Vacation Termination

[mema]

Hi! I'm new here, but just have a quick question. Not sure if anyone has ran into this or if there are any posts. I have a child whose parents gave me a termination letter on the 1st day of my vacation. The first 5 days I was closed was unpaid and the next 5 were paid. I have in my contract that I require a 2 week paid notice regardless of if the child attends. They now don't want to pay since I was closed. It is not my problem that they chose to give notice during that time. They could have done it earlier or after my closure. Ugh. Do I pursue it for the 2 weeks pay or just forget it? The DCM has also had issues with paying late fees

[wdmmom]

It's entirely up to you to outweigh the pros and cons of trying to collect this money.

If you've had issues in the past, it's probably not advantageous. It might end up costing you more in the long run trying to collect and still end up getting nothing.

I would write a letter and tell them that payment of "X" dollars is due on or before your last day of daycare to fulfill the contract. It's up to you if you want to try additional collection efforts.

If they don't fulfill their end, there is a website you can put their name on and state that they left owing you money. (I don't remember the name of it but I'm sure someone can help me out here)

It seems like it might be a blessing that they are leaving. I would try to fill the spot as soon as possible and go from there.

[MarinaVanessa]

If they don't fulfill their end, there is a website you can put their name on and state that they left owing you money. (I don't remember the name of it but I'm sure someone can help me out here)

Providerwatch.com

As for OP I agree that you'll be a little hard pressed to get that week of your vacation paid unless you have a policy that says they can't give you notice while you are on vacation. Yes you do have a policy that says that they have to pay for 2-week termination period whether they attend or not but it'll be your job to convince a judge that they should pay that week even if you were closed (parent can say something like "I WOULD have taken my child if the daycare was open but it was closed." Not saying it's impossible but saying that it'll be up to you explain it in court.

[mac60]

This is exactly why I put in my contract that two weeks notice is needed for termination of contract, and it cannot be used during my vacation time.

[cheerfuldom]

this is one reason why I take a paid vacation. no matter what, I get paid all year round regardless of who is there or not, sick or not, on vacation or not, etc. OP, are they willing to pay at least the one week?

[AfterSchoolMom]

This is exactly why I put in my contract that two weeks notice is needed for termination of contract, and it cannot be used during my vacation time.

Ditto this. Mine says "two weeks PAID notice is required, regardless of parent or provider vacation".

[nannyde]

Hi! I'm new here, but just have a quick question. Not sure if anyone has ran into this or if there are any posts. I have a child whose parents gave me a termination letter on the 1st day of my vacation. The first 5 days I was closed was unpaid and the next 5 were paid. I have in my contract that I require a 2 week paid notice regardless of if the child attends. They now don't want to pay since I was closed. It is not my problem that they chose to give notice during that time. They could have done it earlier or after my closure. Ugh. Do I pursue it for the 2 weeks pay or just forget it? The DCM has also had issues with paying late fees

If you have done day care for a full calandar year and offer free time to the parents you will run into this.

I don't offer any free days.
My parents pay me 18 paid days off.
I require a months notice to be given ONLY on a Friday AND the month can not include any paid days off. So if I take the second week of noitce time off they have to pay me thru one month of notice plus one week. I don't allow ANY of my vacation time to be included in notice time.

I accrue 1.5 days per month of paid time off. If they terminate they pay in ADDITION to the one months notice... all of my UNUSED accrued time.

Sounds complicated but it's oh so easy. I end up getting many months notice when they leave... it's planned out and they make sure I get all my paid days off coming.

I never discuss money with parents. Same amount 52 weeks a year.

[Crazy8]

Ditto this. Mine says "two weeks PAID notice is required, regardless of parent or provider vacation".

yup, its another one of those things you change/add once it happens once. I would probably let this one go and change your policy a bit. I have had parents give 2 weeks notice and then tell me they are taking their free vacation week. Nope, had to change that in the policy - you give notice you lose your "free" time.

You can also collect 2 weeks up front as a deposit to be credited to their last 2 weeks - then you are not out that money.

[mema]

Thanks for the input! I will be revising my contract-again-I guess you have to live and learn and from this DCF I have learned a lot Normally my time is paid, but this was for something I had not planned on happening, so I used what I haven't set for vacation days this year.

[momma2girls]

I have revised my contract as well, after this happened to me about 5 yr. ago.
I provided daycare for a seperation anxiety baby/toddler(very tough child) starting Jan. 5th of that yr. we took a week vac. at the beginning of Dec. that same yr. I gave all my daycare parents about 2 months notice, on the vac. dates. This family gave me a 2 week notice, directly 2 weeks before leaving on it. So no vac. was paid at all!! I have it now, in my contract, that if you decide to leave my daycare for any reason, my 2 weeks vac. is still owed, on top of a 2 week paid notice.