Wording for stats

Okay ladies, I need some advice on how I can better word my contract when it comes to paid stats. I know some of you have previously mentioned that you don't call them stats, but something else (of course I cannot remember which thread it was in!). I have a client confused/complaining because she doesn't understand why Easter Monday and Rememberance day are listed with my stats (although I do have a note that some of the days in the list are not technically stats). How can I word it so that there is no confusion (I thought it was clear because I listed each day, but apparently it is confusing). Any advice would be great!

This is what mine says so even though the title of the section is statutory holidays it doesn't specifically mention that in the paragraph.

7) STATUTORY HOLIDAYS:

The daycare will be closed on the following days with full payment required: New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Civic Holiday, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. I reserve the right to close early on any holiday Eve such as Christmas Eve to facilitate family plans. If a holiday falls on the weekend, the caregiver is entitled to close on another day with pay in lieu of the holiday (usually the Friday or Monday associated with the weekend). All attempts will be made to try to mitigate disruption to families.

Easter Monday and Remembrance day are at my discretion meaning I have the right to close if I want to. Since hubby is military rarely have to explain remembrance day. I explain Easter monday with the idea that family lives out of town and we don't travel in winter including over Christmas so it is the first time we could possibly travel if we wanted to so this way the time is reserved in case we do. It also goes back to before family day and always felt I needed a long weekend at the end of winter. Family was always busy with choir stuff and pageants at church for palm sunday and easter and the extra recovery day was lovely when the kids were around. Now hubby is still in choir stuff but I don't need the recovery time.

My contract simply lists the days that I am closed, I do not call them stats and that these days are still to be paid if they fall on a regularly scheduled day.

Thanks Playfelt! I actually have each holiday listed with the current year's date and the day the daycare will be closed (if the holiday falls on a weekend) and it is the first section in my contract, so right up top. My contract says: "Paid statutory (or non-statutory) holiday closures for 2013 are" and then lists them all with 2013 dates. I have a parent complaining that I should not put Easter Monday and Rememberance Day in there because they are not legal stats. I have never had anyone else say it was confusing, but maybe it is confusing and I could find a better way to word this??? Maybe I should just take out the word "stat" and leave it as "holiday closures"....

So do you somehow differentiate these holiday closures from days you are closed for your own vacation? This is where I got stuck with the wording. I thought if I don't call them stats or holidays, then how do I get the point across that I will be closed for these days every year as opposed to the days I am closed for my own vacation (I also list those dates for the whole year when I renew contracts in January).

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Originally Posted by Wonderwiper

My contract simply lists the days that I am closed, I do not call them stats and that these days are still to be paid if they fall on a regularly scheduled day.

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Ugh....I can't believe that this woman is still quibbling with you over this one. The initial "not knowing" about you being closed I can forgive - many places are open on Easter Monday - but once you point out that you're closed and payment is expected she should just "shut up and pay up" to use the expression. Sorry to sound so crunchy, but jeepers - this kind of nickel and diming stuff drives me crazy !

I know! I feel the same! She has already paid...she signed contract renewal over three months ago where all these days are clearly listed (I was closed last year as well and her child was with me then too, so she knew then)...now all of a sudden it is confusing! I just want to make sure I avoid this happening in the future, so want to make sure my wording in my contract is as clear as possible to avoid ANY possibility for confusion!

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Originally Posted by Monday 2 Friday Mama

Ugh....I can't believe that this woman is still quibbling with you over this one. The initial "not knowing" about you being closed I can forgive - many places are open on Easter Monday - but once you point out that you're closed and payment is expected she should just "shut up and pay up" to use the expression. Sorry to sound so crunchy, but jeepers - this kind of nickel and diming stuff drives me crazy !

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Below this list I also state that daycare is closed the week between Christmas and New Year as well as 2 other weeks usually taken during the summer. I state that they will be given as much notice as possible but only guarantee 1 months notice. This year have given them 4 months notice of when my summer holidays are!!!

This is the clause in my policies, but I lost the formatting, there are 3 columns on the list:



Paid Days Off – Daycare Closed

The daycare will not operate on the following holidays:

New Year’s Day Family Day Good Friday
Easter Monday Victoria Day Canada Day
August Civic Holiday Labour Day Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve Day Christmas Day Boxing Day

Should the holiday fall on a weekend the following business day will be taken in lieu. Regular weekly fees apply for all holidays when the daycare is closed for full time children and for part-time children who normally book the day of the holiday or the day in lieu.

They are both federal holidays and since I live in Ottawa and hubby is military (federal government) then I explain that I am closed the same days he is. Also they are in there because anyone that works for the federal gov. gets them off and therefore why should I do care while they get a paid holiday.

What I do is work individually with anyone that does not get those days. Depending on how much I like them, how cooperative they have been with things I needed, how old the child is ie how long they nap, how well they play, etc. I might be available to help them out for an additional fee for working on a holiday but it gives me control.

I think that I will just simply change the wording to avoid the word stat and called them holiday closures...that way nobody can complain that they are not stats! From what you guys have shown me, mine is even less open to interpretation as I actually list all of the dates for each holiday for the entire year (I renew contracts yearly and make a new list). I think it is jus the word "stat" that is causing the problem even though I had in brackets that some of them are non-stats.