Personal Days question

[Play Care]

My contract gives me 5 PAID sick/personal days per year. Mostly I just keep them for sick time - but they are hardly ever all used.
I was going through and planning out my scheduled time off for the rest of the year. I do have some personal days that are unpaid - mostly days where it's not a holiday and most parents would have to work and pay for alternate care. When I worked outside the home the rule was you could only take the time you had, and that was it - you couldn't decide to take a day without pay if you didn't have any PTL (paid time leave). And I'm wondering if I should be sticking to taking only the 5 days or if this is just a case of being your own business being different than working for a company.

WWYD?

I do realize the answers are going to be pretty diverse - at least that's my hope!

[bunnyslippers]

I just used my last 3 personal/paid sick days for this year last week (nasty stomach bug went through our house). A parent asked me about it, and I let them know that I have 5 sick/personal days per year, that I can use when I need to. I have already used 2 personal days, and now 3 sick days. Any future time off (personal or sick) for the rest of this year will be unpaid. I did not promise that I wouldn't be closed again - it is impossible to make such a guarantee.

I think it is your business, so you can make your own decisions. I also think that sometimes life happens, and we can't guarantee that we will only need 5 days per year. I do not think it is your job to worry about what they are going to do for care when you close. If in your contract you have up to 5 paid days, I personally would take those days paid, regardless of what day of the year they may fall on.

[Play Care]

I just used my last 3 personal/paid sick days for this year last week (nasty stomach bug went through our house). A parent asked me about it, and I let them know that I have 5 sick/personal days per year, that I can use when I need to. I have already used 2 personal days, and now 3 sick days. Any future time off (personal or sick) for the rest of this year will be unpaid. I did not promise that I wouldn't be closed again - it is impossible to make such a guarantee.

I think it is your business, so you can make your own decisions. I also think that sometimes life happens, and we can't guarantee that we will only need 5 days per year. I do not think it is your job to worry about what they are going to do for care when you close. If in your contract you have up to 5 paid days, I personally would take those days paid, regardless of what day of the year they may fall on.

I guess what I find myself doing is taking planned time off unpaid in case I close due to illness down the road - since I get paid in advance of care, it's easier to have those unplanned days off be paid so I don't have to deal with refunds, or credits.

[bunnyslippers]

I just use up my paid days, and then if it turns out I get sick, I will take those days unpaid. Chances are, I won't need them. If I do, then I will deal with it. I hate to leave paid days off unused. I know my dcfs don't think twice about calling in to their jobs, so neither do I.

[littlemissmuffet]

I have 5 paid personal/sick days per year. If I have to go over this time (which is rare, but it happens) I only refund the parents who actually have to miss work/pay for alternate care - if a parent is home (for ANY reason) I will not refund the day. I only refund $25/day outside of my 5 sick/personal days, though when my monthly rate is broken down, parents actually pay $30/day.
I am paid in advance, so I just take the $25/day off of the next months fee.

If I haven't used my sick/personal days by Decemeber, I will use what's left over the holidays because total I get about 25 paid days off per year (vacation, holidays and sick/personal) while the majority of my daycare parents about 40 paid days off. I don't feel guilty at all

[butterfly]

I'm sure I'm probably in the minority, but I don't have any paid sick/personal days. If I'm closed other than for holidays, I take it unpaid.

[SilverSabre25]

I take 5 paid days per years, and usually do it as one full week in the summer. Any additional time off is unpaid, and I try to take at least 5 unpaid days per year. Right now I'm editing my contract to give me a spring break in March, starting next year. New Years to Memorial Day is tooooo long to go without a couple days off...

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

If I have a sick day/personal day, it is unpaid. I have holidays off (paid) and some are extended. For example, Dec. 24-Jan 2. is paid.

[rmc20021]

I don't know how you all do it...5 paid sick days per year, paid vacations? Not saying you shouldn't, just know in my area I have a hard enough time if I have to close because I'm ill and I don't charge for it. Any days I am closed other than holidays are not charged for.

I've also had all parents vacation time that I don't charge for as I offer a free day for every 30 days in care so they can accumulate up to 12 free days per year for vacation/their sick days...think that's coming out of my new policy asap.

[Play Care]

I don't know how you all do it...5 paid sick days per year, paid vacations? Not saying you shouldn't, just know in my area I have a hard enough time if I have to close because I'm ill and I don't charge for it. Any days I am closed other than holidays are not charged for.

I've also had all parents vacation time that I don't charge for as I offer a free day for every 30 days in care so they can accumulate up to 12 free days per year for vacation/their sick days...think that's coming out of my new policy asap.

I do not get paid vacations as no one around here would go for it. But 5 paid personal days spread out through the year no one bats an eye.

On a side note I use to not charge for sick time. I found that parents would send their sick kids in, and go off to work. Then when I would catch the illness and had to close, they would then take a PAID day off to care for their child while I was out a day's pay. When I started charging, suddenly it seemed as those kids were staying home when ill.

[KDC]

I take 2 sick/personal days a year & 1 paid educational day (to go towards getting my CPR or educational hours) per year. Most of my vacation days are unpaid & I have had to close due to being sick with migraines, or most recently a tooth abscess, in which I was in a lot of pain. Most of my families are very understanding and don't keep track, just keep paying regardless. I do not abuse the days off, and try my very best to always be available.

I used to not charge for summers for teachers, but now require at least 2 attendance/paid days as I find it really hard to lose so much income. Plus, I think teachers caught on and talked and I had loads of them calling! This is when I first started, so now that they're finally in 1st grade, I made the change I do charge for major holidays, and find most of the teachers send their kids during spring/winter break regardless if they're home or not. They usually take that time to meet with friends, do x-mas shopping, Dr. appts... and as long as they're still paying, I'm good!

I recently wrote in the day after x-mas as a paid holiday. I have three children of my own, (3, 5, & 7) and find it's too difficult to put the house back together for daycare the next day - I was exhausted this year.

[Unregistered]

I get 15 days of paid time off per year. In addition to my paid major holidays (New years, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and Christmas Eve and Christmas.

I have never had a parent complain about it. Th 15 paid days a year can be used any way I choose. Broken up, week at a time, etc. I can use for vacatoin days, sick,personal, whatever.

Typically I take a week in the summer, the weekof Christmas and then the others are broken up here and there. I give lots of notice unless an emergency.

[Play Care]

If I have a sick day/personal day, it is unpaid. I have holidays off (paid) and some are extended. For example, Dec. 24-Jan 2. is paid.

I think we do the opposite. In my area, that would be considered a paid vacation and parents would balk. A personal day here or there and they don't seem to mind as much. I do have three weeks of vacation (unpaid) each year which is separate from the personal time for the most part. If I get to the end of December and still have a personal day or two left I will tack it on to my holiday/vacation time. This year it looks like by doing that I will have two weeks off at Christmas.

[originalkat]

I take 2 weeks unpaid vacation per year and 5 paid sick/personal days. I charge an averaged monthly tuition so I am paid the same even when I am closed for my vacation weeks. It works out really well.