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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Question Regarding Bi-Weekly Pay
lovemykidstoo 02:31 PM 08-26-2012
I currently charge $105 a week for 3 days for 1 child. The parent does not pay me if I take a day off for vacation/illness on my part. This particular parent has a flexible schedule which I don't normally do, but we agreed that they would guarantee me 3 days a week whether the child came or not. They pay me every other week $210. The question is, we have a holiday coming up and she caught me at a really busy time and asked me if she only paid fo 2 days this week because she has to work on Monday, but I'm not open due to the holiday. Now she is working 4 days next week, so for the bi-weekly paycheck I will be getting the equivelant to 3 days per week, but don't want her to think that holidays are non-paying days. Now if she were only working 3 days the following weeks and bringing him only 2 days this week due to the holiday I would be short a day. Does this make sense? So, the question is, do I have her pay for the 3 day (including the holiday) and the 4 days of the next week or just average it out for the bi-weekly paycheck?
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Michael 03:43 PM 08-26-2012
Welcome to the Daycare.com Forum! I've upgraded your status. You can post freely now.
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Blackcat31 03:47 PM 08-26-2012
I had this same issue. I realized the part time families we simply scheduling around holidays to avoid paying for the day and then still scheduling their 3 days, which from my full time families perspectives wasn't fair, so I changed my contract to say the following:

ALL families are required to pay for holiday days when the child care is closed. Families may not schedule around holidays to avoid being charged. For example, if you are scheduled to attend 3 days per week, the holiday will be counted as one of your days leaving you 2 days of attendance to use.

The only exception to this is families who attend 2 or less days per week. Those families must pay for their regular days in addition to the holiday day (3 days total).


Now everyone pays for holidays which I think is only fair.
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lovemykidstoo 04:01 PM 08-26-2012
That is a good way to word it, I'll have to keep that in mind thanks. My problem is, this child doesn't come the same 3 days every week. They give me about 6 weeks of scheduling at a time. That's why I told her that it was fine and I would agree to it as long as they guaranteed me 3 days a week. The thing is, they have been bringing him more times than not 4 days a week. During this 2 week pay period, he'll be coming 2 days the one week and 4 days the next week, so I will be getting my same pay. My issue is that what happens the next time this happens and he doesn't come 4 days the next week so I'm shorted a day. I think that she's thinking that she's paying me the $210 for 2 weeks, so she doesn't have to pay for the holiday, which kinda is true, but if I am asking for guaranteed 3 days a week then I kinda am being shorted a day since he's coming 4 days next week. UGH, it's so confusing to write what I mean LOL!
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lovemykidstoo 04:03 PM 08-26-2012
Originally Posted by Michael:
Welcome to the Daycare.com Forum! I've upgraded your status. You can post freely now.

Thank you Michael, so very happy to have found your forum!!
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Blackcat31 04:12 PM 08-26-2012
Originally Posted by lovemykidstoo:
That is a good way to word it, I'll have to keep that in mind thanks. My problem is, this child doesn't come the same 3 days every week. They give me about 6 weeks of scheduling at a time. That's why I told her that it was fine and I would agree to it as long as they guaranteed me 3 days a week. The thing is, they have been bringing him more times than not 4 days a week. During this 2 week pay period, he'll be coming 2 days the one week and 4 days the next week, so I will be getting my same pay. My issue is that what happens the next time this happens and he doesn't come 4 days the next week so I'm shorted a day. I think that she's thinking that she's paying me the $210 for 2 weeks, so she doesn't have to pay for the holiday, which kinda is true, but if I am asking for guaranteed 3 days a week then I kinda am being shorted a day since he's coming 4 days next week. UGH, it's so confusing to write what I mean LOL!
I would explain to her that 3 days per week is the minimum that she HAS to pay and if she chooses to come 4 days the following week, then she would owe for an additional day.

I understand that she is viewing the $210 as being able to come 6 days over a 2 week period but that isn't how you are viewing it.

I would just tell her that there must have been a miscmmunication and then explain it as 3 days PER WEEK...each week, and including holidays as one of her days. If she asks why the holiday, explain that it isn't fair to the other families that they have to pay it and lose a day of being ableo to attend like how I wrote it.

If you aren't good at face to face confrontation then just write her a quick note that summarizes the policy such as:

Dear Daycare mom

It was my understanding that Billy was going to be attending care 3 days EACH week NOT 6 days across a two week period. I can understand where the confusion lies however, I want to clarify that you will be billed 3 days per week and if additional care beyond 3 days is needed, you will be charged an additional day's rate. This applies to each week individually regardless of how your pay schedule is set up.

Holidays will also be included as part of your 3 scheduled days so that like other families, you are paying for holidays. Should a paid holiday fall on a week day, you will be charged for this day as well as be billed for 2 additional days for that week.

If you have any questions, let me know. Thank you

Daycare Provider



Don't be afraid to enforce, change or clarify your policies. We are all human and misinterpret or make mistakes. It happens....now you just have to fix it and all will be good.
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lovemykidstoo 04:19 PM 08-26-2012
Thank you so much. I am not very good at enforcing things like that and I know that I should. She caught me at a very busy time and I reallly wasn't prepared for the question. I know I blew it initially, but know that if I let it go, then it will cause problems in the future. That is an excellent way that you explained it! Thank you!
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lovemykidstoo 11:16 AM 09-13-2012
Well, what I feared would happen in the future with this situation actually happened now. He was scheduled to come 4 days this week therefore paying for the contracted 6 days, but he didnt' end up coming the 4th day. So, she wrote me a check today for 3 days this week and 2 last week, thereby shorting me a day. That is what I was afraid would happen in the future.
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thatdivalady 11:42 AM 09-13-2012
Originally Posted by lovemykidstoo:
Well, what I feared would happen in the future with this situation actually happened now. He was scheduled to come 4 days this week therefore paying for the contracted 6 days, but he didnt' end up coming the 4th day. So, she wrote me a check today for 3 days this week and 2 last week, thereby shorting me a day. That is what I was afraid would happen in the future.
I'm confused. If she is contracted for 6 days over two weeks, shouldn't she have written a check out for the entire 6 days regardless of whether she used them all?
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lovemykidstoo 11:51 AM 09-13-2012
Originally Posted by thatdivalady:
I'm confused. If she is contracted for 6 days over two weeks, shouldn't she have written a check out for the entire 6 days regardless of whether she used them all?
Yes, they are contracted for 6 days for 2 weeks. Actually, the agreement was 3 days per week with every other week pays. So really no matter if he came 4 days the one week, I should have still been paid for 3 days the previous. I was being nice by taking a lump days between the 2 weeks. Either way, I was shorted a day.
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lovemykidstoo 07:58 AM 09-19-2012
Update, the dad called me later that night and realized that they shorted me. He ended up dropping a check off the next morning for the missing day!
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MarinaVanessa 03:11 PM 09-19-2012
Originally Posted by lovemykidstoo:
Update, the dad called me later that night and realized that they shorted me. He ended up dropping a check off the next morning for the missing day!
Yay!!!
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Blackcat31 03:21 PM 09-19-2012
Originally Posted by lovemykidstoo:
Update, the dad called me later that night and realized that they shorted me. He ended up dropping a check off the next morning for the missing day!
That is great to hear!
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Tags:payment - bi-weekly, payment - weekly
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