and recommendations. The public health guidelines and recommendations also states not to have visitors in the home. So far the mother expects me to attend to work and she dressed up the situation as a positive for me saying she will quarantine in their rooms.

I don't believe they will be quarantine or isolate themselves in their rooms. The nature of my work is close contact. I also believe the parent scould minimise my risk of a possible exposure by carrying out the or own childcare and household duties during the 2 week quarantine time. They are putting me at risk for the virus and then I carry it home to my family, two of them are high risk.

I'm keep thinking of some sort of a role reversal here. If I was to get on a flight to go away abroad, and maybe attend a gathering like a wedding or have a stay in a hospital - all of them are high risk. Would the parents be happy with me attending to work straight away without a 2 week quarantine period due to the high risk environments and the close nature of the work involved. I really don't think the parents would be too happy with a situation like that where I put their family at risk. Already I cancelled a cruise holiday and a wedding this year to keep myself and everyone around me as safe as possible. Then they turn around and try and put at risk.

I don't understand why you need a lawyer. In essence it boils down to do you want to work or not.

If you do, crack on. You're going to your place of work.

If you don't, simply inform them of that.

If you're self employed you have the right to set your own hours. Worst case scenario they replace you. Unlikely, if you've been there forever and they value you, but I guess not impossible.

If you're employed then worst case scenario they could go down the misconduct route and terminate your contract. With notice. And with them vulnerable to an unfair dismissal case under the circumstances.

But you don't need a lawyer. You need to make your mind up what you're happy with, inform the family, and then do it.

But this is NOTHING like going on holiday or to a wedding!!! They are going away for medical treatment for a child who is presumably pretty poorly or else they would not be travelling. So no I don't think it is unreasonable of them to be expecting you to work. Your not a visitor your a an employee and probably pretty essential for the day to day running of the household when 1 child is seriously ill!
Instead of getting on your high horse about it start asking yourself what YOU can do to minimise the risks as well as what they can do.
If you don't want the job quit and leave them in the lurch.
What treatment is the child having? ( you don't need to answer this on here just for you to answer yourself)
What is the set up going to be in hospital? Will they be on a mixed ward or will they have a private room? If the latter will they be isolating in that room?
How are they getting to and from the hospital? Are they using public transport or driving? If the latter then that's obviously much lower risk.
Has the hospital got any cases of C-19 atm? Being a children's hospital it's not a given that they will.
What testing will the child have? In uk any routine hospital admissions are being tested prior to admission. Will that be the case here? Will the mum also be tested? Will they be tested on discharge?
What can you do once they are home to prevent spread within the home?
Have you got sufficient cleaning materials?
Can you come up with a routine of cleaning high contact surfaces - light switches ect. Get all children into the habit of washing hands again. Make sure your doing the same. Maintain social distancing where possible and discuss using masks.

It is possible to keep yourself safe and maintain your job if you all put thought and energy into it.

The scenarios or situations are similar - they are high risk environments.

I thought about this and I would be happy to help but it is something that has to be met by all of us. The parents will think nothing of having me in work from morning til night time. They will have me doing the jobs and the chores and the childcare. They will place the or want for dinner or golf or meeting their friends ahead of reducing the risk of exposures for me. They could easily restrict their movements for the 2 week quarantine period but they probably won't leaving the work load on me and putting me at risk and then I will putmy family at risk. I wasn't to keep myself and my family safe.

I don't trust the family if they develop symptoms of the virus and cough. They will dismiss any symptoms as colds putting me further at risk of infection.