Saturday

The Vomit Comet

Noticed a theme? We're featuring especially rude employers this weekend!

This is a question about money due. I have worked for my boss for 12 weeks. Her housekeeper took a week off. I am not a house cleaner, never said I was and was never asked to be. While the housekeeper was away, I did more than usual because I have two small children to look after so the floors have to be clean, the bathtubs clean, etc.

On Thursday morning I came in and made my toast. There was bread sitting on a bread block with a knife like always. Cut to later that day I am in the ER with severe stomach pains, diarrhea and vomiting. I thought it was the flu, but it turns out, it was salmonella poisoning because little miss shit for brains made chicken cutlets on the counter last night and didn't wipe the counter up or anything. Her husband also had the same thing but because he is who he is, had a doctor come to his office.

SO, I have health insurance that I pay for and carry myself. I also had to leave work at 2. I called the mother over who came to sit with the kids. I was shocked at my boss's nonchalance. She told me I was nuts if I thought she was "scrubbing counters with comet before she headed out for a ten hour day". No apology. Nothing. The fact is, her older son (3) eats toast for breakfast almost exclusively. She didn't even ask if he had any or if he was sick or anything. As it happens, he wanted oatmeal. I am shocked at her carelessness and total disregard. She also told me, "We're just lucky my mom was able to come over" as if what? If she couldn't I would stay there vomiting?

Email your experience to isynblog@gmail.com.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I honestly think spreading peanut butter with a random knife on the counter wasn't your brightest move. Especially if you know your boss isn't the cleanest/most sanitary and the housekeeper is gone. I don't think cleaning up after yourself and the kiddos (the tub and floors) is that much of a hardship. My MB employs once a week house cleaning service, but I sweep and spot mop the kitchen floors daily as well as use a clorox wipe to wipe down the sinks, counters, and bathtubs after our use. Even though I know my employers are clean and use different cutting boards for meat, veggies, etc, I would never just use a knife out on the counter. It sounds like you have become a little lazy and paid for it. If no one else in the home got sick, it is also hard to prove that the sickness came from their home.

I also think going to the ER with stomach pains is melodramatic. I've had food poisoning and it isn't fun, but it isn't a medical emergency. If you need medical assistance, you could head to a urgent care clinic. You won't be charged the exorbitant fees you will be charged at the ER. It will also be faster to be seen. Even better would be to stay home and hydrate yourself.

I do agree that your boss was rude. My guess is that she didn't believe you were sick enough for her to leave work or find back up care. This is a good lesson for her to have a back up plan in case. It isn't your responsibility to worry about that.

Lessons learned all around.

Anonymous said...

O.o Hold up....are you seriously blaming another person for getting you sick because YOU didn't clean the area before use? Wow. Entitled much? I ALWAYS clean my area BEFORE I use it to prep for many reasons...pets, dust, insects, possible rodents, bags/purses, cell phones...all leave germs behind. Even after cleaning I use a communal plate to prep before dspursing That is cooking/prepping 101. Had you precleaned, it wouldn't matter what she didn't do (yes, even though that is nasty too).

Own your bad choices.

Angi

Emory said...

This wouldn't have happened if either party had ever taken a Food Handler's course. I get recertified every time it comes up. It has saved me from many a hairy situation. I don't eat food I didn't buy when I work (mostly because of food allergies) but it isn't clear if you used an old knife on your toast or if the bread was open on a Salmonella exposed counter. If it's a package of bread wrapped in plastic and you used an old knife, then it isn't your bosses fault. Otherwise, she subjected both you and her kid(s) to a potentially dangerous situation.

I second the Urgent Care recommendation. They're a lot cheaper and tend to be easier. You get seen rather quickly. Your boss is rude, but you seem to be expecting friendship levels of concern. Some people are really self-involved. Lesson learned. Clean before you eat at her house since she sounds like a slob.

Hope you feel better.

OTNanny said...

Regardless of whose fault it was that this nanny got food poisoning, I don't think it is unreasonable to expect at least a modicum of professional-level concern from her employer, with maybe a "sorry you are vomiting profusely, yes it's fine to take off a little early" - since running back and forth to the bathroom is probably not the best way to be spending your time as a caregiver to someone else's kids. This lady just sounds like a giant B. I know that as a nanny, you are expected to have super-human abilities and generally can't call out sick, but I feel like vomiting is an exception to that rule.

