Originally Posted by Leigh:
Just wanted to add: An us vs. them environment doesn't work for ANYONE. If you're focused on punitive measures, you're leaving out the important things like morale. Low morale in a childcare can be devastating (in any business, really). I'm not saying to let employees walk all over you, but instead to work on making them happy within reason, treating them like adults, focus less on rules (outside of state regs, of course) and more on solutions.
I understand what you're saying. However, it's just me and her. There is no one to call in to come in if one of us is out. I can occasionally get someone (a family member of mine to cover for advanced notice absences), etc but I can't, at the drop of a hat get someone to come in and cover for her when she's absent. I'm a licensed home that can have 12 kiddos when I have two people here. She recently said she really needed to go full time if possible. I explained to her that I can enroll more kids so she can have full time but that it's full time and that I need to know when she'll take off as much in advance as possible. Not I come in when I'm feeling like it or I can take off at the drop of a hat. We have made a commitment to these families and I just feel like I should be able to remain open if at all possible.
I have always ran my daycare like a center based program. I do not close unless it is absolutely necessary. I have to be really sick (fever or stomach virus) to even think about closing and even then I scramble like crazy to find a back up sub (my sisters and mom can back up sometimes for me). I have probably closed no more than 5 times In the past 8 years for illness and bad weather. I believe at least twice was for bad weather. Unfortunately I understand that's not the way everyone does things. And that some employees have a hard time with attendance and so I feel like having a policy in place would maybe deter them from calling in with a bad headache or stomach cramps because it's pms. That's what I'm running into a lot.
Most of it's my fault because I'm too nice and don't say do anything about it. If I have a policy I feel like I would be more willing to terminate or write someone up for possible termination...Hey you've had 5 absences this year so far and our policy is that that many absences are grounds for termination, Etc just to cover my butt.
Everyone sees this issue so differently too. An above poster mentioned we don't go to the doctor etc, but then again some daycares in my area say if you're sick enough to miss work you're sick enough to go to the doctor.