It’s completely reasonable bc she is likely turning down other work to take the job. I’ve also found that if sitters don’t have an official cancellation policy, they have one in thr sense they’ll never work for you again. Eg gave the info for one of our favorite sitters to a friend. Now friend complains sitter won’t return her calls or is always busy. Sitter is completely professional so I asked and turns out friend flaked one time and cancelled last minute another.

When I was 22, a family booked me months out to stay with their kids for a long weekend while the parents traveled. My own family ended up booking a last minute vacation the same weekend which I declined because I had made a commitment. The day before the weekend, the family cancelled on me due to "change of plans". I missed my own family vacation and could not pay the enrollment fee for my college classes that semester as I was planning to use that money to do so.

The family casually texted me a few weeks later and asked me for a date night and were completely taken aback when I kindly declined. I'm 36 now and still think about that every time I book a sitter!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. But I might be ok with this for my best sitter, who is truly exceptional. When I cancel with sitters I tend to book a rain check day - "let's do next week instead," etc.

So what? Your sitter still missed income for the day you canceled.

Y’all suck. If I cancel on anyone providing a service for me at a point where they can’t fill that time slot, I pay 100%. Based on folk’s reactions, I am clearly in the minority.

Agree. I didn't realize this when I was first hiring sitters. I cancelled once or twice when a child was sick, and didn't pay. They organize their day around your job, and last minute cancellations are a great inconvenience, so now that I've thought it through, we pay in full. On the flipside, it can also be a total disaster when a babysitter cancels last minute, so I always appreciate when they take the time to give me a friend's number or someone else who can fill in, recognizing what a hardship their cancellation is for me.

I honestly can't think of any service provider that I use for cleaning, hair, medspa, etc. that has a 100% service fee if you cancel. Babysitter asking for 4 hrs pay PLUS 48 hrs notice is extreme. Fine if you don't mind, but I do and wouldn't hire her.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. But I might be ok with this for my best sitter, who is truly exceptional. When I cancel with sitters I tend to book a rain check day - "let's do next week instead," etc.

So what? Your sitter still missed income for the day you canceled.

Y’all suck. If I cancel on anyone providing a service for me at a point where they can’t fill that time slot, I pay 100%. Based on folk’s reactions, I am clearly in the minority.

Does this include your Dr?

I'm going to take a gander that many families who hire care, especially in an area like this, make quite a bit more than the person they're hiring. $80+ loss to the babysitter will be a bigger impact than for the parent. "Money hungry" is laughable.

Anonymous wrote:No. But I might be ok with this for my best sitter, who is truly exceptional. When I cancel with sitters I tend to book a rain check day - "let's do next week instead," etc.

So what? Your sitter still missed income for the day you canceled.

Y’all suck. If I cancel on anyone providing a service for me at a point where they can’t fill that time slot, I pay 100%. Based on folk’s reactions, I am clearly in the minority.

The only kind of people who would be upset with this policy are the people who cancel all the time.

No, but our babysitters are all 14 and 15 year old girls.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Up to date on shots? Is she a dog? You're gross and nosy, OP.

Probably meaning COVID. When vaccinations were widely available last year, I wasn't about to hire someone who refused to get it.

NP I’ve asked our regular part time sitter about flu shots too especially during bad seasons.

+1 Same with Tdap and MMR when we were looking for a nanny when ready to go back to work after ds was born.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Up to date on shots? Is she a dog? You're gross and nosy, OP.

Probably meaning COVID. When vaccinations were widely available last year, I wasn't about to hire someone who refused to get it.

NP I’ve asked our regular part time sitter about flu shots too especially during bad seasons.

I’ve never had a sitter with a cancellation policy but I think given the labor shortage it is probably a matter of time before it becomes more popular. Whether you have other options or she is worth the policy is another issue. I almost never cancel and have always paid when I have, so I’d be inclined to go with it.

Anonymous wrote:Up to date on shots? Is she a dog? You're gross and nosy, OP.

Probably meaning COVID. When vaccinations were widely available last year, I wasn't about to hire someone who refused to get it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having a cancellation policy is reasonable. But her particular cancellation policy is not reasonable. She is require 100% fee in exchange for zero work. Perhaps 50% if her minimum fee, but 100%, hard no. If I was your friend, I wouldn’t have criticized though- I’d say thank you and then keep looking for a different sitter

I disagree completely. She lost 100% of the income. She would have taken another job. I do think the policy is reasonable and something I have done (paid in full) without being asked.

I don’t think it’s reasonable either. I think a 24 hour policy with 100 percent pay for what she was hired for is more standard. If I only hired her for two hours, why should the cancellation policy lock me into four?

Pretty sure OP's sitter wouldn't accept your two hour care gig. Shoot, I don't think most sitters will if your intent is two pay two hours' worth.

Reminds me of my college sitter days. Lots of last minute cancellations for date night on a Friday or Saturday, the evenings when I would have multiple families asking for the same date. A few would insist on sending a fee or tip well on the next date, but most didn't care or realize how much I depended on that $$ for monthly expenses. I think the policy is completely understandable.

I book sitters all the time for two hours.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having a cancellation policy is reasonable. But her particular cancellation policy is not reasonable. She is require 100% fee in exchange for zero work. Perhaps 50% if her minimum fee, but 100%, hard no. If I was your friend, I wouldn’t have criticized though- I’d say thank you and then keep looking for a different sitter

I disagree completely. She lost 100% of the income. She would have taken another job. I do think the policy is reasonable and something I have done (paid in full) without being asked.

I don’t think it’s reasonable either. I think a 24 hour policy with 100 percent pay for what she was hired for is more standard. If I only hired her for two hours, why should the cancellation policy lock me into four?

because four is her minimum. It’s not worth her time to work for two hours.

If she isn’t taking jobs for two hours, then that’s fine. But if she is taking jobs for two hours but demanding a four hour cancellation pay, then no.