Woman Urged to Fire New Nanny Who Called Out 30 Minutes Before First Day On the Job
A woman has turned to the internet for guidance after her new nanny called off her first day of work, just minutes before her shift.
According to Newsweek, the aggrieved mother took to the Mumsnet forum to vent about the situation.
She alleged that the newly hired nanny sent a text message saying that she would not be able to make it in that day. The message arrived about half an hour before her shift was supposed to start.
Allegedly, the nanny claimed that she had to take her dog to the vet. She also said that she needed to take care of her brother who was out of school due to a death in the family.
"She hasn't offered a solution, just said that was the case," the mom complained. "She didn't even ask, are we OK if she doesn't come ... just stated it as fact."
The mom added that she does "sympathize" with the nanny. However, she's now concerned about the nanny's overall reliability.
The mom wanted to know if it was a smart decision to fire the nanny and start looking for someone else. According to Newsweek, many of the other moms on Mumsnet were in support of that decision.
"If she is happy to pull this on day one, what will she be like after a few months," one user pointed out.
"Don't open yourself up to a litany of excuses, let her go now," another wrote, urging the mom to listen to her "gut instinct."
Others were of the opinion that the nanny does not prioritize her job. Many agreed that they would have fired her on the spot.
You may be thinking that nannies today don't seem quite as reliable as the ones Julie Andrews once played on screen in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. However, that isn't necessarily a fair assessment.
For starters, Newsweek notes that families spend about $16,000 a year on childcare. That's a lot of money for a parent to drop, but it isn't anywhere near a living wage.
Care.com reports that, on average, nannies are paid about $15.30 per hour in the U.S. Of course, that's only the average — some make more, some make less.
The mom even mentioned that her nanny had a second job at a restaurant to supplement her salary and wondered if she may have been tired after a hard night's work.
Furthermore, Nanny Counsel points out that nannies, just like any other person, will get sick and need time off occasionally. The site recommends having a backup plan and understanding that things come up sometimes.
To be fair, they don't have any recommendations about calling off minutes before your first day shift, though.