What If You Are Running A Fever?

[Msdunny]

I started running a low grade fever tonight. Do you close if you are the one with the fever? I am miserable!

[cheerfuldom]

No I never close. Even if I have something contagious, I dont close. I do tell parents if I am contagious and they can choose to send their child or not (either way, I still get paid and they cant complain that I closed). I only say if I know for sure what is going and have never had a parent keep a child home while I was ill. I have had the flu twice, strep, and an assortment of colds and such. I worked through all of it.

[EchoMom]

I guess it depends what your contract says. If you've given yourself sick days that you are allowed to close, then close and take your sick day.

If you haven't, then I don't think you can. If parents didn't know when they signed up you could potentially close then that would be quite a shock to them and IMO unfair.

If you can't close, you could let the parents know you have a fever and let them decide to still come or not. And for whoever does come, well, make it a super easy day. You don't have to clean up the toys that day, you don't have to do an activity that day, etc. The kids won't suffer because they had one boring day when you were sick.

[Unregistered]

I guess it depends what your contract says. If you've given yourself sick days that you are allowed to close, then close and take your sick day.

If you haven't, then I don't think you can. If parents didn't know when they signed up you could potentially close then that would be quite a shock to them and IMO unfair.

If you can't close, you could let the parents know you have a fever and let them decide to still come or not. And for whoever does come, well, make it a super easy day. You don't have to clean up the toys that day, you don't have to do an activity that day, etc. The kids won't suffer because they had one boring day when you were sick.

I think regardless of what your contract says if you're sick and don't feel like you can work then close!! Even if you haven't told parents that you could potentially close, if you're sick, you're sick. It shouldn't be such a shock to them that sometimes everyone gets sick and can't work.

The question of whether or not you'll be paid for the day is a different question altogether. I've given myself 5 personal days to be used however I want, so I would be paid. If you haven't given yourself the days or you've run out of your own paid days off then I wouldn't charge the parents for the day.

That being said, I have closed a few days when I haven't felt well. Once I did close due to a fever. I'm human and sometimes I don't feel well and can't work.

[Starburst]

If you are well enough to work then I would just wear a surgical mask and let parents know that you are a little under the weather but will take universal precausions to prevent spread.

If you are throwing up, dizzy, have difficulty breathing, disoriented, have oozing sores, have major diarriah, loss of bowle/bladder control, or have difficulty eating/ walking/ lifting/ moving then I would close.

[EchoMom]

I think regardless of what your contract says if you're sick and don't feel like you can work then close!! Even if you haven't told parents that you could potentially close, if you're sick, you're sick. It shouldn't be such a shock to them that sometimes everyone gets sick and can't work.

The question of whether or not you'll be paid for the day is a different question altogether. I've given myself 5 personal days to be used however I want, so I would be paid. If you haven't given yourself the days or you've run out of your own paid days off then I wouldn't charge the parents for the day.

That being said, I have closed a few days when I haven't felt well. Once I did close due to a fever. I'm human and sometimes I don't feel well and can't work.

Sure, she CAN close, she has the right to do whatever she wants. However, she's got to consider the consequences. If parents didn't know that you would/could close when you're sick, then that very well could be a deal breaker for them and I think very unfair. If you want the option to close when sick, put it in your contract or talk about it up front. If the OP did that then by all means close and don't feel one bit bad about it.

I just think the OP has to weigh HOW sick she is against the result of closing. I just got a new DCfamily specifically because the previous provider closed on multiple occassions with extremely short notice.

[LK5kids]

I close. I can't imagine working with strep or flu. That said, I don't get sick often, so it's rare I close.

[Blackcat31]

Illness policies aren't about money or loss of income. Atleast they shouldn't be.

Illness policies should be about mutual respect and not spreading a contagious illness back and forth to others.

The illness policy should not only apply to your DCK's but to yourself as well.

Unless you are expecting to get some new teeth, you are running a fever because you are sick.

Eliminate the possibility of spreading whatever you have and close.

[MamaBearCanada]

I guess it depends what your contract says. If you've given yourself sick days that you are allowed to close, then close and take your sick day.

If you haven't, then I don't think you can. If parents didn't know when they signed up you could potentially close then that would be quite a shock to them and IMO unfair.

If you can't close, you could let the parents know you have a fever and let them decide to still come or not. And for whoever does come, well, make it a super easy day. You don't have to clean up the toys that day, you don't have to do an activity that day, etc. The kids won't suffer because they had one boring day when you were sick.

This doesn't make sense to me. She's human - humans get sick and if it's severe enough she cannot and should not work. I don't think we need to tell parents "I might get sick" for that assumption to be made. How are they going to be shocked that someone doesnt work when they are severely sick or hospitalized?

