Tipsheet: Why Nannies Are Fired

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Tipsheet: Why Nannies Are Fired

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Home \ 10 Tips Series \ Tipsheet: Why Nannies Are Fired

Why Do Nannies Get Fired?

Additional Resources

Sample Nanny Work Agreements

All About the Nanny Taxes

The Nanny Log

Families generally fire the nanny when the job has ended. This can be the children are in full time school, a day care position has opened up, or one of the parents will now stay at home. Sometimes, though, a family fires a nanny for behaviors or issues that are all about the nanny and the job match, and not about the job ending. Why do families fire the nanny?

Integrity issues: Honesty is something that nanny employers absolutely demand from their nanny. A family cannot trust and feel comfortable with a nanny who is dishonest. Lying and evasion on the part of the nanny is the primary reason a nanny is fired.
Absenteeism: This is easy. If you call in sick, your employer either has to find back up childcare, or call out to his/her own job. You do this too many times, the family will find another nanny.
Frequent tardiness: Again, if you are late, your employer is late. You should plan to arrive a minimum of 5 minutes before your shift starts. Tardiness should be rare and for good cause. You can and will be fired if you cannot show up on time.
Lying about qualifications and experience: If preparing dinner is a job requirement and you burn water, don't tell the family you are fine with cooking. Never worked with twins before - don't say you have. Never done sleep training - again, don't lie about it. Families check references, and your former employers are not likely to lie for you either.
Not following directions: This is pretty self explanatory. Your employer owns your working time and you have an obligation to follow their directions as to WHAT is to be done, and in many cases HOW it is to be done. You are the parents partner in caring for their child, but you are not their equal nor are you entitled to "do it your way" against their explicit instructions.
Mixing personal business with work: Most employers don't mind if you stop at the ATM while you are out with the children. Those same employers, however, will mind if you use their computer to pay your bills instead of playing with the children. They also don't want their child parked in a baby seat or play pen while you watch your favorite soap or chat with your friends on the phone. Know where the line is and don't cross it!
Undependable: Families hire a nanny so they can pursue their own professional and personal business. You need to be on time, and the family needs to be able to depend on you. Likewise, while you are working, the family expects consistent effort and consistent results. Nannies need to show initiative and plan appropriate activities for their charges. Don't use the TV as a babysitter, don't leave the children's washed clothes in the dryer or worse, piled on a chair or sofa.
Poor communication skills: Nanny and family need to get along. The nanny who cannot have a direct, productive, civil conversation with their boss, or who acts out rather than address a problem will not last long on the job.
Poor or missing job skills: The expectation is that a nanny has a minimum skill set in childcare, or that her obvious shortcomings were disclosed in the interview and deemed not important by the employers. A nanny hired to provide infant care needs to know how to (or quickly learn how to) diaper a baby, feed and burp the baby, sleep baby on his back, sterilize bottles, and to encourage age appropriate development (tummy time for example).
Poor time management/ failure to complete tasks: Most nannies have some minimum housekeeping duties related to the children in their care. The family may request that the crib linens be laundered twice weekly, that the baby's clothes be clean by Friday afternoon, and that the high chair and the surrounding area be clean at the end of every shift. If you only get these things half done, or worse not done at all, you will eventually be fired.

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