Why be paid for stats?

[daycaremom9]

So I have recently read a post from a self employed parent (Chiropractor, I think) upset that she has to pay her DCP for stats when her DCP is closed and not providing her service. Making the comparison to herself that if she doesn't do an adjustment on a patient she isn't paid. I think DCP are different though because we are capped on the # of children we can have and our clientele is therefore capped at 5 (in Ontario anyway), meaning our clientele is extremely small. Is that a good reason? Are there other reasons you have that I could use to explain to her?

Specifically, I'm trying to compare ourselves to other self-employed groups.

This is really bothering me and I'm not sure if it's because I feel guilty for being paid when I'm not open. Although it's in my contract and very common in my area.

TIA!!!

I charge my full-timers a reduced rate but I do charge for stats (only for full-timers though). So that's how I explain it when asked.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I charge for STATS because

1. it is common in my area, for both home and centres

2. Most parents are getting paid for STATS as well even though they aren't working

3. I don't take paid sick or vacation days and feel that this is a small perk to me being the boss and making my own rules.

If I found that parents were complaining about having to pay my STAT fee ($10 less a regular day) I would instead charge a higher fee throughout the year and be closed without pay on STATS. I have thankfully never had a parent question this (at least not that I remember! lol)

[mickyc]

I completely agree with 5LM. I charge full rate for my stats though. I also charge all part-time children for stats regardless if they are to attend that day or not as well.

I also have never had a parent complain about paying for stats. I did have a dad mention to me though once that Boxing Day and August long are not "real stat" holidays. I think he was upset because his employer didn't pay for those days while he still paid me. He was also one of those "I am paying you therefore you will have my kids every minute of every day that you are open". I also take very limited holiday days (unpaid) and rarely take sick days.

[Rachael]

I charge full day for stat days but only if it falls on a day the child is registered for care. i.e. if I had a child for Tues-Fri, then I wouldn't charge for a Stat which fell on a Monday as it means the family has to pay 5 days care instead of the 4 they contracted for. I admit that I tend to avoid PT'ers like the plague so that usually means all my clients are FT and so they all pay.

Like Mickyc, I take a couple which aren't officially stat days - Boxing Day and Easter Monday but they are all listed clearly in both my handbook and contracts. It's only been questioned once and when I stated paid or not I would not be working, they decided to go elsewhere. Shrug.

I also have 10 paid personal days a year. These are for vacation and sick. I've had 2 days off sick in the last few years and those were kind of expected since stomach flu had gone around the day care.

As my family is all in England, I also have the ability to take more than 10 days vacation but the additional time would be unpaid. My thoughts behind that were that one day I might want to visit home but as yet, I've never been able to afford to - but I still dream.

This is what my contact states...

Hours and Days of operation
The Daycare will be available Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. To 4.30 p.m unless specific agreement has been reached for your child and if so, those details will be recorded here. Late collection of child will incur a late fee of $1 per minute per child as outlined in the handbook.
The Daycare will be closed on the following holidays: New Years Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Natal Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Should any of these days fall on a weekend, the Provider reserves the right to close the day care on the next business day. We also close at noon on Christmas Eve if it falls during the week. These are paid holidays.
Late collection of children will incur an additional fee of $1.00 per minute per child. Late fees are due on collection of your child, in cash.

Vacation
In the event of the Daycare provider taking a vacation, written notice will be provided to the parents a minimum of 14 days in advance. The Daycare provider is entitled to ten days paid vacation per year. No payment is required for vacation periods which exceed the contracted ten day period.

[Secondtimearound]

I avoided all of that by charging a monthly rate regardless of attendance, and I made sure in my contract to state my dayhome is closed all stats. The only neg feedback is one of my part timers is mon/friday and is always missing a day it seems but since it is all there in my contract .....
My holidays are taken without pay , which seems right to me but I do know a popular provider who took a month each year and always charged and she had a waiting list. She was with an agency so I dont know if that changes things ?
And she was in BC and had 30 yrs as a provider, I think she deserved it lol !!!!

