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?
The Solution: Adjust Schedules to 8-Hour Days During Holiday Weeks
To ensure fairness and consistency in staffing, set the expectation that schedules will be adjusted for staff on holiday weeks:
Schedule Adjustment: During holiday weeks, all 4-day, 10-hour employees work 8-hour days on the four days the center is open. This includes days they don’t typically work.
Holiday Pay: Employees also receive 8 hours of holiday pay for the holiday itself, regardless of their regular schedule.
Optional Flexibility:
If your center doesn’t need full staffing on all open days during a holiday week, employees may request the day off instead. In such cases, they would use PTO to cover the time off, as the holiday pay is only for the recognized holiday itself.
Why This Works:
Fairness: All staff, regardless of their schedule, receive the same 8 hours of holiday pay.
Consistency: No need to track floating holidays or manage differing schedules.
Flexibility: Employees still have the option to use PTO if they need time off for personal commitments.
Ratio: Ensures the center is fully staffed during holiday weeks when families still rely on care.
Answering Common Questions from Staff
While this approach is simple, some employees may raise concerns. Here’s how to address common objections effectively:
1. “I can’t work on a day I don’t normally work.”
The Concern: The employee has personal commitments on the adjusted workday, such as childcare, appointments, or other responsibilities.
Response:
Acknowledge their concern: “I understand that adjusting your schedule can be challenging.”
Offer flexibility: “You’re welcome to request PTO for that day if needed, and we’ll work to accommodate your request if possible.”
Highlight fairness: “This policy ensures all employees are treated equally and that we maintain proper staffing for the families we serve.”
2. “This isn’t fair—I’ve already planned around my 4-day schedule.”
The Concern: The employee feels their schedule is being disrupted unfairly.
Response:
Emphasize the temporary nature: “This adjustment is only for holiday weeks, so your regular schedule remains unchanged the majority of the year.”
Provide options: “If you need a day off during a holiday week, you can use PTO to take time off while still receiving your holiday pay. on the recognized holiday”
Adding the Policy to Your Employee Handbook
*This is an example policy. Please be sure to review your own payroll, time off, and human resources expectations to ensure the wording fits your center needs.
Example Policy: During holiday weeks, employees working 4-day, 10-hour schedules are expected to adjust their schedules to work four 8-hour days on the days the center is open. In addition, employees will receive 8 hours of holiday pay for the recognized holiday. This adjustment ensures fairness across all schedules and proper staffing during holiday weeks.
If the center is closed for more than one paid holiday during a week, employees are expected to adjust their schedules to 8 hoirs on each day the center is open. For example:
If the center is closed for two paid holidays, employees would work 8-hour days for the three remaining open days, receiving holiday pay for the two closed days.
If an alternative schedule is agreed upon for a holiday week, the total hours worked during that week cannot exceed 32 hours, excluding holiday pay. Employees unable to work on an adjusted day may request to use PTO to cover the missed time, subject to the center’s PTO policy and approval. This policy applies only to holiday weeks, with regular schedules resuming the following week.
Final Thoughts
Adjusting schedules during holiday weeks is a straightforward way to manage holiday pay equitably for 4-day, 10-hour employees while avoiding overtime and ensuring consistent staffing. By providing flexibility for PTO and being transparent about expectations, directors can address staff concerns effectively and maintain a positive work environment.
Have questions or insights about handling holiday pay in childcare? Share your thoughts in the comments or reach out—we’d love to hear how your center approaches this!