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Thread: Early closures

  1. #1
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    Early closures

    I have closed early on several occasions to accomodate doctor's appt's for myself or my own children before, and refunded the parents the money for the closed hours.
    Has anyone ever closed early to leave on a weekend vacation?
    I'd like to close 1 hr early so we can arrive at our destination in daylight. Do you think this is fair(with 3 weeks notice) and do I have to tell the parents the reason why I'm closing early? It really will only impact 1 of my families, as the rest are done work early in the day, or work from home.

  2. #2
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    If I close at noon and don't provide lunch, I charge half day rate. If I close anytime after 1pm and have served lunch, full rate is applied.

    I have closed early before to start a weekend vacation. I don't remember if I told them or not but I don't think you need to tell them. If it's only one family that it affects, most probably won't even care, let alone ask why.

    3 weeks is enough notice IMO. Have a good trip!!

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    We camp a lot in the summer and when we go farther than usual, I will end my day early. My families are warned every year that there will be early closings on some Fridays, so it's not a surprise to them. I usually have the kids picked up around 2 in the afternoon, so it is full rate paid.

    I give the at least a week and a half notice and they are fine with it, so for you to give 3 weeks notice, it's good enough.

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    I don't tend to close early ever. If I have an appointment during business hours or if I wanted to leave on Friday for a vacations, even if just a weekend break (like that will ever happen), then I still wouldn't close early.

    I try and behave like I would if I was an employee in terms of business hours. If I needed time during the week off, I'd have to book it and take it as leave. So, that's what I do here too.

    I have a hospital appointment on 29th Jan and so all my parents know that I am closed that day and it will come out of my annual personal days.

  5. #5
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    I have an early closure policy too. If I close less than 3 hours earlier than normal parents pay the usual fees and give a minimum 1 week notice. I have closed early for doctor appt, but I don't know if I would close early just because I wanted to start my vacation early. If I did, I would probably make it an official half day and close at noon and charge the parents accordingly. Then I would apply it against my official personal holiday days.

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    Just curious - those who close early without refund, do you limit how often you do this?

    Maybe it's my area or maybe it's me, but if I had a contract for day care, for say $35.00 for care from 7.30am until 4.30pm, I think it would get old fast if I was expected for keep coming for say noon, being shortchanged 4 and a half hours of care, and not getting a refund either.

    I'm sitting here wondering how if I had an employer, that would likely work.

    Likely, if I was required to pick up my child at noon, then I'd need a whole day off work because using a half day leave, if my employer allowed that, would mean I would have to work until noon to get half a day in.

    So I'd have to take a full day leave, pay full day care rates even if I kept my child home or pay full day care rates even if I came an noon. If the carer did that 10 times, them my annual leave has just been used for early closures, leaving me no leave for when my carer is actually on her annual leave.

    So you must have it in your contracts with a max amount of times it would occur? Otherwise, in theory you'd be able to close early every Friday if you wanted?

    Just curious how that works.

  7. #7
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    For myself, one of the perks of opening up my own business was the fact that I would get to be in charge of my days and time off. I am the employer, not the employee, so I tend to think like that when I made and adjust my contract and policies. I don't have anything that says how much time I will take off in a year. I purposely left it open so that it gives me wiggle room if I need/want it. It hasn't happened yet but if I felt the need to take a mental health day than I could and I could still give 2-3 weeks notice of it.

    During interviews, I stress to the parents how important it is for them to have back up if I am sick or take vacation. I have only ever had 3 families who had almost 0 back up help and not even they complained!! The back up care is on them though, it's not my issue. That sounds harsh but it's just the way it is.

    I have almost always had parents who have had fantastic jobs. They have no problem leaving work an hour early the very odd time (many just take their lunch at the end of the day). Many, many grandparents and aunts and uncles help out too and I have met many of them because they are the ones who from time to time pick up early. IME, it is easier for a parent (or family member) to pick up an hour earlier than at noon but I close at different times depending on my schedule for that day/appointment.

    The key of course, is to not abuse this power and take every Friday off or end early just because. Very quickly word would get out and your business reputation would fail. Most parents realize that we are just like them, we need time off as well and it's not fair to expect us to be open early and close late. The nice thing about our job is that we don't have a higher up to approve our time off but we do have clients that we have to be reliable for. Finding that balance is what will give you a great business without feeling like you are going to burn out!
    Last edited by 5 Little Monkeys; 01-16-2015 at 02:47 PM.

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  9. #8
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    I agree with 5 little monkeys...we are fortunate enough to be self employed and not an employee.
    We can decide when we take time off and when we close early. As long as you are honest and don't do it too often, then I feel that I'm well within my right.
    I make sure that when families start, that they have reliable backup in case it's needed.
    I also do not take vacation all together during the year, so I make it clear to my families that I will be taking a certain amount of Fridays off early during the summer and I give a decent amount of notice. They are fine with that.

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  11. #9
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    For me having an early closure policy became a must have, I added it as an amendment to my policy handbook this last spring. There are just some things that I can't do outside of daycare hours, so I make appointments very occasional for as close to my closing time as possible and give as much notice to parents as possible.

    I don't take advantage of it and I don't have any limit on the number of early closures in a year.

    It also isn't closing at noon and asking parents to pay a full day. If it is less than 3 hours before the usual closing time they pay full rates (since they would have been here over 4 hours already anyway) and if it more than 3 hours they only pay a half day rate. If they chose to keep their child home that day then they pay what I charge everyone else for that early closure day.

    I also go over this with parents and make it clear that I may close early occasionally. If they can't manage that then my daycare isn't for them. So far I have yet to have a family that questioned this policy.

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  13. #10
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    I have no issue with the view that being self-employed, we determine our conditions.

    As said, it's the early finish/half day closure with no refund that puzzles me. Surely if you are contracted to provide care between certain hours for a certain fee, when you reduce the hours, you reduce the fee? That the bit that I think would get old fast.

    Maybe it's more common in other provinces. Shrug

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