I'm unsure what to do. I've not worked for three months owing to the recession. In that time I've been to numerous interviews, just as many second interviews, and this week I worked a paid trial shift, after which my references were checked and today over the phone I was offered the job. After I'd accepted, my new employer stated that the salary we'd agreed on (after speaking about it at the first interview and listing it as part of the outline for the contract at the second interview, an amount which hasn't increased in two years) was beyond their budget and that they'd be paying me 15% less. I was taken aback, stuttered a bit, but accepted the lesser amount. I was very excited at the prospect of starting with this family- we both intended it to be a longterm commitment, and I need to work after not having worked steadily since the beginning of January, however this shift in gears has left a very bad taste in my mouth. I'm to start on Monday, but I'm torn between doing what I need to do which is work steadily again, or standing up for myself and not accept the job because they've gone back on their word. Your opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Friday
Oh, The Economy (VI)
Received Friday, April 10, 2009
I'm unsure what to do. I've not worked for three months owing to the recession. In that time I've been to numerous interviews, just as many second interviews, and this week I worked a paid trial shift, after which my references were checked and today over the phone I was offered the job. After I'd accepted, my new employer stated that the salary we'd agreed on (after speaking about it at the first interview and listing it as part of the outline for the contract at the second interview, an amount which hasn't increased in two years) was beyond their budget and that they'd be paying me 15% less. I was taken aback, stuttered a bit, but accepted the lesser amount. I was very excited at the prospect of starting with this family- we both intended it to be a longterm commitment, and I need to work after not having worked steadily since the beginning of January, however this shift in gears has left a very bad taste in my mouth. I'm to start on Monday, but I'm torn between doing what I need to do which is work steadily again, or standing up for myself and not accept the job because they've gone back on their word. Your opinions would be greatly appreciated.
I'm unsure what to do. I've not worked for three months owing to the recession. In that time I've been to numerous interviews, just as many second interviews, and this week I worked a paid trial shift, after which my references were checked and today over the phone I was offered the job. After I'd accepted, my new employer stated that the salary we'd agreed on (after speaking about it at the first interview and listing it as part of the outline for the contract at the second interview, an amount which hasn't increased in two years) was beyond their budget and that they'd be paying me 15% less. I was taken aback, stuttered a bit, but accepted the lesser amount. I was very excited at the prospect of starting with this family- we both intended it to be a longterm commitment, and I need to work after not having worked steadily since the beginning of January, however this shift in gears has left a very bad taste in my mouth. I'm to start on Monday, but I'm torn between doing what I need to do which is work steadily again, or standing up for myself and not accept the job because they've gone back on their word. Your opinions would be greatly appreciated.
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32 comments:
My honest opinion is this: Take the job....but keep looking for a better one. They've already been disingenuous with you, so too bad for them.
Take the job, you need the money. Keep an eye out for something better.
Good Luck.
I say take the position and see how you like it for the next 3 months. Be thankful you did find a position. You may find a better position that is better pay but it may not be better all around. Sometimes things have a way of working out. They may turn out to be a wonderful family.
Good luck on Monday! Let us know how it goes.
My #1 rule: Look out for self.
Especially in the nanny business when employers don't think twice about letting you go on a weeks pay.
Take this job, continue looking for a better paid one. Is it "playing nice" to just leave them? No, but you need a job now and who knows when another opportunity will come again. If you do get offered a better position then you can let this family know that unless they offer you the original agreed upon amount you have to switch.
Good luck to you!
I agree, you need to work and your employers need to work on their integrity. Take the job, and keep circulating your resume. Good luck, and boo to your shady employers.
If they will double cross you now, they will double cross you later.
They have already shown you the type of people they are. Why would you want to work or even be around that type of person?
Run as fast as you can for your next interview. You'll get the good job you deserve. You don't need the hell these people will cause you. IMHO
Take the job and steal enough stuff to make up for that 15%.
BAD JOKE, sorry!
Seriously though, I agree with Village. I couldn't work for someone who pulls manipulative crap like this. I would assume it will only get worse.
Good luck whatever you decide.
If the market in your area weren't so bad I would say RUN FAST from that family and never look back. If they feel like they can walk all over you now, it will most definitely only get worse.
However since you have been without a job for 3 months I would do as everyone else is saying and take it. However you have to look out for yourself and not try to stay with this family and save them any money. If they can't afford you, and the market really is that bad, they will find someone else when you quit that will work for probably far less than even your pay with the cut.
Call the mom back and see if you can compromise. Explain that you accepted the job under the original conditions, then she changed the conditions on you. Explain that you definitely want the position, but perhaps in lieu of the smaller salary they could give you an extra day off with pay each month or an extra week of paid vacation.
Either way, continue looking in case something better comes about, but take the position now if you need the money because who knows how long it would take to find another job.
are you out of work because you've only been looking for nanny positions?
i don't know where you live, but you might consider applying to a private preschool. you can make at least $14/hr at most places, and when you find your next nanny position it is much easier to leave.
i wouldn't work for those assholes though. going back on your word is only the FIRST favor they will do you, be certain.
I just had a question OP. Did they ask you to sign a contact w/the original rate, then after you signed it, did they then verbally tell you they could only pay you 15% less? If so, then yes they are double-crossers and cannot be trusted at all. My advice to you would be to take the job ONLY if you are in dire straits...i.e., behind on rent, no food to eat, etc. In other words, if you are in desperate situation where you need to work or you will not survive. But if you signed a contact w/them, are you bound to it by a certain amount of time? Such as, did you agree to work for them for at least 6 mos, etc....?
