Vacation/Sick Day Policies

[Heavensent]

I attempted to make changes to my sick and vacation policies in lue of upping my fees. Families all balked at it and it made me take pause to see if I am asking something so outrageous or if it will just take them time to adjust here are the two new policies I am attempting to put into place.

Policy 1 All families will be entitled to 3 sick days per year where no fees will be paid

my previous policy was all fees are to be paid regardless of attendance (sick or not) with the exception of my holidays and and sick days or my personal days off.

Policy #2 not worded exactly but ..... One days fees to be paid on the last monday of each month to cover my vacation time at 1/2 half. so what I would be doing is accumulating vacation pay over the coarse of the year instead of taking unpaid vacation.

How many of you out there take paid vacation and what might be a suitable solution in lue of raising my fees by 2$ a day or would you just raise the fees and bank the $2 a day to cover your vacation time.

I need to also change up the parents policy of paying for their vacation time if they are paying for mine. Im not sure how to balance it out and am starting to thing an increase in fees and banking it may be the way to go and offer the parents one weeks unpaid vacation to offset the uproar over it.


what do you all think??

I am in Durham region

[BlueRose]

I take 2 weeks paid vacation. I also get 10 paid personal days and 10 paid sick days. But just because I can get them, doesn't mean I use all my personal/sick days.

Parents pay for enrollment, so if they are on holidays, sick or just want to keep their child home for the day they still pay.

[cfred]

I live in York Region....not too far from you I'll bet! My clients get sick days in direct correspondence to the number of days per week they're enrolled for. For example, someone enrolled for 3 days per week gets 3 sick days per year and so on. Once those are used up, they're gone. They are not accumulative from year to year, are used in order of absences, not valid on Statutory Holidays and are not transferrable from one sibling to another. I've never charged for my own vacation or sick days. I know lots of providers do, but I've never been comfortable with it. I guess I've never felt it prudent business-wise. Kind of biting the hand that feeds you, so to speak, as shown by the response from your clients. I get the whole thing about deserving a paid vacation, but we all get into this business for various reasons that are beneficial to us. I've just always seen unpaid vacation and no benefits as the downfalls that existed when I came into it....a trade off for all the other things. I would suspect that's how clients view it as well in many cases. However, offering sick days is generous and I understand many don't do that. That is a desirable business move, or so has been indicated at interviews. I may phase mine out over time, with future clients, but for now, they're in.

I think you're safer just to raise your rates and bank the money as it's a less obvious way of getting vacation pay. Be careful how much you raise them in one shot though for existing clients. $2/day is a substantial hike for most people on a budget, especially if you have any siblings. It's my understanding, from the owners of a formal centre who helped me set up my fee schedule, the norm is to raise your rates by $1/day/year. That's not to say though that you can't jack the prices up by $2 or $3 for any future clients who come on board. My clients are now at $39/day and bumping up to $40 in Sept. BUT, should any of them leave, new clients will have fees of $42/day.

This, of course, isn't to diminish what anyone else has done. Whatever works for you is a good thing, if it does in fact work FOR you and your business.

[apples and bananas]

I'm in the Hamilton region and I charge a little differently. I don't charge for sick, stat or my vacation. I also allow clients to take one week off unpaid, but if they take more then 1 week off then they need to pay for the space.

I've thought of raising my rates 2.00 a day but it seems like such an odd number. I also have trouble changing my policies from when they started as I feel that they started with me for these reasons, to change things now would be like breaking a promise. But that's just me.

If I were to put a sick day policy into place and charge for everything after 3 or 5 sick days then I would want to consider the fact that I will have to chase for that money. No one is going to keep track of that but me. So it will be me sending the email that says... you owe me! And that would make me feel like I was nickle and diming. That's just my comfort level.

If I needed to raise fees to cover vacay or sick, then I would raise a few dollars a day and put that money aside. I think it looks much better to say that I don't charge when your child is not here then to start having to track it all.

[mimi]

I charge $40.00 per day. I am in the GTA. I used to give parents one week vacation - no pay but they started asking to use these days for sick days and then took their vaca when I did so I removed that perk. I do not charge for my sick or vacation days and do charge for stat holidays and the parents pay when child is absent on their scheduled day. I will raise my rates $1.00 come September.

