Received Wednesday, March 19, 2008-Rant
I am writing this in hopes that the involved family sees this. I am the mother of a little boy with developmental delays. I check here often only because he can not tell us if something is wrong. I love our current nanny and don't think she would ever harm my child. We live in the Dundee area in Omaha, NE. My son loves to go for walks in the park. We often see the nanny of another family in the neighborhood with her charges. They are an adorable set of twins. We were in Memorial Park and the little boy asked the nanny if they could go get ice cream. Now it is the middle of winter, so a plain no would not have surprised me. The nanny just said "X, mommy hasn't paid me in a long time, so we don't have money for ice cream." Being my usual self, I said "Your boss hasn't paid you?" She said no, but the boss usually pays up after a month or two if she bugs them enough. She went on to say it is hard to find jobs where you get along with the parents and that she wouldn't get a good reference if she complained about this family. That would make it hard for her to find another job with her being Hispanic and all. I am APPALLED that any family in our neighborhood would treat their nanny this way! We live in an upper class neighborhood where finances should not be a huge issue. I would hate to be a nanny stealer, but I would gladly have this woman watch my son and I would never treat her this way! This woman takes excellent care of these kids. She interacts with them, plays with them, talks to them, shows them affection and always keeps an eye on them. The children adore her, so I am pretty sure this is not an act. I have to say SHAME on these parents!
Wow-that just sort of breaks my heart! Poor girl. I hope you see her again and talk her up so that she'll gain some self esteem to find a position where she's appreciated.
ReplyDeleteO.P.
ReplyDeleteI was just wondering if maybe you could recommend her. Maybe, one of your friends with a child(ren) needs a nanny.
oh, please. who would work for free? she probably lied to the kid and then felt like she had to cover since you questioned her about it.
ReplyDeleteI think the nanny is pretty shameful spouting off at the mouth about the private finances of her employer. Shame, shame on her.
ReplyDeleteAmazing that no one can just feel sorry for this woman. Second, I get the impression that the woman was using her own money for petty cash and getting reimbursed.
ReplyDelete3:16,
ReplyDeleteI don't believe the nanny was "spouting off". It appears that she was asked about a situation and answered about it. Also, the "private finances" in this case have to do with the nanny as well. Shame shame on her employers for feeling like they could pay her whenever they felt like it.
Wow, my boss pays me each and every week and she is constantly asking me if I spent any of my own money throughout the week so that she can reimburse me. I can't imagine working for someone who couldn't pay me.
ReplyDeleteHopefully this women will find a better job where her employer actually pays her on time.
Um, I don't like the nanny telling the kid "your mom has not paid me in a long time". Why didn't she bring up these issues with her employer instead of her 5-year-old charges? If it is true, it is indeed appalling but that is not a reason for involving the kids. I would not like to deal with this nanny. Sounds like the whining type to me.
ReplyDeleteI had this situation happen to me. I worked for a well to do, tenured Vice Principal and lawyer. All went well with my pay for about 7 months. Then one day, they didn't pay me that Friday, they "Forgot" to write and leave the check home. (The checks were in the Lawyers desk at work. I knew this was BS but I dealt with it that week. The next few weeks, things were fine then no pay, no explanation until I asked that Monday. The husband said it slipped his mind. The following week, again no pay. I asked before I left and was told by the wife her husband handles all the finances and I would need to speak with him. He was unavailable at the time and all weekend. Monday after work he informed me they were switching my pay to Bi-weekly. For a few months, we were back on track then payday comes-no pay. This time, they had the grandmother come and relive me and told me they wouldn't need me the following Monday or Tuesday. That Wed, I get paid and so begins bi-weekly trouble. They began stretching it out to every three weeks and then, when I hadn't been paid in four weeks, I quit. Only when I threatened to take them to small claims court, and shame them in the community by doing so, did I get what I was owed. This was a well-off family in a very up-scale neighborhood. I still see their kids as I am still a nanny in the area and their nanny, now an illegal immigrant, tells me they are terrible at paying her. She says often they give her 50 or 100 on a Friday to "get her through" the weekend but she is owed about 6weeks pay.
ReplyDeleteI want to add, I have only ever had pay issues with wealthy families. I now work for a hard-working middle class family and I have no such issues.
5:01...similar thing happened to me, oddly enough also working for a lawyer. Though it happened during my 3rd year working with them, but I had some indications of money trouble since the mom asked me to answer the phone when bill collectors called during the day (because apparently it's against the law for them to call again the same day if they've spoken with someone in the houshold already, like when mom & dad would be home). It started with dad coming home first saying mom was supposed to pay me, then they misplaced their checkbook, and a few more lies.
ReplyDeleteOver $2000 owed to me later, mom (the lawyer) said I should sue her if I wanted my money (knowing that racking up court costs would make it not worth it).
Needless to say, I did not return to the family when I left their house that day.
OP- if you talk to the nanny again, encourage her to find another family to work for, if she is indeed owed money. I had no trouble finding another job-- I was very open with families, and worked out rock solid agreements regarding my pay prior to working even one minute for them (and that under no circumstances would I continue to come to work if I wasn't paid EACH WEEK).
The families appreciated me being so thorough and hammering out fine details so there were no surprises.
I agree that she it was inappropriate for her to say that to the children, or even in front of them.
ReplyDelete-she
ReplyDeleteshe is illega, i am sure, and thats why tey are not paying her.
ReplyDeleteAliana, and you are illiterate, I am sure.
ReplyDeleteIf she's not being paid, she can tell whomever she pleases, whenever she pleases.
