Computer for helper?

I just found out from my second helper that my other helper has been using her own laptop and surfing the net all the time, even in the daytime. We have a router at home and I guess that's where she is getting the signal. Do you allow your helper to use the laptop at home? I will be confronting her soon. I will not allow her to use it in the daytime when she is supposed to be watching my child. As for the night, I know she is free to do her own things but I do not want her to use the laptop until 1 or 2am and not getting enough sleep. How should I solve this problem?

hi vvv

if you are certain that your second helper is giving you correct information, then i would definitely take action. we had a similar situation with a previous helper and this is how we handled the situation:


explained that using the computer was not in her job description, and during her work hours we would expect she did not use the computer. after 7pm and on her day off, certainly no worries, but of course, we expected that her internet use not affect her daily performance.


my husband and i would walk by her room at around 10pm and if we saw the "blue glow" of a screen, we would say "goodnight, we have an early morning,we're going to bed now". when we got up for the midnight feed, if the blue light was on, we made note of it, and after several incidents, talked again and this time made it a warning.


we have no way of preventing a helper from using a laptop at home, our current helper does, but we did draw the line when it started interfering with her job performance. if an office employee is not performing her duties because she spends too much time on the internet surfing or reading blogs, her boss takes it up with her. i have no problem doing the same. i used that example with our helper when i put her on warning.


good luck.

"solve this problem"? Unclear if you think the problem is that your helper (1) has a laptop, (2) has a laptop and is surfing the Internet, (3) has a laptop and is surfing the Internet during working hours, or (4) has a laptop and is surfing the Internet during work hours by using your wireless signal.


Lots of EASY and obvious solutions already mentioned.


Personally, I would find a new helper who doesn't have her own laptop.

If she is looking after your kids, please explain how on earth she has time to surf the net?


If she has all this time to surf on the net, then do you need a second helper?


Ask her how long she surfs the net for? Isn't there a way to check her computer (i am no expert) to see how long she is on line for?

If its for 15 minutes then you can't begrudge her, but if it is for several hours a day, then you may have a problem...also, why is she online ?