If you’ve made the decision to fire your nanny and you live in New York State, you are required by law to provide a written termination notice to your caregiver. This applies whether you’re firing a nanny with or without notice. A nanny termination letter needs to be delivered no more than five working days following the termination date, so it’s important to handle this important step immediately during the nanny termination process.
Letting a nanny go can be a highly emotional time for the whole family, so before any feelings of stress or overwhelm start to set in, let us break it down for you. Simply put, a termination notice is a formal letter from an employer to an employee to inform them that you’re terminating your nanny contract or agreement. Just like you provided a written contract or agreement at the start of your relationship, a written termination letter formally ends the relationship.
When writing a nanny termination letter, you should keep the tone of the letter professional and respectful, and provide all information in a clear and concise manner. A termination letter should always be delivered to your nanny in person and signed by both employer and employee.
Here’s an outline of info you should include in a nanny termination letter:
- Reason for termination
Simply state the reason or reasons you are terminating your nanny’s contract. For example, “We have terminated your employment as our nanny due to our family’s changing needs.” Any reasons you include should have already been discussed in person with your nanny.
- Date of termination
You must also clearly state the last day of work, along with dating the termination letter. Remember, this letter needs to be delivered no more than five working days following the termination date, so the dates included should reflect this.
- Final pay and benefits
Include any final pay and benefits they will receive, including unused accrued vacation time, severance pay, and any outstanding payments as outlined in your nanny contract. Legally your nanny must receive their final paycheck by their next scheduled payday. Note: In New York state, you are required by law to pay your caregiver their unused, accrued paid time off at time of termination if they’ve worked for you for at least one year.
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- Return of personal belongings
First, request that the nanny returns any property to your family, such as keys, credit cards, and other personal belongings. Then, request that your nanny retrieve any of their own personal belongings from your property by a set date and time. If you wish, you can state that after this date, the items will be disposed of or donated.
- Reference offer
When a nanny has properly fulfilled their responsibilities and consistently shown good performance, you may wish to offer a letter of recommendation or to act as a reference for future job searches. (With your nanny’s agreement, you can also create a nanny profile for your nanny on our nanny boards to help them land their next job.)
- Non-disclosure agreement
Consider integrating a clause that requests the nanny to keep your family’s private information confidential following termination.
- Appreciation for their service
Last but certainly not least, you should thank your nanny for their service. Depending on the circumstances, you may also plan to give your nanny a thank you card or even a gift, which is a more appropriate place for in-depth messages of gratitude. In a termination letter, it’s best to keep it brief and include it in either the opening or closing of your letter.
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