Can We Stand Another Vacation Question?? If You Take A PAID Vacation

[Crazy8]

Say you are contracted to take 5days/1week paid vacation per calendar year and any additional time would be unpaid. You take that one week in the summer when you only have 2 daycare kids. In Sept. you take on 3 new kids.... in Nov. you need to take a few days off - wouldn't it be completely fair to have the 3 new families pay you for those vacation days and allow the "old" families to have them as unpaid days???

I think I generally jip myself out of "paid" days because that is often the scenario of my daycare (enrollment goes down in summer, fill it back up in Sept.). Families that leave in June almost ALWAYS get out of paying me for vacation time (yet they often take their free week). I am not trying to be nitpicky about it - if I don't need the time I don't take it - but I think I bend over backwards NOT to take time when maybe I should.

Does anyone do it this way??

[saved4always]

I would say that it is totally fair if the families who did not pay a week vacation yet would pay you for the next one. If it is in their contract, they should pay it. The ones who paid in summer already fulfilled that obligation so they should not pay. The new families did not fulfill it yet. At least that would be my take on it.

[Blackcat31]

I would consider NOT giving someone their free week until maybe they have been with you for 6 months or so..

[bgmeyers]

It is a little more work for me (just keeping track) but so worth it to take 10 days paid per family.
I just word it as 10 paid days vacation.

[Crazy8]

It is a little more work for me (just keeping track) but so worth it to take 10 days paid per family.
I just word it as 10 paid days vacation.

this is what I'm thinking - I've just never really bothered to keep track. Do you have a little form or something you use that you could maybe share???

[cheerfuldom]

I guess it depends on how many kids you have and how much work it is to keep track of it all. My daycare years runs from August to July. I normally take a week off in the spring and a week off in the summer. Depending on when a family starts, they may get out of that paid vacation time off for the year but I still get the days so I am not going to spend the extra time nit picking. Its just easier for me to think of my "daycare year" and keep track that way and not worry about who might accidentally benefit from what.

[Crazy8]

I guess it depends on how many kids you have and how much work it is to keep track of it all. My daycare years runs from August to July. I normally take a week off in the spring and a week off in the summer. Depending on when a family starts, they may get out of that paid vacation time off for the year but I still get the days so I am not going to spend the extra time nit picking. Its just easier for me to think of my "daycare year" and keep track that way and not worry about who might accidentally benefit from what.

As I said in my original post, I am not trying to nitpick either but I'm talking about in the event I NEED to take days off later in the year. For instance, my daughter is in a sport where she could make it to a big out of state competition later in the year - I don't know if we are going to make it in the summer when I take my week vacation so may end up needing 2-3 days in Oct./Nov. - so if more than half my families are new in Sept. I'm not seeing why I should have to take that as unpaid time. Of course the families who are still with me from summer wouldn't pay. I only take 5 kids - so wouldn't be too hard to know who has paid and who hasn't.

[bgmeyers]

this is what I'm thinking - I've just never really bothered to keep track. Do you have a little form or something you use that you could maybe share???

I just have a monthly calendar by my computer with who is expected each day. As I take it down at the end of the month, I keep a running total of vacation days used per family and carry it over to the next month. Very simple, but it works for me.

[Crazy8]

I just have a monthly calendar by my computer with who is expected each day. As I take it down at the end of the month, I keep a running total of vacation days used per family and carry it over to the next month. Very simple, but it works for me.

Thanks, I just made up a little excel sheet with 5 blocks to fill in the dates they use their 5 free days and 5 blocks to fill in my 5 paid days. I think that will work for now.

[bice99]

My contracts run through June 30th each year. After that all of my paid time "resets". I track my paid days on a spreadsheet for each child. If a PTer doesn't attend on a day I take off (let's say a field trip I go on with my DD), I don't record that date in their column.

Now for my families, they each earn one week at half rate after each 6 months they are here, continuously. One month's notice must be given. Week must be taken as a calendar week. So I had a family start in September. DCK will not be here the week prior to Spring Break. Mom notified me by Feb 1st, so they get to pay half rate. And weeks cannot be stockpiled. Must be used by July 1st of the following year. My teachers don't earn any vacation weeks, because they already get a deal by paying 1/2 rate to hold their spots over the summer. The DCK can come 1/5 of their normal days/hours on a day I choose. If I am on vacation during the summer, they still pay since they are paying to hold a future spot.