Question Regarding Paid vacations

[Suzie_Homemaker]

Hello,

I have a question regarding paid vacations. Our home daycare provider has requested to be paid for all stat holidays as well as two weeks of paid vacation per year. I would like to hear other people's opinions on this matter. Please note that we have not yet been provided with a written contract.

Dayhome provider are self-employed. We not protected by labour standards ensuring we get min wage or stat days or sick pay or any other protection. All we have, is our contracts. Some of us have paid stat and paid vacation. Considering we earn (after business expense) about $3 an hour, it a small perk if we include it.

I have all stat and public holiday closed plus 2 week paid vacation. But I have no health insurance from work - that cost me $303 a month, I have no pension, I have no sick days, etc. If parent have an issue with me being able to have a day off, then they not a client I want.

When I opened, I did not have paid stat or paid vacation. This common mistake for newbie. I ended up working for several years with no day off because I not afford my mortgage or bills if unpaid for the day.

You do understand that if parent not paying for these, we still have same bills but reduced income? And you do understand that on min wage, we struggle if a vacancy sit for long time? And you do understand that it's not big money even if full?

My daycare kids get all day of care for $35.00 meals, milk, snack, toys, insurance, CPR and first aid, police check, all day heating in Winter, all day heating in Summer, endless love and support for parent.

If parent resented the 10 x $35.00 for annual vacation, I would not want them. It's less than $2 a day.

Written contract is preferable but if one not exist, verbal agreement is what works. Might be unfair comment but that one line at the end makes me think you are about to nickle and dime your carer and plead innocent because you didn't have it in writing, even though up to now, you've been perfectly fine with verbal agreement.

Your provider is the person loving your child all day long. They spend more time with your child than own family. If you are about to dispute her this Easter pay, think how much she gives before you put her in a situation where her mortgage isn't covered.