Member Questions

I think three months notice is generous and should be plenty of time to find a new position. The only thing to think about is that your nanny might not be able to coordinate a start date with a new family on the exact same day your kids start preschool (especially if she has been so busy working for you up until that day that she hasn't had time to spend with the new family). If she doesn't want a lapse in pay, she might need to accept a job with an earlier start date and she also might need to take some time off this summer for the hiring process. If you really want to be helpful to her, and you don't want her to be in the awkward position of having to choose between her own job search and her remaining obligations to you, maybe you could find some temporary back-up childcare for the summer (maybe a student) and let the nanny know that over the next three months you are happy to give her as much flexibility as she needs in terms of time off for interviews or trial runs with a prospective family, as well as to end her employment with you early once she has a new job lined up. Not only would that be a great concession to the nanny that you care about, but it would also be helpful to you to be prepared for a summer that might be less than predictable now that you have given her notice. It also might be helpful for you to find a new babysitter now who could be available to you later when things come up, like sick kids or days when the preschool is closed.