[cfred]

Apples and Bananas, totally agree with you regarding changing the policy being akin to 'breaking a promise'. With fee increases, I always state at the intake interview that my rates go up yearly by $1, so they know right away that that's what will be happening. Of course I explain the reasons for it - rising cost of living, etc. Perhaps the contracts could change for future clients? Our current clients won't be here forever, after all. I also build the relationships between clients (let's all be friends, so to speak) so the lines of communication are wide open between everyone to discuss vacations, etc. We have a "Mother's Dinner" next Friday, when I'll casually bring up the topic of holidays again. This way, we all discuss it so, hopefully, some of us can work together on a schedule that benefits everyone, rather than just me or just one family. I've found this approach very successful and makes clients a bit more pliable for increases, etc as they feel 'part of the decision making effort', rather than being told how it's going to be. I know my approach is quite different as it's very personal and social, but I've found it beneficial to be friends with clients as they see you as a person, not just someone providing a service. And I think it's because of this approach that I don't get 'nickeled and dimed' to death.

[apples and bananas]

Apples and Bananas, totally agree with you regarding changing the policy being akin to 'breaking a promise'. With fee increases, I always state at the intake interview that my rates go up yearly by $1, so they know right away that that's what will be happening. Of course I explain the reasons for it - rising cost of living, etc. Perhaps the contracts could change for future clients? Our current clients won't be here forever, after all. I also build the relationships between clients (let's all be friends, so to speak) so the lines of communication are wide open between everyone to discuss vacations, etc. We have a "Mother's Dinner" next Friday, when I'll casually bring up the topic of holidays again. This way, we all discuss it so, hopefully, some of us can work together on a schedule that benefits everyone, rather than just me or just one family. I've found this approach very successful and makes clients a bit more pliable for increases, etc as they feel 'part of the decision making effort', rather than being told how it's going to be. I know my approach is quite different as it's very personal and social, but I've found it beneficial to be friends with clients as they see you as a person, not just someone providing a service. And I think it's because of this approach that I don't get 'nickeled and dimed' to death.


What is "mother's dinner" ? I like your approach. Daycare should be a combined effort between parents and caregivers. We become an important part of these childrens lives, it's almost impossible to remove the social aspect of it.

[cfred]

Thanks Apples and Bananas! I like this approach too :) Mother's Dinner is just a meal out at a restaurant every couple of months with all my clients. Everyone gets a little loosened up with a drink or 2, some good food and good company. This time, we're going to a restaurant where one of the Dads is a chef. At my old location, I lived in a forest, so we'd have bonfires, bbqs and outdoor movie nights. Sooooo fun and I'm still close with many of my original clients. Plus, as PR, I'd bet you could write it off :)

Your reasoning for my approach is exactly right. As a provider, the better a client knows me on a personal level, the more comfortable they are with me as a person thereby making my job easier - no micro managing (ever), a LOT of trust in my ability and intentions. And we are a huge part of their children's lives....they should WANT to know us better. In my experience, it's been well worth it :)

[sunnydays]

I think the problem comes in when changing policies for existing clients. A rate raise, if it is in your original contract, is normal, but to start adding things that cilents hadn't considered, may make them upset. I do have 10 days paid vacation and 7 days paid personal days as well as stats and x-mas eve paid. I do not give free days to parents for any reason. However, all of my clients signed on with this same policy and the only thing I have changed is to add x-mas eve last year. I have absolutely no problem finding clients who agree to pay my closures. In fact, it is in their best interest that the caregiver be well rested and feel that she can take a break to recharge so she doesn't get burnt out....as the kids are the ones to pay for that eventually. It does definitely depend on what the norm is in your area, but I really don't see this as taking advantage of parents. For me, it is all about providing good service (me being well rested enables me to do this). Also, while I like the sounds of cfred's personal closeness with clients and respect her decisions in how she runs her daycare...I am the opposite! I do not like to mix business and pleasure and I try to keep a friendly, but professional relationship with clients and not blur lines into friendship. If I feel I want to be friends with them, I wait until the child is no longer in my care ;) We all have to run our businesses in the way that makes us happy...there is no right or wrong way.