This story is about an employer I worked for from June 27th, 2011 to April 19th, 2012. I'm not sure if you can post names or not legally, but I'll give you their names and you take it from there. The mom is T. L., she works for L***** and Associates. It's a global brand design company. One day she will say she is the CEO, the next day she will say she isn't the CEO, she is the Senior Designer, so not sure which is true. I don't know the company the dad works for, his name is K. H., but he is an Architect. They have bragged to me before that they bring in around $130,000 a year. This is a great income for Cincinnati, OH. They own a really nice home near Hyde Park, right off of Columbia Parkway.
I started when their twins were 3 months old. They were the BEST babies ever. I very quickly bonded with them. The parents were at first great, too. Said I was a part of the family that they were so glad to have me and all that. The pay sucked from the beginning, but I was desperate for a job. They originally offered $250 a week for 45 hours, but promised additional compensation for any hours over that, and promised raises at 6 months, 1 year, so on and so forth. They also said my job was strictly to take care of the twins, and the only chores I had to do was clean up my own mess, wash the baby bottles, and do the babies laundry. At first they went out of their way to make me feel welcome. They asked what food I would like in the house, they often brought me home dinner, asked how my day was with genuine concern, and were very polite. The problems started around when the babies turned 6 months.
Suddenly my hours drastically changed. I went from working 8:30 to 5:30 every day, to working as early as 7am to as late as 9pm. They would call me during my work day and say, "Hey listen there's a ball game we got last minute tickets for we need you to stay until 9. We will pay you extra and buy you some dinner!" I agreed because I loved the babies and for fear they would get upset if I didn't. What started out as one night every so often became multiple days a week. Eventually there was not a single week I worked under 50 hours, and most were getting up to 70 hours. I was there from the time the babies woke up til they went to bed. The dad was always the one who paid me, so I began asking nicely about my extra pay. He would always say oh yeah I'll just throw it in there on pay day. Then on pay day it wouldn't be there so I would say "What about my money for working late?" He would say "I forgot... I promise next time I will though." This happened over and over. They also promised me holidays off but began calling me in on holidays promising me extra pay and never following through. One holiday I came in the entire day, 12 hours, they promised to provide me my meals but never did so I worked and was starving all day. Anyways despite this I stayed because I loved the babies so much.
When the babies turned 8 months it got worse. Suddenly the chores increased drastically. She tried to play them off as "this is just a list of chores in case you have the time", but then when she came home if I hadn't mopped, swept, done the dishes, and done her laundry she was pissed. Eventually I started to do the chores and then came the criticism. One morning she made breakfast and left food crusted all over the counter. Feeling it wasn't my responsibility I didn't touch it. She came home and blew up at me over it, insisting I clean it NOW. The way she talked to me was out of line but I dealt with it. They began taking advantage of me, leaving their trash, dirty plates, clothes, everything all over the counters, coffee table, and floors expecting it picked up. They also told me to start bathing the babies daily, which I didn't mind (previously she said she liked to do it) what I did mind was her coming home, smelling the babies, then not believing me that I bathed them.
The worst part though was the dad. He began making comments on my weight and eating habits. One day I ordered pizza he came home and said, "You know if you wouldn't eat that crap you probably wouldn't be so overweight." That was hurtful... but I was so shocked I didn't know what to say so I ignored it. A few days later he demanded I start walking the babies a minimum of 1 hour a day because I "need the exercise". Out of anger, I refused to do so. I was already walking them 20 mins a day, plus outside play time, and his request angered me so I refused. This turned into a constant battle between us. He would come home to a spotless house and clean happy babies and say, "What do you DO all day? Just sit around?" He would also correct the way I spoke. He hated when I said don't, won't, or can't, he said "Around my kids you will say do not, will not, cannot." He was starting to make me miserable. Add that to long hours, the kids now older and crawling and getting into everything, I was getting burnt out and emotionally nearing a breakdown.
Finally last week was it for me. The entire week the dad would in the mornings walk right past me not even acknowledging I was there. One morning he actually brushed up against my arm knocking me back a little and still didn't say a word to me, but before he left he said to the mom in a hateful tone, "Make sure you talk to her about all of the issues we are having with her." When she sat down to talk to me, the "issues" were I used too much milk for the babies, I used the AC too much (even though they told me to put the temperature at whatever made me comfortable, so I set it at 70), and that they couldn't afford to pay for all my mistakes. So on Thursday (I normally am paid $500 every 2 weeks on Friday, and that amount includes for Friday's childcare) I asked to be paid early. The dad flipped out interrogating me as to why, I told him I needed it for gas and bills. He gave it to me, I walked out, and emailed the mom and told her I quit. I told her all the nasty things the dad said to me and that I couldn't take it anymore, I told her that by my calculations they owed me over $600 in overtime wages and that the $500 they gave me that included for Friday, that the Friday amount I will just consider towards the back pay the dad owes me. I then changed my phone number. That night my husband got a flood of calls and texts on his phone, somehow they had his number I must of given it to them. They were acting all nice saying please the kids adore you please don't leave. My husband told her I wouldn't talk to her on the phone but she could email me back. The next morning she emailed me a hateful email saying I owed 2 weeks notice to her and I better come back Monday. I told her she owed it to me to honor her side of the contract and treat me with respect.
The day after I quit she posted an ad on care.com offering $5 to $10 an hour (she won't give you over $5), she will pay under the table just like me I promise, and the ad is by T. L. the zip code to look her up is 45226, and she is asking for care for her 13-month-old twins. I reported her to the care.com staff because I don't want this to happen to another nanny. I will say the babies were LOVELY amazing perfect little babies, but nobody deserves that abuse from the parents. Thank you for considering posting my story. I never want another person to go through what I went through. - M. R.
