Quiet quitting is something we’re hearing a lot about lately, and you may be too. It’s REAL and happening across the United States currently – even in the nanny world.
Not sure what quiet quitting is? Concerned that your nanny might be “quiet quitting” on you? What should you do if you think your nanny is quiet quitting?
Below, we cover what to do if you think your nanny is quiet quitting, how to talk it through with your nanny, and what you can do to prevent it. We also share the steps to take if your nanny decides to quit.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
– What is Quiet Quitting?
– Could Your Nanny Be Quiet Quitting On You?
– How Do You Tell If Your Nanny Might Be Quiet Quitting On You?
– How Can You Avoid The Risk Of Your Nanny Quiet Quitting On You?
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Quiet quitting
You may have heard this term recently, it’s been all over the news in recent months.
So what is quiet quitting?
Well, according to the Urban Dictionary, quiet quitting is when physically you still turn up for work, but mentally you check out and do the absolute bare minimum to get by.
Could your nanny be quiet quitting on you?
Well, before you jump to any conclusions, perhaps you should ask yourself if something else could be going on with your nanny.
Your nanny could be going through some personal issues.
Your nanny could be afraid to bring something up about the position that’s been bothering them.
Your nanny could also be experiencing burnout.
How do you tell if your nanny might be quiet quitting on you?
They might be showing up a little bit late to work every day. Or leaving a few minutes early.
Maybe they’re not tidying up around the house at the end of the day.
Perhaps they’re not engaging with your child or children on the same level that they used to.
Maybe they’re planning fewer activities and outings. It could be communicating less with you, or they could be rushing out the door at the end of their shift without having a really solid hand-off, or maybe they’re just paying less attention to detail in general.
Whether you suspect your nanny could be quiet quitting, or you think that possibly something else could be going on with them, we recommend approaching your nanny with your observations.
Keep these observations neutral and matter of fact. Don’t be accusatory!
Ask questions and, most importantly, listen to what your nanny has to say.
You should come at this conversation from a place of love, caring and support.
How can you avoid the risk of your nanny quiet quitting on you?
Our best advice?
Create a work environment that is welcoming and supportive of your nanny.
You can do this by investing in your relationship with your nanny. With kindness and lots of excellent communication.
Make sure to have regular check-ins.
You can plan quarterly, semi-annual or annual reviews. These would be official check-ins to see how the working relationship is going for everyone.
Make sure to show your nanny that you appreciate them on a regular basis.
This could be thank you’s. This could be recognizing them during Nanny Appreciation Week that comes up the third full week of every September.
Whatever that looks like for you, make sure your nanny knows that you appreciate their work for your family on a regular basis.
You can consider annual-cost of living reviews, performance-based bonuses, or perhaps even holiday bonuses.
You can also help your nanny to avoid burnout by helping to facilitate good work-life balance.
This might be by offering guaranteed hours, offering a surprise day off for nanny’s birthday, perhaps a surprise three-day-weekend, or something else unexpected.
You could also gift your nanny something to facilitate relaxation and self-care. Such as a massage or perhaps a subscription to the Calm App.
If you suspect your nanny is quiet quitting, we recommend sitting down and having a conversation with them asap.
At least you will know one way or the other what is going on, and what if anything you might be able to do to help.
And if you and your nanny do decide the best thing to do is to part ways, make sure you know how to run a successful nanny search before you begin.
We hope you found this helpful.