Originally Posted by Unregistered:
LysesKids, I DO NOT disagree with you. You are giving full disclosure and insisting that you cannot be the only support in place. They were a facility, probably not like yours; they had many kids and staff.
When I was completely taken aback the by the first closure, they realized no one gave me a calendar. They got me one and I adjusted my schedule. Then came the one occasion when the calendar clearly said they were open, but they were closed. Everyone who also had a school-age child [whose school calendar was accurate], was not surprised. I, however, was SHOCKED. Then came the snow days... there came a point where I felt like I was the little guy against the bureaucracy (or whatever) and I needed to stand up for myself.
If the only outcome was that they learned operate more like you, great--better for the next parent. I absolutely would have appreciated if they had insisted that I have back up care; I would have been prepared. Seriously, no one told me. At 30, I was the first of my friends to have kids. Even my mom had nothing useful to offer when I told her about the mess....maybe because she raised kids in a different time?
Back to my point, that I agree with you that my response was wrong. but I still feel that my reasoning--how I got there--was not. On THOSE occasions, I was merely asking for four 10-hour days since I wasn't getting five 8-hour days--as that was the situation THEY had put ME in. (They were open 6 to 6). Their response about an 8-hour daily max (not found in their policies btw) showed me reason would get me nowhere and responded with the same lack of consideration.
A business can employ fair practices or not, deal with whom they choose, and take no crap [even as they dish it out] as they run their business, because it is THEIR call. I think in somewhere in there, they knew they were wrong. I am still proud of my creative problem solving and of standing up for myself.
I see where you are coming from & unless they had you contracted for certain hrs (like I do), then if they are open 6-6 that's on them for trying to change the rules... I personally would have started looking elsewhere for other care too (I was a corporate person for years when my kids were little)
I always have my vacation weeks & 6 federal holidays listed out the first week in January on my website, posted by the front door & every family gets a copy lol. I don't want someone saying, Oh I didn't know you were closed this week, knowing full well they were told 6 months earlier 3 different ways. And it is unpaid leave because I figure they have to pay someone else for back up care.
In the event of severe illness & last minute closings I credit a day back on the next month, so yeah - fair practice & upfront written policies work in my favor (BTW, I am a small home childcare).