Nanny sensationally quit

[fancytiles]

Wondering how you would handle this, our nanny we have had for 7 months has just quit out of the blue giving 2 weeks notice (in the contract we have with her, which she drafted, it says she needs to give 8 weeks notice). In total shock and feeling really let down. She said it's a family matter.

There was me thinking it was going to be a sensational story of epic flouncing and door slamming.

2 weeks notice is a pain in the arse inconvenience - not a sensation! 🤣

@Nunoftheother

Have you thought about writing for the Daily Mail?

"You WON"T believe what our Nanny did NEXT!" ....click....

@frustrationcentral

8 weeks notice period is a long time? Is that usual for a Nanny?!

I had three months in most of mine. The trial period was one month with a weeks notice. Was never a problem.

@KaptainKaveman These days a housekeeper refers to a general home help - they'd typically help with cooking, food shopping, cleaning, organise and supervise any odd jobs for maintenance being done to the house etc. Often they help with childcare too unless there is a separate nanny.

The 'Downton Abbey' style role where someone supervises the other staff is quite rare these days and is generally referred to as a 'House Manager' I believe, based on my sister who is a nanny to high net worth individuals. They would still have other responsibilities generally too such as organising flights and accommodation for families when travelling etc.

I'm so disappointed

Peak Mumsnet accolade a great achievement op!

I have had some shockers over the years, and I think it comes with the territory if I am honest. Everything from domestic violence, stealing (actual) Eating all of our food, drinking on the job, lining up my husband for a shoulder to cry on (he isn't great with emotion at the best of times!) Overcharging, helping themselves to the children's ipads for their personal use, bringing over guests undiscussed whilst we were away. Eating mars bars whilst changing the bedding. The list is endless.

I think what I am saying is over the decades you get used to it, and notice little flags earlier on. I am not sure it is ever seamless, because they are human and have their own lives, issues and challenges and given the close quarters of their work it sometimes spills over.

Good luck!

YABU for saying she sensationally quit when she didn't.

@SandysMam

Hmmmm I would consider very seriously how you have treated her otherwise you may find all your nannies suddenly have a “family matter”. Have you been a good employer? Did you take the piss? Is your husband a bit over friendly. It’s good to have a real think about it, save others leaving in the future.

Maybe it wasn't the husband that was overly friendly!

but quite agree - there's usually more to it when anyone wants to quit a job with little notice.

@Rosehip10

"A housekeeper" OP? Has MN suddenly turned back the time to the 1930 today.

We always have housekeepers instead of cleaners. They do different tasks. A cleaner cleans a house which is tidy. A housekeeper tidies, does ironing, laundry etc. If I call an agency and say I need a cleaner it’s different to wanting someone who does the extra things.

YABU for not understanding what 'sensationally' means 😂

OP must have an even more boring life than mine which is impossible if that's sensational.

Why do some people pretend not to know what a housekeeper is?

personally i wasnt 100% sure of the role of a housekeeper. As previous poster said I imagined it was the head of house staff. Thanks to the previous poster who suggested we look at "the lady" ads. thats going to be my new hobby. it seems "housekeeper" covers a large range of tasks, depending on what the employer would like.

Sensational is shagging your husband, step son or both- bonus points for at the same time.

please can we have more sensational nanny stories from people

so I'm just so shocked that she has done

The real test of an employer and a human being is how they treat you when something happens that inconveniences them.

Best practise would be to consider that there might be something quite serious wrong, to ask them whether there is anything you can do to support them then get focussed on finding yourself s bed nanny.

You might also ask whether she would put together some notes to help the next incumbent and whether there is anything you can improve on how you treated them. If you are really open and helpful you might be rewarded with some useful feedback. Sometimes it's the simplest things that can make a big difference.

If this were any other employment relationship she would next expected to work her notice.

That's untrue. Like every contract, it is at the discretion of the employer whether they stick by it or they accept something else. I've seen many situations where notice periods are waived or reduced in certain circumstances. OP could force the nanny to work but like every employer they have to weigh up the consequences of doing so.

I have changed a 3 month notice period to a 2 day notice period when I was having serious problems at home. It was amicable on both sides. 2 days was enough to do a basic handover so everyone just worked around it as best as they could.

These kinds of things happen in the work place more often than you might think.

This really is the most disappointing thread after that title.... and that’s including the lack of fluffy yellow birds on the feeding baby chicken thread!

We had a housekeeper when I was young. My DM always worked full time unless she was having a baby ( she had 5) and DF worked away. We weren’t rolling in money but had a lovely house and big garden. The housekeeper literally‘kept house’ as in cooked for us and did some light housework. I can remember she taught me how to make bubbles with washing up liquid 😂 happy days- and she had the best name ever
Mrs Angel ❤️

This is so disappointingly unsensational

The is the Covid-19 version of sensational.

@underneaththeash

Ahh someone's had a bad day, have a choccie biscuit and a glass of wine 🤣🤣🤣

@Marley20 I had the same day I've had for the last 2 weeks, probably better than the poor OP who is trying to juggle 3mo twins, who can on to ask a perfectly normal question on the au pair forum (albeit in a slightly over-sensational way). She's the barraged by comments from the socialist worker brigade, people giving incorrect legal advice about contracts/au pairs and lots of people who have never even met an au pair, never mind had one.

But you didn't answer the question - why DID you post when you clearly had no idea what you were talking about?

I’m not sure I’d be so ready to place another nanny with OP since she so neatly dodged any of the questions I asked about her treatment of her employee on page 1.

Apologies, it was in fact page 3

@SmidgenofaPigeon

I’m not sure I’d be so ready to place another nanny with OP since she so neatly dodged any of the questions I asked about her treatment of her employee on page 1.

I wouldn’t answer someone making unfounded allegations about me on an Internet forum either. She wanted practical/legal help, she got barrack room lawyers giving incorrect advice and some strange posts which included implying her husband sexually harassed the nanny.

I wouldn’t spend five minutes on people who occupy their time doing that.