ReplyDeleteThis is pretty nauseating. She's illegal so they don't pay her? If you hire someone, you have to pay them. If you don't think illegals should get paid, don't hire them. There is NO excuse for this. They're lucky she not only shows up for work instead of disappearing on no notice, and takes good care of their kids. They obviously don't give half a poop about their kids, let alone their nanny. She should find better employers and take these aXXholes to small claims court.
ReplyDelete5:01
ReplyDeleteI know im gonna get bashed for this but whatever
There is a reason why you only ever have this issue with wealthy families.
A hard working middle class family understands how much your pay check means, knows how hard you work for it, and feels you deserve it. People who have been handed everything have no understanding of what it really means to be dependant on your pay check. They feel entitled to your service, and you are lucky that they are good enough to employ you, who are most likely beneath them if you work as a nanny (in thier mind that is)
when you see this nanny again, tell her that if she wants to quit her job that you'll give her a last employment referral. let her babysit a couple of times for you too to confirm her good skills.
ReplyDeleteim sure she'll find a job that way
9:44, that is SO true!
ReplyDeleteI work for several families, some very wealthy and some not so. The wealthy families pay more but I find they are likely to "mistakenly" short me 5 or 10 dollars at the end of the day or evening (More than once with the same family) They also often try to negotiate down my rate, and ususally forget their checks or don't have any readily avaliable. Whereas the working, upper middle class familes I work for give me no such payment headaches. They accept my rates without question and generally tip on a weekend evening as well!
I actually had one very wealthly woman try to give me a used coach purse in lieu of payment for a 10 hour day and then tell me I should be happy, the purse is worth far more! I exlained that the purse, though in excellent condition, is not needed or wanted as I already have one, as my husband surprised me with one last Mother's Day and that I prefer the money. her face, to know a mere nanny had a Coach bag, was priceless!
I hate to say it, but in MY experience also ... the only trouble I ever had receiving pay was from a wealthy Family. I kind of wonder why? ... but I'm certainly not going to bash 9:44 because her reason could be as plausible as any, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI would ask for my paycheck to be on the kitchen counter when I came in every Friday morning. I hardly ever had any problems except with one exceptionally well-to-do Family. They started making me come on Saturday, then Sunday ... then "ooops, we'll pay you on Monday".
They got one warning, and after it happened again, I left. There is no excuse, especially when I see the Mr. buying a brand new sound system, or there's 'take-out' boxes and empty wine bottles all over when I come in Monday morning.
Although I think the Nanny was wrong to say anything at all in front of the child about the money, I understand how she feels. The Parents should be careful ... hopefully this is a really lovely Nanny, because the last thing you want is a bitter one taking care of your child.
That's an outrage. Completely taking atvantage. As to why she may have explained it like that to the child- I have a feeling it may have been more about who was in earshot.
ReplyDeleteDeni, that could be true, too. Kind of like when your aggravated and need a sounding board.
ReplyDeleteAnd although I do sympathize, a big "Boo" to her for doing it in front of the kid.
Totally off subject, but I also live in Omaha and check this because I have a nanny...so it is nice that other Omahan's are on here!
ReplyDeleteAnd I feel bad if on our nanny's payday I'm running late from my job and end up later because I have to stop at the bank....I can't imagine just NOT paying her....so weird. (FWIW, we do pay her extra if I'm running late which isn't often.)
If poor little spitzer can be busted for going in to his own account and withdrawing money that attracted the attention of the FBI, then why can't banktellers across the US start narcking on you people who go to the bank to get a particular some of cash every week?
ReplyDeletePay your nannies on the books.
Pay taxes!
4:14, because we live in AMERICA, and here we have the perfect right to withdraw our own money without question. You see in this country it's innocent UNTIL proven guilty, not the other way around.
ReplyDelete4:26 As we saw with Spitzer, withdrawing suspicious amounts of money, including a certain sum each Friday, can sometimes constitute "probable cause" to open an investigation.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the nanny should have told the child his parents weren't paying her. Over the line.
Shame on these employers if this is true.
11:26, there is a big difference between an elected official withdrawing large sums of cash each week, and a regular citizen withdrawing several hundred dollars a week. They need much more to go on before they can begin to question why you are taking money out of your account each week. Especially with the popularity of Direct Deposit for paychecks. I myself, withdraw 400.00 to 600.00 each week for weekend entertainment, and ready cash for my family.
ReplyDeletePay by Dirct Deposit and this won't happen. Employers won't have the excuse that they don't have checkbook or no cash on hand. It makes them more accountable. Also in my experience most professional Nannies today do get paid via Direct Deposit.
ReplyDeleteDirect deposit is great if you never have overtime hours, or if your employer is honest and responsible enough to pay for the additional hours they owe you for. In the case of employers who are not paying on time, they are exactly the ones who would never paid for the extra hours if you had direct deposit
ReplyDeleteIt's not that complicated. You pay your nanny every week the same amount via direct deposit. And when she is owed more due to overtime, you pay her by cash or you pay her by extra check. The point being her base salary is always in her account when it should be. Everything else is just extra.
ReplyDeleteI just want to bring up a different point because a few people have been upset that the nanny told the kid his parents didn't pay her.
ReplyDeleteAs a nanny, there have been times I was at the park with the kids and they asked me for ice cream. I told them no because I didn't have enough money. When they asked me why I told them I had to spend all my money on other things, like bills. Their parents don't give me small cash to spend on the kids or reimburse me for gas, I often just don't want to spend my own money. There have been times I had to say, "Mom and Dad didn't give me money to buy this and I can't spend my own money."
Sometimes kids ask a lot of questions and there is no way around it but to be honest. Some people think it's horrible to say certain things to kids but I beleive in honesty. It is what it is.