Question from a mom:
My full-time live-out nanny has been working for me for 5 months. However, beginning in late June, my children will be in camp full-time, so I will no longer need a nanny. I want to give her ample notice so that she can find a new position, but I am worried that giving her too much notice will just make things awkward and will make her likely to leave before we are ready. How much notice is enough? Any other advice? Thanks!
6 comments:
It shouldn't make things awkward. The sooner you tell her the better! My first two nanny jobs which each contracted for a year. I went into them with the understanding my charges would be moving into pre-K and that my services would be temporary. It was hard at first, but as a Nanny I know that none of my positions are permanent. That is why I also work for a temporary service to fill in any gaps that may occur in my employment, along with substitute and assistant teaching.
Your Nanny should appreciate your candor, and, unless she gave a poor performance while in your employ, would surely accept a "severance package." My current employer and I are contracted to give one another two months notice, if at all possible, and I know that when my position eventually comes to an end I will receive three months severance. My current employer is . . . exorbitantly generous, but really any show of gratitude would be wonderful(severance pay, nice present, dinner, cards from the kids, just to name some ideas). Advanced notice gives her time to prepare, mentally and emotionally.
Good luck! It is hard for a Nanny to say goodbye to a family, and vice versa.
I currently work as a nanny for a wonderful family who always gives me notice as soon as they know anything. I think it is fair that you do the same as well. Don't worry about it getting awkward. It's not like you are firing her because you found someone better. Just tell her that your kids want to go to summer camp and that her services will no longer be needed. The only way it will be awkward is if you wait and tell her later rather than sooner and then she finds out you knew for some time yet were holding off saying anything since you were afraid she would leave beforehand. She may see this as sneaky and your relationship may take a negative turn.
My advice: Sure it is in less than three months, but these days finding a new nanny position is hard. If you tell her now, you are giving her a better shot at finding a position by the time you no longer need her. There are already families advertising for summer nannies and perhaps she can get a job that starts in the summer.
As for serverence pay, if you give her ample notice, I do not see that it is required. It would be a nice gesture for all she had done, but certainly is not a must.
I think you should give her notice as soon as possible. She may not be able to find another full-time position, but there are a lot of people who require summer nannies, and for that, she would need notice.
Hopefully she could stay with you until they begin camp, but you may have to contend a couple weeks without her. If you have a good relationship with her, she shouldn't leave you too soon.
As a nanny, I'd like to know when my ending point is.
It will likely be easier for her to find a job in the summer, due to many children being out of school, so I wouldn't worry about her leaving too early (although expect she may need to leave around mid-June or whenever the kids are finishing the school year). If you give her enough notice, she will be more likely to find a good position and the split is more likely to be amicable. Also, I would offer to use her for occasional babysitting, just to make it clear it's not about her, just about your situation.
You need to let her know as soon as possible. Let her know your concern at her early departure and work together to come up with a plan for the transition. Make sure that you write her a glowing letter of reference (assuming she deserves it) and make yourself available to confirm with her new potential employers as well.
You are kind to consider her in this change, too often employers do not worry with thoughts of the nanny's wellbeing.
Maybe offer a retention bonus in lieu of severance...if she stays until the end, I would recomend 1 weeks pay for every 6 months she has worked. Also maybe she can get unemployment.
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