[bright sparks]

I charge full day for stat days but only if it falls on a day the child is registered for care. i.e. if I had a child for Tues-Fri, then I wouldn't charge for a Stat which fell on a Monday as it means the family has to pay 5 days care instead of the 4 they contracted for. I admit that I tend to avoid PT'ers like the plague so that usually means all my clients are FT and so they all pay.

Like Mickyc, I take a couple which aren't officially stat days - Boxing Day and Easter Monday but they are all listed clearly in both my handbook and contracts. It's only been questioned once and when I stated paid or not I would not be working, they decided to go elsewhere. Shrug.

I also have 10 paid personal days a year. These are for vacation and sick. I've had 2 days off sick in the last few years and those were kind of expected since stomach flu had gone around the day care.

As my family is all in England, I also have the ability to take more than 10 days vacation but the additional time would be unpaid. My thoughts behind that were that one day I might want to visit home but as yet, I've never been able to afford to - but I still dream.

This is what my contact states...

I had really taken it for granted that Boxing day was a holiday Canada wide. I had no idea it was only in Ontario...that's ridiculous.

To me it isn't a question of why. My contract states each specific paid day off I take so regardless of what everyone else does, employed or otherwise, this is what works for me and my business. Family's who don't like that don't sign up with me. The time for questioning this is prior to signing on. Aside from stats I don't charge for any time daycare services aren't available. I also don't restrict myself to a maximum amount of vacation days per year. They are all unpaid and my average is between 3 and 5 weeks a year. I am upfront about this and anyone who has a problem with it should and do find a different provider who takes much less time off that better meets their needs.

[Rachael]

To me it isn't a question of why. My contract states each specific paid day off I take so regardless of what everyone else does

This. Exactly this.

I define my hours, terms, vacation, curriculum. It's my business. I understand it won't suit everyone who is seeking care but that's okay because I don't want everyone who needs care, as a client.

Just as parents have criteria for their care provider, I have criteria for my clients.

I don't take PT.
I don't extend my hours.
I have 10 days off a year which are paid.
I close on stat days and if that's one of my client's scheduled days, then they pay.
They pay if they are on vacation.
They pay if they are late.
They pay if their payment is late.

Sure, it won't suit those who need extended hours, it won't suit those who want to pay on attendance only, it won't suit those who aren't willing to pay stat days.

They know what they are getting up front and they know what my expectation from them are. If they opt to come here, they will get a quality service from someone who knows what they are doing and who will nurture, care for, encourage and promote their child. But it comes at a price.

If they want a cheaper carer, who doesn't charge stat days, who works longer hours, who is likely less experienced, they are more than welcome to sign up with one.

[5 Little Monkeys]

http://www.statutoryholidays.com/2014.php

I use this as a reference. I'm in mb and take 11 stats off a year. Some are technically not a stat but I have them in my contract and a parent needs to ask me about them prior to signing. It's a pet peeve of mine when parents sign and than question everything as it comes up later. I had one parent like this and I ended up terminating care.

[Rachael]

I had really taken it for granted that Boxing day was a holiday Canada wide. I had no idea it was only in Ontario...that's ridiculous.

LOL

For Nova Scotia...

"Statutory holidays in Nova Scotia
Victoria Day, Thanksgiving, Boxing Day and Remembrance Day are not statutory holidays. Boxing Day is a public holiday when shops are normally closed.

Remembrance Day, although not a statutory holiday, is defined under the province's Remembrance Day Act as a holiday where employers have the option of giving Remembrance Day or an alternate day off.

Natal Day - First Monday in August is also not a holiday but commonly a day off.

Source : http://www.statutoryholidays.com/novascotia.php

Officially, this province only has 5 stat dates - will increase to 6 in 2015 as we have a new one coming. This is why my contracts spell out every date I will not be opening and makes it clear it's a paid day.

We get New Year’s Day, Nova Scotia Heritage Day (starting in 2015), Good Friday, Canada Day, Labour Day, and Christmas Day. And that's it.

[5 Little Monkeys]

Rachael, just curious, do you not get Victoria Day as well in May?