Being self-employed in childcare comes with unique challenges, especially when it comes to sick days. This isn’t about the all-too-common scenario of children arriving at daycare while unwell. Instead, it’s about the impact when I, the childcare provider, am feeling under the weather.
In my self-employment model, I don’t earn income on sick days, a significant financial consideration. But the implications extend beyond my lost wages. When I’m forced to close due to illness, it creates a ripple effect: families relying on my service often can’t go to work. While backup childcare plans are expected, the harsh reality is that many families lack alternatives. They either don’t have available friends or relatives, or they’ve exhausted their personal or sick leave at their jobs.
Children fall ill frequently, and for many families, sick days are a scarce commodity. Early in my career, I hired staff to cover for me during sick days, hoping to avoid closing my daycare. However, this often backfired as my employees tended to fall ill simultaneously. Being an employer also added financial strain, requiring a higher number of enrolled children to cover wages.
The dilemma of whether to work while sick is a tough one. Ideally, I would rest without hesitation, but practical concerns such as financial needs, childcare demands, and the responsibilities to working parents dictate my decision. More often than not, I push through the day, postponing rest until after the children leave. There have been instances where I’ve been so ill that I’ve requested parents to pick up their children early, only to end up working a full day due to their work constraints.
In contrast, government-run childcare centers have different dynamics. Sick days for staff are more manageable, with the responsibility of finding replacements falling on the directors. However, this can still lead to disruptions like children being sent home or moved to different rooms.
Running a home-based daycare as a self-employed individual magnifies these challenges. For example, if I close for a day, it prevents at least five adults from going to their jobs, compared to just one family being affected if a child is sick. This reality shapes my choice to often work while feeling under the weather, for what I see as the greater good.