Keeping things private

You are going to be in our home and around Sam. This is what we are asking you to keep private, and what we are not.

Our family's private life stays private: the children, their routine, where they go, our home, and who comes and goes. Please do not post it, send it on, or discuss it outside the household, and that holds after you stop working with us.

Photographs of Sam are for us, and they belong in the app. Please do not put them anywhere else, including a private account or a message to a friend, and please do not put them on social media at all. If you would like a photograph for yourself, ask us. The answer will usually be yes.

How long this lasts

For our family's private life and for Sam, for as long as it stays private. A young child cannot agree to being written about later, so we are holding that for them.

For anything else we have asked you to keep private, until we tell you it is no longer private. If you are ever unsure whether something is still covered, ask us and we will tell you.

What this does not do

Some things are yours no matter what you sign here, and we want them written down rather than assumed.

• If you ever think a child is being hurt or is unsafe, tell the police, tell child protective services, tell a doctor, tell anyone. Nothing in this document asks you to wait, to check with us first, or to keep quiet. If you are ever unsure, report it. We would rather you were wrong than silent.
• You can talk about your pay, your hours, and what it is like to work here, with whoever you like. That includes other people who work in homes, and it includes a union. We are not allowed to stop you and we would not want to.
• You can report or discuss anything you believe is unlawful, including harassment or discrimination, to anyone, including a government agency.
• You can talk to a lawyer, and you can respond to a subpoena or a court order.
• You can work for anyone you like, now or later. There is no non-compete here.
• You can keep your own notes about your own work, your own hours, and anything that happened to you.

What we are asking you to keep private is the household's private life, and whatever else the household has told you it needs kept private. That is all this is for.

If something goes wrong

If you think you have shared something you should not have, tell us. Nobody has ever made a situation better by hiding it, and we would far rather hear it from you.

Looking after Sam

Childcare has ordinary risks in it. Children fall over, and they do it while somebody attentive is watching them. We are not asking you to accept blame for an accident and nothing here signs away anything you are entitled to.

What we are asking is this.

• Work carefully, and within what you are trained and comfortable to do. If you are not confident about something, say so rather than attempting it. That includes swimming, driving with them, and anything medical.
• Tell us straight away if something happens, however small it seems. Use the incident report in the app rather than letting it wait until we get home. Telling us early has never once made anything worse.
• If a doctor is needed, get one first and tell us second. Never delay care to reach us.
• Follow what is written down about allergies, medicines and routine. If something written down looks wrong, ask before following it.

What this does not do

Some things are yours no matter what you sign here, and we want them written down rather than assumed.

• If you ever think a child is being hurt or is unsafe, tell the police, tell child protective services, tell a doctor, tell anyone. Nothing in this document asks you to wait, to check with us first, or to keep quiet. If you are ever unsure, report it. We would rather you were wrong than silent.
• You can talk about your pay, your hours, and what it is like to work here, with whoever you like. That includes other people who work in homes, and it includes a union. We are not allowed to stop you and we would not want to.
• You can report or discuss anything you believe is unlawful, including harassment or discrimination, to anyone, including a government agency.
• You can talk to a lawyer, and you can respond to a subpoena or a court order.
• You can work for anyone you like, now or later. There is no non-compete here.
• You can keep your own notes about your own work, your own hours, and anything that happened to you.

What we are asking you to keep private is the household's private life, and whatever else the household has told you it needs kept private. That is all this is for.

We will do our part: keep the emergency card current, keep the house safe, tell you about anything that changes, and back you up when you make a judgement call in good faith.