Pay playgroup Morah for april?

amother

Ruby

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 2:56 pm

amother [ Fuchsia ] wrote:

I don't understand how many people are saying yes. I just don't get it.

If she isn't providing a service, she shouldn't get paid.

If I'm home with my kids for all of April, I'm teaching them, feeding them, davening, changing them etc. I'm not going to work. I'm doing what I would pay her to do, so I should get paid.

She's not closed on purpose, true, but she's not working. No one is paying my husband or me for not working now.

I honestly don't get it. If you work, you her paid. If not, you don't.

The difference is that you enrolled your child in her group in the beginning of the year, ostensibly from September to June. She is relying on the salary. It's not the same as a service that you pay for only whenever you use it. Same with school tuition.

My child's morah sends out a few WhatsApp videos every day teaching about Pesach. I imagine she will continue after Pesach.
I don't have extra money but I hope to continue to pay her if I can until the end of June.

Simple1

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 3:00 pm

amother [ Ruby ] wrote:

I think it's a shaila because just as she's relying on the salary, the parents are relying on the service. In the case where she's sending videos and doing other services, that should be taken in consideration.

amother

Aquamarine

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 4:26 pm

amother [ Ruby ] wrote:

Its not a salary. Morah is a for-profit business owner. It is actually different than a school tuition.

amother

Olive

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 7:39 pm

I have a Playgroup. There is a set tuition for the year which is divided by 10, payment due on first of each month. Some months such as November there are five weeks of school. Some months such as September there are 2 weeks. In April there would have been only 2 weeks of school but the tuition for April would have been the same monthly fee. I am doing Zoom for one hour a day. I sent home beautiful do at home Pesach projects packets. I don't know if anyone will pay me for April. If they don't, I will not be paying my assistant. I cannot lose my salary and then take out of my own pocket hers on top of that. Of course I paid her for the whole March even though she is not working, because the parents paid me.

amother

Oak

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 7:51 pm

It's a question for a rav.
If you sign up at the beginning of the year for playgroup, even if you lose your job in the middle of the year, you still have to continue paying her. It is a yearly commitment.
I understand it's different because she's not working now but I don't think you have to pay the morah depending on wether you still have a job or not.
Those circumstances are so unusual that a rav really must pasken.

amother

Orchid

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 7:52 pm

amother [ Olive ] wrote:

Just curious why your salary is more important than your assistants? Isn't the halacha to pay hired workers before you take? Sincerely asking... I do plan to pay playgroup tuition even though we are in uncertain times

amother

Orchid

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 7:53 pm

amother [ Olive ] wrote:

amother

Fuchsia

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 8:14 pm

amother [ Oak ] wrote:

Your example does not fit well. If you lose your job and you still send your child to playgroup, of course you'd still pay. You would still be receiving a service.

But let's say you pulled your child out of playgroup because you were home now? If there wasn't the issue of paying due to reserving the spot, what would you be paying for?

mommy3b2c

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 8:26 pm

amother [ Oak ] wrote:

But if you lose your job you have a choice. Keep your child enrolled and pay or take your child out. You have no obligation to keep your child in a school or a play group. If there’s no service being provided there’s no reason to pay. That’s the way I understand it. Ask your own shaila.

momX4

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 8:30 pm

amother [ Orchid ] wrote:

I think you misread. She said that she cant lose her salary plus go into debt to pay her assistant. She is willing to pay the assistant if the parents pay her.

amother

Lemon

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 8:52 pm

It's definitely a shaila. I am not working now. Maaaybe an hour a day. My dh asked our Rav and he said that we do not have to pay for april at all and we can also ask back money from most of march. she is not providing the service that we paid her to do.
it's complicated bec we already gave her ten head checks in the beg of the yr. dont want to ask back the checks from her but I sure hope she doesnt just cash them without checking in... not sure what we'll end up doing.

amother

Olive

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 9:07 pm

momX4 wrote:

I think you misread. She said that she cant lose her salary plus go into debt to pay her assistant. She is willing to pay the assistant if the parents pay her.

That's right. I paid her for entire March even though she did not work at all for 2 weeks (I prepared all the projects and I do the Zoom by myself). But the parents paid me so I paid her. But if the parents don't pay me I cannot pay her. And FYI I always always pay her first as the parents pay me each month, before I take any money for myself.

Librarian

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 9:10 pm

And to my assistants great credit she offered to give me back money for March. Of course I did not accept the offer as, again, the parents paid me for March.

notshanarishona

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 9:17 pm

I would think a in home playgroup is different than a school and parents are not obligated to pay, although it’s nice if they can afford. There is no mandatory curriculum and 3 year olds are not learning through zoom. Typically playgroups are run in the house so their is no extra mortgage or rent to pay like with a school building.

amother

Oak

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 9:23 pm

mommy3b2c wrote:

Dk how it works in other places but in Lakewood unless you find someone to take over your spot in playgroup you do not have a choice to pull out in the middle of the year.
Why should the morah lose money because you want to pull out? She could have taken another kid at the beg of the yr but in the middle it's very hard to find.
When you sign registration form, most places I know ask for a commitment from sept to june.

amother

Orchid

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 9:25 pm

amother [ Olive ] wrote:

I misread, my apologize.

amother

Olive

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 9:27 pm

Frankly, reading this thread, I am miyayesh that anyone will pay me. My husband's line of work is also completely shut down. May this be our kapporah

banana split

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 10:09 pm

amother [ Olive ] wrote:

Frankly, reading this thread, I am miyayesh that anyone will pay me. My husband's line of work is also completely shut down. May this be our kapporah

Please don’t feel that way. The playgroup where my daughter is currently - it’s not even a question. The same way we are continuing to pay school tuition we will pay the playgroup. We understand this was a contract from September to June.

Simple1

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 10:15 pm

amother [ Olive ] wrote:

Frankly, reading this thread, I am miyayesh that anyone will pay me. My husband's line of work is also completely shut down. May this be our kapporah

It's very possible they owe you, even if it's not the full amount. Maybe ask your own shaila and go from there. I hope things get better for you and all of us asap!

amother

Royalblue

Sun, Mar 29 2020, 10:19 pm

locally the shailah was asked and the psak was that if the playgroup was a tuition for the year the parents have to pay but if the parents paid by hour then they don't so some are being paid and some aren't.