Any parent can picture the scene: you’ve had a delightfully compassionate, experienced nanny or caregiver for your children for (x) amount of time, and you thought things were moving along swimmingly.
Then out of nowhere, they’ve just quit. Not only are you certain that your kids will be super bummed out, but now you’re left wondering two major things: was it us // what do we do now?
It’s a tale as old as time and it happens to the very best of us, in what seems like the very best of situations, but don’t panic, let’s get organized here.
Consult Your Contract
Review the details of the contract you share with your nanny and be sure that as your professional relationship comes to an end, that you carefully honor each and every detail. Discuss the finality of the contract and after thanking your nanny for everything that they’ve done, respectfully work together to establish the details of their final few weeks. Be straightforward about any owed benefits and what their final paycheck will look like and when they can expect it. Keep in mind that the professional childcare community is comprised of a select group of exceptional caretakers who will always be more interested in working with such respectful families as yours when they know that everyone involved will honor the details of their contracts.
Contact Your Trusted Agency
Most employment agreements allow for at least a 2-week notice so beginning the search for your next fantastic nanny or caretaker should begin immediately. Let the agency know the details of your current arrangement and they may even be able to offer help in the form of temporary care while they search for your perfect longterm candidate. Once you’ve begun a fresh search, your trusted agency will begin searching immediately for the most qualified and exceptional candidate.
Check In With Your Nanny
One of the most important and informative things any employer can request is an exit interview. With a caretaker who has become such an important part of your family, this would be less stifled and more of a sincere check-in where you ask the nanny for feedback about their experience working with your family. Be respectful and understand that some things may be difficult for them to express, but encourage your nanny to let you know how they felt about the working environment that your family created, and what would have made it even better for them. Ask them what they would tell the new nanny if they had to tell them three of the most important keys for this role, and ask them how they figured it out for themselves. Discuss your availability or for providing references for them in the future and how best to manage those details, (which phone number to share, can they share your name, etc.). Do your best to thank your nanny in specific ways for the ways that they brought order, nurturing support, and success to your kids’ lives, and if you feel its appropriate, offer them a thoughtful gift from the entire family.
Compile New Best Practices
Now that you’ve acquired some great feedback from your former nanny, you can create a quick list with some of the specifics that they mentioned. Sit down as a family and discuss ways that you can make your home – the work environment for your next dream nanny – even more comfortable and welcoming for your new nanny. Check out our blog for some great techniques for retaining fantastic employees, and setting your next nanny up for success from day one. If there were organizational or logistical issues that could have gone better, discuss setting up your home with a household manual, and your family with some great apps to make keeping track of schedules and grocery lists easier to manage. Once you’ve improved the trouble areas, you’ll be ready to welcome your new nanny with open arms and an even better understanding of how to make the professional relationship resilient.
Have you ever been left in the lurch by a nanny leaving without a notice? How did you navigate that situation? We’d love to hear about your personal experiences.
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