Nanny reveals employer's disregard for social distancing rules

A nanny has revealed the complete disregard of social distancing rules her employer in New York is exhibiting.

During the coronavirus pandemic, we are all being asked to pay strict attention to social distancing rules to help halt the spread of the virus. Last month, we discussed the situation many nannies find themselves in thanks to these events and what the furlough rules mean for them.

Unfortunately, not everyone is paying attention to the rules or protecting their household staff. Not only is an anonymous Manhattan nanny still working but the uber-rich family that employs her is showcasing some dangerous behaviour.

Sharing her story with The Cut, the nanny revealed anonymously that she is expected to follow the wealthy Manhattan family out to their holiday retreat in the Hamptons where sports coaches, manicurists, chefs, and personal trainers come in and out every day.

“There wasn’t really a conversation about moving up to the Hamptons with them; it was basically just, ‘This is how it’s going to be,’” the nanny said.

Not only is the constant travel back and forth to the city disturbing but the sheer amount of staff visiting the household shows a disregard for health and safety during such a dangerous period.

The chefs, stylist, coaches, and manicurists also visit other houses too, only exasperating the problem. The nanny comments: “'They haven’t asked any of the workers to stop coming in. Why don’t they care?”

She also reveals that she and the household staff have been working incredibly hard to protect the children in their care as a result, washing clothes “non-stop” due to the number of people the kids come into contact with.

She has also resorted to quarantining delivery boxes in the family’s pool house so that any virus living on them might die.

“They don’t seem to be worried, even though when I started coming into the Hamptons, I had a cough.”

Exposing the attitude of her employers, the nanny added: “The dad sits on the couch all day on the phone doing business. But then he has the gall to tell people, ‘Oh, it’s so hard being with my kids. They’re doing all this home-schooling.’”

Further still, the staff aren’t quarantining with the family. They are driven back to New York in private cars on the weekend.

The nanny said the whole situation has been very scary, especially for a colleague who lives with a large family and another who has a sick husband.

When explaining how she brings specific toilet roll from Manhattan for the family, the nanny reveals the way the family see her and the rest of the staff: “There’s lots of specific items that they have become accustomed to and that they can’t go without. Just like the people. We are like items to them; they can’t go without us.”

Of course, nannies become indispensable and beloved members of the families that they work for. However, rules are in place for a reason.

Hopefully, stories like the one from this poor Manhattan nanny will shed a little light on the incredible commitment of household staff and encourage employers to do right by those in their employment.

As an international domestic staff agency, we hear many great stories about all the families who are doing everything they can to protect their staff, including putting them on furlough or continuing to pay wages for those unable to work. Thankfully, situations like the case reported above are a rare occurrence.

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