Struggling nanny’s wage dispute over
Former employer says the delay in paying single mother was a ‘misunderstanding’
It was the waiting game that worried her: would her paycheque ever come — and when?
Now there is good news for Nora Cumming.
After working as a nanny for Peterborough businessman Steve Daynes, the single mother says she was sent into a financial tailspin because of months of late and irregular pay. But following a Star article highlighting her story, the 55-year-old cancer survivor has her wages in hand.
A letter couriered to the Star dated Aug. 9 included a cheque to Cumming for her outstanding pay and an explanation from Daynes.
“I have been able to verify the hours in question and, while I have reached a different total of $1,300, I am dedicated to the strong community reputation I have built and maintained in regards to my personal and professional life,” the letter from Daynes reads.
“In total she will receive $2,000 which includes all her wages and a goodwill gesture for any inconvenience this experience may have caused,” adds Daynes.
Cumming says erratic and incomplete payment marked the time she spent working for Daynes, eventually forcing her to quit. She says she expected her last paycheque to come in mid-July, but three weeks later was still empty-handed.
“I just thought, that’s it, I have to stop thinking about it,” she said.
Cumming finally received her wages on Aug. 11, after the Star forwarded the cheque sent by Daynes.
In his letter to the Star, the temp agency manager said he was dedicated “to the communities in which I live and conduct business,” pointing to his “social commitments which can be found in various media sources.”
The “misunderstanding” over pay was not intended as “a malicious act,” he said.
“Although there are currently employers that take advantage of their employees, I am not one of them,” his letter concludes. Emails and phone calls from the Star to Daynes this week were not returned.
Cumming said she was “completely surprised” by the cheque, which will help cover her rent and medications.
A Star reader, who asked to remain anonymous, also reached out to offer some financial relief — a gesture Cumming called “amazing.”
She is looking forward to telling her well-wishers that some respite has arrived.
“They will be so thrilled to hear about the final cashing of that darn cheque!” she said.