I feel statements like this make daycare providers feel guilty for taking time off to care for themselves. Yes it might be an inconvenience to the parents but that doesn't mean that we are not worth it. Parents who can't accept that should probably choose a center or a provider with assistants/subs.

[EchoMom]

This doesn't make sense to me. She's human - humans get sick and if it's severe enough she cannot and should not work. I don't think we need to tell parents "I might get sick" for that assumption to be made. How are they going to be shocked that someone doesnt work when they are severely sick or hospitalized?

I feel statements like this make daycare providers feel guilty for taking time off to care for themselves. Yes it might be an inconvenience to the parents but that doesn't mean that we are not worth it. Parents who can't accept that should probably choose a center or a provider with assistants/subs.

I see what you're saying. You're totally right, we're all human and we all get sick which is why I hope it was discussed at the interview already. I personally have always been asked what happens if I'm sick by every prospective client so I can't imagine the OP hadn't discussed it with the families already. All I'm trying to say is whatever was agreed upon should be followed through with or else lose credibility and reliability. However, since the OP is asking this question makes it seem like there probably wasn't already a plan or decision in place. Which is a big oversight that hopefully she'll make a policy addressing from now on so she doesnt' have to stress about it from now on.

She shouldn't feel guilty for closing if she needs to, she just has to count the cost and predict what the fallout might be.

[Msdunny]

Thanks for your input, folks. I had a root canal on Friday and I am assuming the fever was a side effect. I was definitely miserable last night and wouldn't have been able to work this morning, but I think I'll pull through for tomorrow. happyface

I will keep your suggestions in mind in case this comes up again. Especially if I have any oozing wounds or uncontrollable diarrhea! I will definitely take those days off!

[MamaBearCanada]

I see what you're saying. You're totally right, we're all human and we all get sick which is why I hope it was discussed at the interview already. I personally have always been asked what happens if I'm sick by every prospective client so I can't imagine the OP hadn't discussed it with the families already. All I'm trying to say is whatever was agreed upon should be followed through with or else lose credibility and reliability. However, since the OP is asking this question makes it seem like there probably wasn't already a plan or decision in place. Which is a big oversight that hopefully she'll make a policy addressing from now on so she doesnt' have to stress about it from now on.

She shouldn't feel guilty for closing if she needs to, she just has to count the cost and predict what the fallout might be.

I see what you're saying, especially about credibility. Sorry if I misunderstood your first post.

Thanks for your input, folks. I had a root canal on Friday and I am assuming the fever was a side effect. I was definitely miserable last night and wouldn't have been able to work this morning, but I think I'll pull through for tomorrow. happyface

I will keep your suggestions in mind in case this comes up again. Especially if I have any oozing wounds or uncontrollable diarrhea! I will definitely take those days off!

Hope you feel much better tomorrow. I think EchoMom makes a good point about having a wellness policy in place. In mine I state that I get 5 paid sick days a year, though I might not use them all, any sick days after that are unpaid, and that parents are responsible for backup care for any days I am closed.

[Msdunny]

Well, my temperature went back up to 101.5, so I let all the parents know. Only one family didn't have alternate care, so my daughter is babysitting for them today. The "funny" thing is I am pretty sure I am sick because this family brought their son to me last week when they knew he was sick. This was the mom who picked up dcb and left dcg with me. I have the same symptoms he had. Why do parents not understand why we don't need to keep their sick children? Two of my families (totaling 4 children) are like this. I started doing child care again in Nov., and this is the one thing that is making me want to quit. This is the second time I have been sick, and both times are as a result of having sick kids here. Before this, I never got sick much at all.

One of my friends says, "It is that Petrie dish of germs you are living in". ::

[providerandmomof4]

No I never close. Even if I have something contagious, I dont close. I do tell parents if I am contagious and they can choose to send their child or not (either way, I still get paid and they cant complain that I closed). I only say if I know for sure what is going and have never had a parent keep a child home while I was ill. I have had the flu twice, strep, and an assortment of colds and such. I worked through all of it.

This has been my policy thus far and truthfully, I am tired of it. Last Friday I was miserable....my own dd was home from school sick with a fever and I had a stomach bug that had me running to the bathroom every five minutes. If I worked out of the home, I would've called in sick. I advised dp's of the situation and not one cared....still brought their kids. I need to change my policy in a hurry. I'm feeling much better today though so...toughed it out, but I don't feel I should have to work that ill. I know for a fact that dp wouldn't. They'd call into work and bring their kids to me! It just happened a few weeks ago!

[youretooloud]

I never close either. We just watch lots of tv that day, and maybe order a pizza, or I'll even make those frozen chicken nuggets, and open a can of peaches, and serve that for lunch.

I have a big screen tv with cable channels that the kids never get to watch. So, it's like a special day and nobody minds.