Hi, in case you are interested I posted a recommendation a few weeks ago for Marcela, a nanny who covered maternity leave for my present nanny. She was great, was never late, and took no time off sick.

I've pasted the post below:


I posted the below last week but wanted to add Marcela's contact details:
ma_canutoo@hotmail.com
0744 7938806

Marcela has been with us for four months - covering our nanny's maternity leave - and I would love to help her find another position as she has been fantastic. With sole charge of two boys (5 and 2) she has given them a fun-packed summer holiday with endless trips to museums, parks, farms, soft play, the movies and plenty of play dates and picnics. She has also just potty trained my youngest in less than a week! Additionally she cooks for the children, keeping the freezer well stocked with meals, does the kids washing, and keeps everything clean and tidy. She also babysits and has been 100 per cent reliable and punctual. I would highly recommend her. She is looking for a full time position ideally and live out. If you have any questions please do message me. Katie

I think super dad is right, for a nanny or au pair job you can ask health questions, sick days taken, etc. We worked with a nanny agency in the past and they said these type of questions are ok for a nanny job.

I find anabala27's post quite outrageous...nobody on this thread said nannies were stupid or that they were “just a nanny”. So I don’t really understand why anabala27 chose to vent her frustration on this post about something that no one on this thread suggested…

With regards to the OP’s question:
In a similar situation, I would find a replacement immediately, then let the current nanny know that it is not working out, and I would pay her the notice period or at least a part of it (so I don’t have the stress of a dispute). I wouldn’t go down the route of asking the nanny to explain herself, then give her another chance mainly because I wouldn’t be able to afford to take any more unexpected days off from work (the nanny has been with the family only for 2 months, so there is nothing to say that her work ethic is generally good).

I think super dad is right, for a nanny or au pair job you can ask health questions, sick days taken, etc. We worked with a nanny agency in the past and they said these type of questions are ok for a nanny job.

I find anabala27's post quite outrageous...nobody on this thread said nannies were stupid or that they were “just a nanny”. So I don’t really understand why anabala27 chose to vent her frustration on this post about something that no one on this thread suggested…

With regards to the OP’s question:
In a similar situation, I would find a replacement immediately, then let the current nanny know that it is not working out, and I would pay her the notice period or at least a part of it (so I don’t have the stress of a dispute). I wouldn’t go down the route of asking the nanny to explain herself, then give her another chance mainly because I wouldn’t be able to afford to take any more unexpected days off from work (the nanny has been with the family only for 2 months, so there is nothing to say that her work ethic is generally good).

The point is, it depends on the role.

If the role is to provide childcare so that both parents can go to work, then I would argue that a track record for above average attendance is an essential ingredient.

If the role is to provide childcare so that one or both parents can enjoy a leisurely lifestyle, the I would argue that a track record for above average attendance is NOT an essential requirement for the role.

Just to be clear, for roles where above average attendance would not be essential, for example, working in a 500-strong call centre, then even asking a previous employer about the candidate's attendance record could still be evidence of unlawful discrimination.

Underthesea: I am not in any way suggesting that people shouldn't apply for jobs they are not good at if they have a medical condition. In fact, to the contrary, I was pointing out that it is not legal to ask about health conditions at interview stage. I was just saying that if you did have a medical condition that was debilitating in some way, you probably wouldn't want to be running around small children all day - just a throwaway comment and no offence intended at all. That isn't to say you shouldn't apply.

SuperDad, I agree, there are bound to be exceptions and as I said, I am not an employment lawyer so don't know the ins and outs. And as you say, there is nothing preventing someone from asking the person's referees about how many sick days they have taken off.

On the question of whether you are allowed to ask a prospective employee how many sick days they had with their previous employer, it actually depends on the particular job.

In other words, the prohibition is not absolute because there are some roles which very much depend on above average attendance. That is why the Guardian article referred to above says "there are limited exceptions where it [i.e., above average attendance] is a necessary requirement of the job". An extreme example might be a lighthouse keeper but there are many other examples.

Although you cannot unlawfully discriminate against someone for a disability, the law does recognise that some jobs call for particular physical abilities. I might not, for example, succeed in an application to become a the new M&S underwear model if I was massively overweight or I had no legs. But I could not then complain that they had discriminated against me unlawfully.

If you are a working mother who depends on your nanny turning up to work so that you can go to work yourself, it is arguable that a track record for above average attendance is an essential requirement for the job.

