Help! How do I ask for overtime pay for working on the weekends? If I am not available the back up sitter comes and they pay her... but if I work on the weekends I am not paid overtime (I'm a live in so they just assume I'm a built in nanny.) I have a hard time sticking up for myself... advice please? Thanks.
4 comments:
for some reason I am seeing that nannies have trouble in general for sticking up for themselves. I think this is because you guys are caring people and being a live in you wouldn't want to cause drama. If you can't find the courage to speak to them write them a letter. Simply state that you love your job and the family but you also cherish the times you have off. Let them know that the weekends are beneficial to you so you can keep yourself relaxed and happy. Ask them to set aside some time to speak to you about your weekend hours. Let them know that you will always be avaible to help them if they have an emergancy on the weekend but that you would need to be paid because those are your off hours.
if those are your scheduled days off and you have to work they need to pay you for that time. Just because you live in doesn't mean they can use you whenever you want. If it is too hard for you to just simply say no I can not work (however this just makes them think that you will always say yes) you need to at least be paid for it. That is fair - and if they do not agree then they wont ask you to work, which is good for you because it doesn't sound like you want to anyway. I would really suggest that you speak up soon especially as a live in. You need to create a boundary and guidelines for yourself so that they respect the time that you are putting in as well. Good luck!!
It irks me that just because you live in their home, they assume they have a built in babysitter whenever they need one.
If you are working weekends, you most definitely deserve overtime pay for your extra hours. It is the law.
I know OP it is hard to talk about it, but you have to NOW. I think it is even tougher for you since you live in their home, but that doesn't give them a free pass to take advantage of the situation.
Let them know that your weekends are the only days off you have and that you need them to keep your sanity. But if they really NEED you to babysit on occasion, you would be willing to do so if you could get paid overtime. If not, let them hire another sitter for the weekends.
I had the same issue when i was a live-in (which was a VERY brief time). I was supposed to work M-F 7 to 730 and Saturdays. One weekend the mother told me (she didn't ask) I would be working Friday evening as well. I told her I had plans and she complained about having to "pay twice for the same thing." In other words, she didn't want to pay someone else when she feels like she is paying me already anyway. Another time they went out of town and left me with the youngest for 3 days and didn't pay me anything extra. Honestly, my only advice is to find a new job. I know that's harsh, but in my experience, live-in nannies tend to be taken advantage of. Otherwise, grow a pair and stick up for yourself!
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