Surprise No-Pays

Melissa writes: "My employer frequently calls me the day of my shift to let me know I'm not needed. Should I still require they pay me for these days?"

A: I totally get your frustration but it sounds like you skipped an important step at the beginning of your employment term: negotiating a contract. It may seem shocking and even hurtful to get a call the morning of to say you don't have to come in (i.e. You have to completely re-do your monthly budget) but, most likely, your nanny family is just being frugal and needs a gentle reminder that they're not the only ones pinching pennies! If bringing up a contract sounds too daunting, just try saying "It's really hard on me financially when you cancel my shift the day of. Could we talk about establishing a weekly schedule so I can pick up shifts elsewhere, when necessary?" This way you don't come off sounding entitled like they have to pay you for hours you don't work (many employers won't) but you're letting them know if they can't offer you enough hours you'll have to start looking for another gig to supplement. Since you're indispensable to them (right?), this will hopefully motivate them to reevaluate their long term plan for keeping you on board.

#nopays #pto #contract #hours #contractnegotiation #lastminute #cancellation