Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Question for those who work in centers...
saved4always 04:44 PM 08-10-2012
When the director of your daycare center has staff meetings, when are they held (i.e. during a regular work day, before/after center hours, on the weekend, etc)? Also, are hourly empolyees paid for the time spent attending meetings that are outside thier work hours or are they expected to attend them unpaid?
Bookworm 07:02 PM 08-10-2012
Ours are held after the center closes and we get paid for attending. They usually last about an hour.
Sugar Magnolia 05:12 AM 08-11-2012
After close, definitely paid.
saved4always 10:02 AM 08-11-2012
Thank you for your responses, Bookworm and Sugar Magnolia.
What about if you are requested or expected to be at a fundraiser or to man a table at a fair/preschool info night (for advertising the daycare center) outside center hours. Would that be something you would be paid to do or would that be unpaid?
What about if you are requested or expected to be at a fundraiser or to man a table at a fair/preschool info night (for advertising the daycare center) outside center hours. Would that be something you would be paid to do or would that be unpaid?
snbauser 01:17 PM 08-11-2012
Anything you are "required" to do by your employer should be paid. This means staying after hours for meetings or performing a duty on the weekends when you are supposed to be off.
melskids 06:19 AM 08-12-2012
When I worked at a center, we had to attend meetings after hours, help run an open house, work tables at community day, etc. all on our own time, and without pay. One of the MANY reasons I no longer work there.
saved4always 02:29 PM 08-12-2012
Originally Posted by melskids:
When I worked at a center, we had to attend meetings after hours, help run an open house, work tables at community day, etc. all on our own time, and without pay. One of the MANY reasons I no longer work there.
That is the way it has been so far where I am. I am trying to figure out if that is standard for centers or not. When I worked at a center, we had to attend meetings after hours, help run an open house, work tables at community day, etc. all on our own time, and without pay. One of the MANY reasons I no longer work there.
Kaddidle Care 05:03 PM 08-12-2012
At our Center meetings were paid and that was about it. Events - you were expected to attend non-paid but we were a non-profit so the extra things were helping out the Center which included a Christmas event, Fundraising event, Art show, Open house and Graduation.
Let's face it - if you're working at a Center and in it for the money - find a different job. I don't know anyone working at a Center that ever got rich.
Let's face it - if you're working at a Center and in it for the money - find a different job. I don't know anyone working at a Center that ever got rich.
saved4always 04:15 AM 08-13-2012
Originally Posted by Kaddidle Care:
At our Center meetings were paid and that was about it. Events - you were expected to attend non-paid but we were a non-profit so the extra things were helping out the Center which included a Christmas event, Fundraising event, Art show, Open house and Graduation.
Let's face it - if you're working at a Center and in it for the money - find a different job. I don't know anyone working at a Center that ever got rich.
Believe me, I did not switch to a center to get rich...I actually took a pay cut when I closed my in home daycare to go there. At our Center meetings were paid and that was about it. Events - you were expected to attend non-paid but we were a non-profit so the extra things were helping out the Center which included a Christmas event, Fundraising event, Art show, Open house and Graduation.
Let's face it - if you're working at a Center and in it for the money - find a different job. I don't know anyone working at a Center that ever got rich.
I just want to make sure that what we are doing at the center is the norm and fair. So far, meetings have been on weekends unpaid, as are fundraisers, etc.
Kaddidle Care 04:34 AM 08-13-2012
Is it a Non-Profit? If it isn't, you may want to check out Wage and Hour in your area to see what is or is not legal.
If it is a mandatory meeting, you should be getting paid for it.
The other things - I considered fun events and for the most part it was a social time and we were not responsible for the children except for the time prior to the event when you are grouping them.
It was also educational watching the family dynamics.
BTW - we always get a Christmas bonus which was usually at least 5 hours pay so it all evened out for the most part.
If it is a mandatory meeting, you should be getting paid for it.
The other things - I considered fun events and for the most part it was a social time and we were not responsible for the children except for the time prior to the event when you are grouping them.
It was also educational watching the family dynamics.
BTW - we always get a Christmas bonus which was usually at least 5 hours pay so it all evened out for the most part.
saved4always 02:21 PM 08-13-2012
Originally Posted by Kaddidle Care:
Is it a Non-Profit? If it isn't, you may want to check out Wage and Hour in your area to see what is or is not legal.
If it is a mandatory meeting, you should be getting paid for it.
The other things - I considered fun events and for the most part it was a social time and we were not responsible for the children except for the time prior to the event when you are grouping them.
It was also educational watching the family dynamics.
BTW - we always get a Christmas bonus which was usually at least 5 hours pay so it all evened out for the most part.
We are in our church so I assume we are a non-profit. Is it a Non-Profit? If it isn't, you may want to check out Wage and Hour in your area to see what is or is not legal.
If it is a mandatory meeting, you should be getting paid for it.
The other things - I considered fun events and for the most part it was a social time and we were not responsible for the children except for the time prior to the event when you are grouping them.
It was also educational watching the family dynamics.
BTW - we always get a Christmas bonus which was usually at least 5 hours pay so it all evened out for the most part.
Those kinds of events can be fun and, if we can't go for a personal reason, no one is really penalized so I am thinking those are ok not to pay. Anything mandatory, IMO, should be paid (although meetings are a nice way to get to know your co-workers and can also be fun
). We are just starting out so who knows how it will all work out when we have it all together. 
I just wanted to kind of know how these things should work since I have never worked in daycare anywhere but in my home and I didn't have to have meetings with myself....although I could have used a fundraiser or two.... Thank you so much for your input!
Bookworm 02:25 PM 08-13-2012
Originally Posted by Kaddidle Care:
At our Center meetings were paid and that was about it. Events - you were expected to attend non-paid but we were a non-profit so the extra things were helping out the Center which included a Christmas event, Fundraising event, Art show, Open house and Graduation.
Let's face it - if you're working at a Center and in it for the money - find a different job. I don't know anyone working at a Center that ever got rich.
Amen to that. We would have Family Fun Day twice a year as a thank you for the parents and we didn't expect to get paid. We did it as a way to get to know new parents and socialize with the "old" ones. Now mandatory meetings are different. Our Director called a meeting and told us not to clock in so everyone just got up and left. If it is during your personal time, then yes you should get paid.At our Center meetings were paid and that was about it. Events - you were expected to attend non-paid but we were a non-profit so the extra things were helping out the Center which included a Christmas event, Fundraising event, Art show, Open house and Graduation.
Let's face it - if you're working at a Center and in it for the money - find a different job. I don't know anyone working at a Center that ever got rich.
Kaddidle Care 04:49 PM 08-13-2012
Originally Posted by Bookworm:
Now mandatory meetings are different. Our Director called a meeting and told us not to clock in so everyone just got up and left.
Now mandatory meetings are different. Our Director called a meeting and told us not to clock in so everyone just got up and left.
Ahahahaha! Do you think she got the hint? 
Paying the employees is incentive to keep the meeting on track and not let it go over an hour!