I have been working for a family for about a year now. This is my first full time nanny job although I have extensive child care experience. The family has 3 children and the children as well as the parents are extremely rude and difficult. I often leave work stressed, overwhelmed, and frankly sad that these children are going to grow up thinking it's ok to treat people like garbage.
Anyway, I'm getting a bit off the issue here. Although the family clearly has a lot of money, they don't pay me very well for the bs they put me through. Since I've started working for them, I've traveled with them several times. It has always been extremely stressful and they seem to think there's nothing wrong with making me share a hotel room with the three children. They act like I should be thanking them for taking me on their vacations. I was relieved when they said that they were planning a 9 day vacation that they would not need me for. However, when I looked at my schedule for the upcoming months, I noticed that they have tacked extra hours on to each week. My boss stated that they did this to make up for the hours I have off while they are gone.
Is this normal? I was under the impression that since it was their vacation, I would not be penalized but I guess I was wrong. Am I unreasonable for being upset by this? The thought of weeks and weeks of overtime with kids that fight constantly makes me want to scream.
7 comments:
I'm always paid while my nanny family is away. It's their choice to go and not use my services when I'm free to work. This is pretty standard for most nannies I know and part of the contracts at my agency. Do you have a contract?
Real question.Not sarcasm: Why do you stay? Why is abuse acceptable? After discovering that you work for the Rude Macjerkface family, why didn't you hand in notice? Here's some of what I've learned in over 10 yrs:
-No money is worth getting mistreated.
-Wealthy family ≠ good pay. Quite often the generous families are the working class families.
- Good families give nannies benefits like pay when family goes away. It's a standard benefit. Nanny shouldn't be penalized for family vacations.
- And finally, if you ever travel with a family again, make sure you get good pay. Not regular pay. It costs extra to travel with a family. And INSIST on your own room and bathroom or don't go.
Yes you are.
I mostly agree. With many employers, you get treated in whatever manner you allow. The OP either has to stand up for herself and demand fairness, or she'll continue to be treated in this way.
As far as having my own bathroom on a family vacation, I don't require that, but I'm a five minutes to shower and dress kinda girl so it's not necessary. I also slept with my toddler charges on a recent trip because the house rental advertised to sleep 9 turned out to sleep 7, so I offered knowing they'd be most likely to actually sleep bunking with me. My point is it's ok to be accommodating when you're being treated correctly in the first place, but you can't be so when you're being mistreated because then you will constantly be taken advantage of, as the OP here is.
@thisnick, you've hit the nail on the head! " it's ok to be accommodating when you're being treated correctly in the first place, but you can't be so when you're being mistreated because then you will constantly be taken advantage of, as the OP here is"
OP, you are being taken advantage of in a major way. They under pay AND mistreat you. There isn't a reason to stay in your case. Get your ducks lined up and leave. You can find a great MB who'll value you and pay you well for your time.
you will have plenty of time to look for a family who respects you and treats you like you should be treated, while they are on vacation.
Please besure to have a contract. Have all of your needs spelled out such as hours per day/week, pay( weekly & vacation ) and how travel will be handled. and of course so much more things need to be added. if you do not go thru an agency I am sure you can find a Nanny contact online or find other Nannies in your area and ask them for ideas.
Good luck...If you stay you will only feel worthless and depressed and you should not need to feel like that.
Guys , you shouldn't juge her. A TON of nannies that are young or inexperienced and starting out in this field are the target of families that plans to take advantage of them.
I remember that I've been taken advantage of quiet badly in my early experience. Then I talked to other nannies and this is how I learned I was getting f##*^ked...and not the way i like.
I was putting up with almost anything. I though it was normal. That kind of families TARGET that kind of nannies. An experienced one can recognise them very quickly. You know the kind of family that are put off as soon as you talk about consistancy, written contract and fairness in general? They like the young and manipulable nannies that will do whatever they like and they are perfectly cool with going through a douzens of them thougouht they children's life.
I'm sure that she will be wiser in her next jobs hunting.She just wanted to check if it was normal. Well now she knows it isn't .
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