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Tinkerbell
07-22-2011, 01:56 PM
Hi! I was just wondering if any providers allow for a certain amount of paid sick days annually? In 19 years of providing care, I have only taken 3 days off sick but wanted/should have taken more. Thanks.

Sandbox Sally
07-22-2011, 02:23 PM
I know that people do this - I have read many contracts where providers allow themselves a certain amount of personal paid days per year, but I was nervous to ask my clients, as I make them pay regardless of their attendance, and didn't want to push my luck. It says in my contract that if I am not open, I do not charge.

sunnydays
07-22-2011, 05:18 PM
I have 5 paid personal days for sickness, appointments, etc. per year. I won't use them unless I have to, so it's not like I am going to just take them anyway if I am not sick, but none of my parents complained and I am a new provider. Making them pay when their kids are sick is different because I am still working and they are paying for the space. I think it is fair to ask for paid sick days as long as it is clearly in the contract from the start.

Play and Learn
07-22-2011, 07:11 PM
It says in my contract that if I am not open, I do not charge.

Pretty much the same here.....

KingstonMom
07-22-2011, 08:17 PM
Same as Play and Learn and Alphaghetti....My vacation days and appt days are unpaid....unfortunat ely.

FS2011
07-22-2011, 09:28 PM
I work it out in my rate that I get 20 days a year off, 15 vaca and 5 sick or personal days. It's in the fee but parents don't actually pay and I don't see a loss in income either. One parents made a comment about my holidays and it was so rude it actually made me want to terminate on the spot. I however took the higher road and immediately found a reason it "wasn't working out" and terminated anyways. I work at home to enjoy my life, I'm not compromising in this area :)

fruitloop
07-23-2011, 10:25 AM
Hi,

Maybe start a sticker chart with stars and if they help clean up they get to put a star beside their name. If they get 5 for the week then they get a certificate at the end of the week for being a BIG helper. Ignore if they don't help and if they cry for not getting a sticker tell them why. Trust me they will want to get what the big 3.5-year-old gets. Ignore if they don't help and don't make a big deal. But make a huge deal if they do. Kids at this age are testing their boundaries big time don't fold or they will win. Remember you’re the boss! LOL Good luck!

http://www.aaacertificates. com/members/kids/certs.php?sec=kids&cat=Home_And_Family

Uumm...think you replied to the wrong thread as this has nothing to do with the OP.


Anyway, I have 10 paid sick/personal/bereavement type days. I have never used this many or even come close but they are basically there because all of our family is in another province and if someone (god forbid) dies, it takes up a huge chunk of my days to go and then I'm left with nothing if my kids or myself get sick. This has happened once when my grandma died and it took up so many of my sick days that I upped it to 10...it was 6. I've never had an issue with my number. So, I state in my contract that I get 10 paid sick/personal/bereavement days and 3 weeks of holiday time unpaid per year.

mlc1982
07-24-2011, 12:08 AM
My contract states I have 5 paid sick days per year. If anything above and beyond that needs to be taken I will reimburse the next month. I also have up to 3 weeks additional for holidays but that is unpaid. I will be changing that next year though.

mom-in-alberta
07-24-2011, 07:19 PM
I have stats off, paid. 10 calendar days of holidays, paid. And 4 personal/sick days, paid. All of this during the calendar year.
My rates are very reasonable, and it is the norm around here. The only time I wouldn't charge a family the usual rate is if they had just started that month or so, and I was taking a week off or some such thing. I would pro-rate for that time, for that family.
When you work out what we get paid on an hourly basis, I think that this is more than fair.

Sandbox Sally
07-25-2011, 11:34 AM
hmm...actually after having read the rest of these posts, I realise that I DO charge when I am not open - Stat holidays! Oops.

As for holidays, this summer I have been lucky. I have two daycare kids at the moment, and they are both taking holidays the same week, so I have a week off paid! Woohoo!

Maybe I will change the contract for the next family to include a few paid sick days...

mom-in-alberta
07-25-2011, 02:46 PM
Nice, Alphagetti! That is how Christmas holidays worked out for me this past year.... everyone just happened to have Dec 24 to about Jan 4 off. It was AWESOME!!!!

spudjt
07-26-2011, 08:50 AM
WOW thats helpful, I tried to install sick days and lost some good clients so I have given up on trying for now. I do take half days off sometimes and still charge parents the full day and do charge parents for any days they take off-it IS their spot and I dont fill it if they are off, so they pay for their spot, but i have always said if i am unavailable for care then I dont charge them or credit them next month. I ask for fees in ADVANCE of care, so there is no way of getting jipped out of pay , and dont have parents asking if they have to pay for days off, they have already paid. also if they lost a job then at least i was given that months pay. I also ask for post dated cheque for mid month for last of the pay...so I dont have to hunt anyone down again and again for fees through out the month.

briar_rose
05-05-2013, 06:07 PM
I do not charge for my sick days or vacation days (besides stats). I do find it annoying to not have any paid personal days for appointments, funerals etc. though so I will be adding two paid personal days to start in 2014. I will probably only add this to the contract for new families though as am I grateful for my current families and how much support I received during my pregnancy and after my son was born (so grandfather it in).

cfred
05-05-2013, 06:59 PM
I don't charge for sick days. I'd love to, but it's part of my schtick. I know that when I take a day off for a sick day, my clients KNOW I'm actually sick as I'm not being paid. They are few and far between. HOWEVER, as I gain recognition and popularity in my new area, I may change that ;)

madmom
05-05-2013, 09:15 PM
I take 2 weeks paid vacation, which I charge for monthly, I had the unpleasant experience of 2 families using my vacation as their 2 weeks notice and never bothered to pay me so now I charge one extra days pay monthly from Sept to June and bank the money myself. Problem solved! My daycare parents love it cause when I am on holidays they don't have to pay at that time. I also take the week between Christmas and New year no charge and have 5 sick/ personal days. I only started that this year cause I was tired of not being able to pay my bills cause someone brings me a sick child and I get "infected" .

AmandaKDT
05-06-2013, 07:51 PM
With having a license I'm not allowed to charge parents when I'm not open, other than for stat holidays. But I do get paid if their kids are aren't here because they are sick or on holiday. I know it will be really hard some days when I'm really sick, but don't want to close due to lack of income for that day - but I'm kind of used to working while being sick anyway because when I was working as a school teacher I often would not bother calling in sick because it was too much work (having to plan everything for a sub to cover me). And with having 2 young ones of my own, it isn't like I would get to just spend all day in bed anyway.