I had a family who did something similar to me. In fact, I have had a few. I get hired under certain conditions, then once hired, they throw me "curveballs" and say.."Oh can you please give us this, and this, etc..etc...etc. And sooner or later, the trust between us is eroded and it never worked out.
So if you are feeling leery now, imagine how you will feel later on. Seems this is the first red flag and you haven't even started!!!
Start working and keep looking. When you find a better position leave them high and dry. No more than 2 weeks notice and when they bitch remind them about the little trick they played on you.
I would 'grin and bear it' until you find something else. When that time comes be honest with her and tell her that you had to find something else since she reneged on her side of the deal
Take the job, look for a new one immediately. The new family is disgusting and you can bet they are not going to be nice employers (nice employers don't ambush you with a 15% paycut after agreement). They screwed you which gives you permission to screw them.
This also just happened to me. I'm attributing it to the market being saturated with nannies needing work and employers being spoilt for choice with nannies interviewed and their differing rates.
In my situation the contract for the new FT position has not been signed, I will insist on it when I start. However in light of my salary shortchange I continued to interview and just accepted a PT position that may compromise whatever flexibility in my availability my FT employers were hoping for.
I understand your need to work, I'm in the same boat, and as employers they should respect you enough to lay it on the table when it was presented to them. I am going to start the job and do the work as well as I always do, but I know to not regard my FT employers as anything but a interim job to fill the financial void till I find people who will treat me like a person for caring for their child.
The economy is no excuse to manipulate and screw people over. And not in an area where your children are involved.
Good luck.
I agree with everyone else. Take the job but keep looking. When you quit, let them know they cut your pay and you "just figured out" you can't live on it.
That's BS. They should have figured out what they could afford before nanny hunting. My guess is that they found someone not as good as you, willing to work for less, so they decided to get the best of both worlds.
Honestly, take the job. You need the money. She probably should have handled it better but some people don't have that skill. Maybe they just got into some financial hardships or something and don't want to discuss them. Try not to let it bother you :) It is money which you need and you are blessed to have found a job.
also, could you ask her about it? maybe bring it up that you were hurt? maybe she would offer an explanation which won't be much but I'd feel better with it.
I say take the job, but talk to the family and renogotiate your terms of service. Say if you had agreed to do light housekeeping, let them know that will no longer be possible with the lower salary.
I'd take most of the advice given above and work for them till you find something better. That would be doing what is in your interests, given the situation. When people's words don't match their actions, you can certainly do without it. And do better at that!
There are assholes in the world. These ones have kids who'll learn to become assholes from the source, just like they obviously learnt from their asshole parents.
Everyone's advice is sound. Mine is the same: Do what you have to do.
Had you asked for a salary that was outrageous they wouldn't have interviewed you a second time, let alone asked you back for the trial. So it's a situation where they are trying to cut corners...but with their children??? Some people are completely moronic.
These people are untrustworthy and manipulative. They will be a nightmare to work for.
If you can get by until the school year ends there may be more FT jobs opening up in your area. In the meantime, is there a temp. agency in your area? Have you tried posting for occasional babysitting on boards in preschools and peds. offices? Spread the word through your refs. and parents you know that you are open to PT temp. work, and you may find yourself quite busy, especially if you are available evenings and weekends.
Take it and drop them like a hot potato when you find something else.
Stuff like this makes me so angry. The parents probably know that there are 30 nannies out there for each nanny job and they are taking advantage of that fact!! Ugh!! This makes me so freakin' angry. How dare they look at a nanny as a piece of dirt that they can walk all over? As if, being a nanny is a low-class position!! And this is the person who will care for their children!! I have had my share of these types of people and they never cease to amaze me.
I agree with most. Take the job because it will pay you at least something, continue to look for a better one, and don't do the employers any favors when you leave, because they have proven that they are untrustworthy and don't deserve the benefit of the doubt.
And, are there really only 30 nannies applying for every position? I envy that. In my field there are easily over a huundred applying for every single job advertised.
The nanny market is just like every other job market right now. Hundreds of available people for each position.
Real, professional nannies have to compete not only with each other, but against the cheap, illegal or off the books nannies that will do anything for a buck. And in my area, those are the ones getting the jobs.
if she signed a contact with the orginal salary terms; it doesn't matter if she committed for 50 years. they broke the contract already so she can leave when she wants.
did you sign it? what were the terms? good luck!!
" Kim said...
The nanny market is just like every other job market right now. Hundreds of available people for each position.
Real, professional nannies have to compete not only with each other, but against the cheap, illegal or off the books nannies that will do anything for a buck. And in my area, those are the ones getting the jobs."
Truer words never spoken.
OP here. Thanks for all your advice and opinions.
I accepted the job when they offered it over the phone and I will commence work tomorrow, because I cannot afford to not go to work. However I'm not going to forget how they are and how they'd reneged on an agreement, even if it was a verbal agreement. Despite what they said about wanting the right person for the longterm, their lowballing doesn't indicate this. I'm in Westchester and my rate is in line with the rates in the area, which of course they're well aware of.
I'm considering this a temporary job whilst I continue to look for a respectful family with integrity to commit to.
*And we'd only discussed the outline of what was going to be in the contract, the salary of which was agreed to at that point.
Wow. Sorry to hear that. How would they feel if you asked for a %15 raise out of nowhere?
Best of luck and I hope you find something else soon, or find yourself at peace with your current situation.
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