Anonymous said...

Wow Angie, you seem to get nastier and nastier to people on here. Go take a nap and come back.

Anonymous said...

Why, because I call people out on their crap? People dont own their shit and blame others. Our society is growing wih entitlists and blame-gamers. Take responsibility for your choices or lack there of.

Angi

this_nick said...

I like it, because it makes me look slightly less mean in comparison.

Lacy said...

This nanny didn't get food poisoning, she got salmonella; its more serious. The fact is the family made chicken in the area and didn't clean it-- didn't tell her-- nothing. The family did however leave things how they seem to always do--bread on the cutting block. If things are left like always, and the nanny had been doing this for longer then 6 months-- I think she was right to assume it was safe. The child could have become very sick after, if the child had any of the bread.

I have to agree with OP shame on the family. This nanny is already having to do extra work-- I don't see them making their house keeper tend to the children if she took a vacation.

Anonymous said...

Um, no Angie, because she was severely sick with salmonella poisoning because of someone else's actions, a mother should damn well know better to sanitize an area that they prepare meat, especially pork and chicken. The mother is an awful boss, and an awful mother. What would have happened if the children got sick, people have died from salmonella poisoning before. It's not a joke. It is 100000000% the mother's fault. Not like the nanny knew that the mother would be THAT negligent. Jesus fucking christ, is it that difficult to have empathy for another person for you? Maybe you need therapy. Your 30 years of being an expert at everything has sorely failed you in this department.

Anonymous said...

ROTFLMAO Nick

Angi

Anonymous said...

Wow....a bunch of blaimers. But I guess this shouldn't surprise me. Had she cleaned the area before preparing food LIKE YOURE SUPPOSED TO, it wouldn't have happened.

Definitely a lesson she learned. When you expect others to be responsible, you are the one that pays for it.

Angi

Anonymous said...

I wanted to mention WHY posts like these irritate me so....its the tone! The OP put blame elsewhere without taking an OUNCE of responsibility for the outcome. It was all blaim blaim blaim, angry and what about me attitude. Had there been at least SOME ownership of responsibility, I'd had posted differently. Society and younger generations have put the responsibility on everyone else...what are you doing for me, how are you going to make this better for me blah blah blah.

Whats sadder is your mentality will rub off onto he children you care for creating even more entitlists.

Ive had food poisoning that lasted 4 days of a week caring for my charges while their parents were overseas on a second honeymoon. I dealt with it. It was horrible but I took care of the kids, the dogs and the house all while being incredibly sick. The worst part was having to stay home for 3 of those days...I felt bad for the kids. I got sick on a boars head chicken sandwich from the aquariums cafe.

I have sympathy for those that aren't with the attitude presented by the OP.

Angi

Anonymous said...

Blame..lol yeah, that looks better. Wow!
Angi

Smalltownnanny said...

I agree that many of these posts five me crazy with people taking no responsibility....but in this case if the bread was sitting upon the counter that hadn't been cleaned then it most likely already had the salmonella on it and even if the nanny had wiped up the counter before getting the bread it still wouldn't have mattered. Maybe it was on the knife and that's how she got sick so yea in that case should have washed the knife before use anyways even if it's normally sitting out. It's hard to tell from the post if it was from the bread or the knife that it was contacted from.

Anonymous said...

I'll say this once, and only once. As a medical professional, which you are not, Angi, salmonella poisoning and food poisoning are NOT the same thing. Salmonella is much worse, and food poisoning should only last about 24-48 hours, so most likely you had the stomach flu if lasted 4 days. I don't believe that the family would have permitted you to work, and if they did, that is highly irresponsible of them. Would you still be blaming the nanny if the children got sick from their mother's lack of responsibility to clean the hell up after herself? Shame on them for not inspecting the food that should be kept in a safe area!

Anonymous said...

I had a reaction to food. I know the difference. I've made my points and I stand by them.

Angi

Anonymous said...

You are absolutely right, that didn't even occur to me. The OPs post is confusing. She said the bread was on a breadblock but that mom dealt with chicken on the counter. Definitely details left out. A lot happens in a day so not real definitive source.

Angi