How often do you take personal days?

[Spixie33]

I interviewed wee watch when I was looking for daycare and I believe they said they provide back up. I didn't like that option because if my provider was to be absent I didn't want to entrust my child with someone I hadn't had time to interview and screen etc.


So...personal days...is that like wanting a day off? Or sick/emergency days. In my min they are different things.

I take personal days every few months. I might just want a long weekend or be going away or want to spend my kids' birthday with them or want a ME day. Personal days for me are unpaid and I tell parents that I will take up to three weeks off per year for vacay and some of those are just 1 day etc. rather than a whole long stretch. Sometimes having one day off to do stuff and just slow down is amazing and one of the few times I feel like I get to rest. Last year I was taking one every month where there wasn't a long weekend. This year I have scaled back a bit because they are unpaid and I am going to be broke. lol


as for sick/emergency days....I have had it happen twice where I had to say unexpectedly that I couldn't do daycare. Once my mom was admitted to the hospital and I had to go see her (she lives quite far away) and another I suddenly felt extremely dizzy and full of perspiration in the morning while having breakfast and didn't think it was safe that I do daycare and carry young kids in case I pass out.

I think it is great if every provider books a day off now and then for their own reasons. Sometimes you need to do doctor appts or give yourself a long weekend.

I give my parents 4 weeks notice of any planned closed day and they have never complained

[Inspired by Reggio]

....So...personal days...is that like wanting a day off? Or sick/emergency days. In my min they are different things....

Ya -good point .... when I worked in HR in an employment contract the term 'family/emergency day' is a day that can either be booked in advance for appointments for family members or last minute in an emergency unplanned illness - and an employer has the right to ask for 'proof' of illness when calling in sick 'last minute'. Where as a 'personal day' usually means 'the reason is none of the employers business' and they can only be booked 'X days in advance and upon approval based on availability of staffing' .... so for example if you have 10 sick days and 5 personal days - as long as you booked it in 'advance' your boss has no need to know WHY you are wanting it and can 'deny' a day if there are already too many staff booked off that day however if you have used up all your sick days and are trying to use a personal day last minute cause you are claiming to be 'sick' they can require a NOTE or refuse to allow you to use it as a paid personal day and force you to take it 'unpaid leave'.

In your own personal contracts with clients YOU get to define them ... for me my 10 personal/emergency days are combined definition .... if I am sick or just needing a pre-booked day off up to 10 per year are paid .... any more than that are unpaid ... I have never used more than the 20 days off in the course of a year between vacation, illness and appointments or professional development days.

[gcj]

I used to never take any and had a huge guilt problems if I was sick, but now I have an occassional replacement. She has all her papers and when I need a day off (usually I so half days only) she's here and it's SUCH A HUGE WEIGHT OFF MY SHOULDERS! I can actually go to special school events with my kids without screwing up the daycare families...