Holidays for Non-Traditional Childcare Employees

Strategies for Managing Varying Staff Schedules Like a Pro

As childcare directors, we understand the challenge (and importance) of maintaining fairness and consistency when managing staff benefits, especially when navigating different work schedules. One common challenge is ensuring equitable holiday pay for employees who work 4-day, 10-hour schedules. These staff members contribute full-time hours but may have regular days off that don’t align with holidays.

Today, we’ll focus on one simple and practical solution to holiday pay for 4-day-a-week employees, address potential staff concerns, and explore strategies to respond effectively.

The Challenge: Holiday Pay for Non-Traditional Schedules

For employees working traditional 5-day, 8-hour schedules, holiday pay is straightforward—they receive 8 hours of paid time off for a recognized holiday that falls on a regular workday. However, for staff working 4 days at 10 hours each, holidays raise unique questions:

• What happens if a holiday falls on their regular day off?

• How do you avoid overtime when adjusting schedules?

• How do you ensure fairness across all staff schedules while maintaining staffing levels during holiday weeks?