Christmas Vacation Question

[small_steps]

I have added two weeks of unpaid vacation to my policies. Yes I know...I would love to have a paid vacation but that really isn't the norm in my area for home daycares yet. Maybe that will change soon. Anyway, I'm taking one week in June and the other I was wanting to take over the Christmas break however I'm kind of torn on when to take it. I do require paid holidays in my handbook so if I took my vacation week the week of December 24-28 I would technically be losing money for the 24 & 25 which I would be paid for according to my handbook. So should I take the vacation week that week and require that they still pay for the two holidays? If I were to take the following it would kind of be the same thing except with New years. New Years day is a paid Holiday for me. And then is it fair for me to take off the week of Christmas and have New years Day off the very next week?

What are your opinions on this? I've got to have some time off. I've been open for 2 plus years now and haven't scheduled myself any time off except for holidays and Im starting to get burnt out so i really want to change that this year and take my two weeks off.

[SilverSabre25]

My solution for it is that I'm taking off the week between Christmas and New Years. The dates fall weirdly and this is what I prefer to do. Plus, I haven't had a week off for no reason in what will be almost thee years, and very little time off this year at all. I am going to RELISH it.

[Angelwings36]

I would split the week into days. Use 3 days over the christmas week. You would still get 5 days because of the two holidays that you get paid for and then use the last 2 days someplace else.

[MN Day Mom]

I take the week of Christmas off every year too. Two days are Holiday pay and then I use 3 days of vacation time to fill out the week.... I'll use the other two days to make a couple long weekends.

I get that it isn't the norm in your area to get paid for vacations.... but in order for it to ever become the norm, someone needs to start it Maybe it could be you? Maybe consider to make one of the weeks paid or both 1/2 pay to start off with??

[Jenniferdawn]

Ditto to angel wings and mn. This is exactly what I'm doing.

[Blackcat31]

I have added two weeks of unpaid vacation to my policies. Yes I know...I would love to have a paid vacation but that really isn't the norm in my area for home daycares yet. Maybe that will change soon. Anyway, I'm taking one week in June and the other I was wanting to take over the Christmas break however I'm kind of torn on when to take it. I do require paid holidays in my handbook so if I took my vacation week the week of December 24-28 I would technically be losing money for the 24 & 25 which I would be paid for according to my handbook. So should I take the vacation week that week and require that they still pay for the two holidays? If I were to take the following it would kind of be the same thing except with New years. New Years day is a paid Holiday for me. And then is it fair for me to take off the week of Christmas and have New years Day off the very next week?

What are your opinions on this? I've got to have some time off. I've been open for 2 plus years now and haven't scheduled myself any time off except for holidays and Im starting to get burnt out so i really want to change that this year and take my two weeks off.

I take the week between Christmas and New Year's off as well but ALL families pay me for Christmas Day and New Years Day as those are paid holidays so whether I am off the days before or after have no bearing on the fact that those are paid days.

If your handbook states that you have certain days off paid then bill the parents for those days....I don't think it should matter whether they fall in the middle of a week off or whatever....they still need to pay for those days.