Pay 52 weeks

[MomBoss]

For those of you who require payment for 52 weeks regardless of your vacations, sick days, and parent vacation...how do you justify this when parents ask?
Not that you should have to justify why you run your business the way you do...i just find it easier to explain why. Im thinking about doing this with a 2 week vacation for myself included.

[Cat Herder]

how do you justify this when parents ask?

I don't. My enrolled clients don't ask. It is expected, I am not entry level. They have jobs with the same benefits and know I work longer hours than they do.

I find the only people who don't expect that are those who feel entitled to other free things as well. It is a good indicator of which clients to take. Becoming a parent is not mandatory.

[Josiegirl]

Nobody seems to question it anymore because it is common practice in our area. Parents are paying for the slot. Period. And I agree with CH, the parents who really put up a stink about it can go elsewhere.

[MarinaVanessa]

I explain that they are paying for a spot, not for attendance. If they are sick, go on vacation, go on maternity leave etc they still pay. I personally don't take any paid sick days or vacation ... well at least that's what it looks like on paper. I take 2 weeks full time rate plus 5 days for sick days and divide it by the remaining 49 weeks and add that amount to my weekly rate.

In other words if I charged $200/week:
$200 x 52 = $10,400/yr
52 weeks - 3 weeks for sick/vacation time = 49 weeks
$200 x 3 weeks sick/vacation time = $600
$600/49 weeks = $12.50/week
$200 week rate + $12 = $212.50/week

$212.50 x 49/weeks = $10,412.50/yr

Then at interviews I tell clients that my rate is $212/week and that there are no discounts for days that they miss but that in return (other than the holidays that I close which I have listed, 8 days total I think) they do not pay for when I close for my appointments, my vacation, sick days etc.
It sounds better to them to hear that for $212 a week they won't get charged for days that I close vs another provider that charges $200 that does ... even though it's the same thing.

[Leigh]

For those of you who require payment for 52 weeks regardless of your vacations, sick days, and parent vacation...how do you justify this when parents ask?
Not that you should have to justify why you run your business the way you do...i just find it easier to explain why. Im thinking about doing this with a 2 week vacation for myself included.

I tell parents that I charge $XXXX per year, and that they can pay it in a manner that works for them. I'll accept weekly, monthly, 1st & 15th, every other week. This has eliminated the "do I have to pay for ...."