You should also (or could alternatively) ask their previous employer how many days the candidate was off-sick during their employment with them.

Nsw4 Sorry my bad then.

You said it yourself and I. I said it too someone with a genuine love of children is fine..did I or did I not?

Wires are clearly getting crossed. I feel the OP has advice of what she should do.

I have had 1.5 days off sick in 2 actually 3 years! And I'm full time..it's unacceptable. I really hope you haven't paid for an extra week of holiday as that what it seems to be for your nanny.

elenafrancesca wrote:Sorry Nnsw4 why do you find my account 'suspicious'?? I am absolutely genuine, and I am a bit offended by that.

Ref what you say, well I am a parent and now a childcarer - actually employing someone who is not a nanny by 'career' can actually be a very good thing, it all depends on the person. Because they don't have a nanny qualifications it doesn't mean they are not going to be excellent at taking care of your child!

I was not referring to you. I was referring to the comment above underthesea!

anabala27 wrote:Hello everyone

I am a nanny and i've been doing this job for nearly 10 years but i would better die of hunger then work for you.

I do understand that your child is the most important in this world but you will never get honesty from any nanny with your behavior. Why some parents thinks we are stupid??? Do you really think she didnt realized that something is not right with your behavior regarding her ?

When you hire a nanny , you promise her honesty but how honest were you gossiping about her before even giving her a chance of explaining herself???

And you are thinking about lying to her , so whats the difference between the 2 of you?

A honest advise for you ...most of us are not stupid and we realize when something is wrong . from that point without a honest dissolution everything is gone (respect, trust )

Sorry for any spelling mistakes but " i am just a nanny "

I had no idea you are not supposed to ask about sick leave and stuff. I had nothing to hide anyway.
Why would you think that i didn't read the original post? That's why i created the account, so i could reply to it. I had another one for ages, kept getting the newsletter, but when i wanted to reply i realized i forgot my username.
As for anabala27. I do not use that tone to anyone. Would not say "i'd rather starve..." even anonymous. And because i'm not a native English speaker i make sure i spell check everything.
jg75: A friend of mine has serious IBS, but fantastic qualifications in childcare. This is what she likes to do and wants to do. Would you tell her not to do whatever she is the best at?

I'm really curious how the original problem got solved.

The position in law is that you are not required to give reasons to dismiss an employee who has worked for you for less than two years. Therefore, there is no problem with you following the consensus of opinion on this forum and finding a replacement and then dismissing her. The only question is whether your contract with her requires you to give her notice, but you can always pay her in lieu of notice.

Speaking frankly, if I was in your position, once I had found a replacement, I would feel tempted just to sack her without further pay, but this would most likely to lead to an ugly dispute, especially if she doesn't accept that she has lied to you, let you down, and has effectively rescinded the contract.

Stress vs. Money - choice is yours!

Right, just googled it as was curious and here we are:

http://www.theguardian.com/money/blog/2 ... -interview

Seems you can't ask a prospective employee about their health in a job interview. Which seems sensible to me - otherwise people with disabilities etc could easily be discriminated against.

I wouldn't expect anyone with serious health issues to come and interview for a nanny job, mind you, as it is the last job you'd want to do, surely.

I have been a nanny for 24 years and have had only one sick day off due to being in hospital, so no it is not acceptable but unfortunately amongst the nannies you hear about it happening more and more. My job is a profession and one that I love but unfortunately for many now 'it is just a job!'

I personally would not keep this nanny as anyone who takes their work seriously would not do this. There also has to be respect from both sides

I think you should be honest with her and just ask her outright and then let her know the arrangement isn't working for you.

I was been looking for a position for a good while, many offers yet I have refused as apart from one family who I felt an instant connection with the others we're not for me. As a nanny you have to be particular about who you work for and as an employer you have to be particular about who you choose as a nanny...I'm probably going to get negative feed back for saying this however,I'm going to say it anyway...it amazes me as to why parents choose gap students or people who are studying something completely unrelated to childcare..let me not get on to the subject of those with barely any English.just insane. They are not going to take the job seriously because to them it's just cash it's not putting into practise what they have learnt from courses. Even nannies with no formal qualifications if they have a genuine interest in childcare the interest is there not like someone who is your nanny but wants to be a photographer? Choose a nanny who wants to be a nanny and loves being a nanny.

I find it rather suspicious that the posts from underthesea and the comment above opened the accounts within an hour of each other........ Just saying.