What is the name of your state? CA
With a lot to be said I will do my best to explain quickly.
Last year I closed my large family daycare to start a preschool business out of my home. My first director moved a month after opening. 2 months of searching for a new director, scatter brained and exhausted a parent asked if I needed help that she was looking for a job. With no experience in daycare/preschool I still hired her. That was November
I taught her everything she needed to know. By April she purchased a laptop and instead of working (which was rare anyway...in my opinion:
) she was on the couch working on her laptop, talking on the phone, etc while I was teaching, She would change my contracts or policies without my permission and give them to parents. She would come to work late, go in my office or leave during business hours for personal stuff. I can't be left alone with 12 children. She wanted to be partners and had ideas. I would agree to partners at first thinking 'yeah right' just to keep the peace. Her excuse was tax write off's so 1099 her, but she had a business license in selling jewelry. She didn't want half the money either???? I have over $20,000 invested so as time went on I told her no partners and explained how her ideas were not logical with kids.
I was going to sell my home due to separation from husband so without informing me she got approved for a loan and waited for me to go into foreclosure (NOT). She admits later to just wanted to help me but she would have the master bedroom and the retreat for her POT smoking room. I DON'T SMOKE AT ALL!!! She also started talking to my clients behind my back (proof from them) claiming that I was never there and when I was I didn't work, I owed her $3000 when it was $1300 for her last 2 payrolls. She would talk to the parents with the exact words I would tell her as if the table was turned to make me sound bad. I figure she wanted to buy the house with a good business already in it. I could go on forever but let me mention that my well known HEALTHY FAVORITE LARGE BIRD OF PARADISE (9 FEET TALL & BLOOMING 2 FLOWERS) in the backyard died in one month after taking home off the market and so did the weeds around it but all the other flowers and bushes around it are alive today. I know, I sound like a psycho everytime I mention that but that just describes what I've been going through. MUCH MUCH MORE.
I lost 30 clients last year out of over 40, I thought it was from my separation (were back together) but it was from her and they didn't know what to think. Protect their children of course...I would. And now the New Employee that just started last week, I would love to keep (Masters in Child Dev and trying to get on with the School District), is worried about working with me because the former employee told her I will bring her down and doesn't advise it.
I'm currently trying to work with the Town to open up a Child Care Center next year but I want my hard work from last year brought back to the community. I now have a bad reputation when I was well known and loved in daycare.
Please, what do I do? I tried to be professional but I can't let her bring my business that I started and worked so hard for down. Should I sue for lost clients???
By the way she left in June, bought a home and just started her own Preschool with a similar name. ME, I have purchased a very expensive HR package from my payroll company. Lesson learned. Reminds me of a movie.
Sorry so long,
Stacy in CA
With a lot to be said I will do my best to explain quickly.
Last year I closed my large family daycare to start a preschool business out of my home. My first director moved a month after opening. 2 months of searching for a new director, scatter brained and exhausted a parent asked if I needed help that she was looking for a job. With no experience in daycare/preschool I still hired her. That was November
I taught her everything she needed to know. By April she purchased a laptop and instead of working (which was rare anyway...in my opinion:
) she was on the couch working on her laptop, talking on the phone, etc while I was teaching, She would change my contracts or policies without my permission and give them to parents. She would come to work late, go in my office or leave during business hours for personal stuff. I can't be left alone with 12 children. She wanted to be partners and had ideas. I would agree to partners at first thinking 'yeah right' just to keep the peace. Her excuse was tax write off's so 1099 her, but she had a business license in selling jewelry. She didn't want half the money either???? I have over $20,000 invested so as time went on I told her no partners and explained how her ideas were not logical with kids. I was going to sell my home due to separation from husband so without informing me she got approved for a loan and waited for me to go into foreclosure (NOT). She admits later to just wanted to help me but she would have the master bedroom and the retreat for her POT smoking room. I DON'T SMOKE AT ALL!!! She also started talking to my clients behind my back (proof from them) claiming that I was never there and when I was I didn't work, I owed her $3000 when it was $1300 for her last 2 payrolls. She would talk to the parents with the exact words I would tell her as if the table was turned to make me sound bad. I figure she wanted to buy the house with a good business already in it. I could go on forever but let me mention that my well known HEALTHY FAVORITE LARGE BIRD OF PARADISE (9 FEET TALL & BLOOMING 2 FLOWERS) in the backyard died in one month after taking home off the market and so did the weeds around it but all the other flowers and bushes around it are alive today. I know, I sound like a psycho everytime I mention that but that just describes what I've been going through. MUCH MUCH MORE.
I lost 30 clients last year out of over 40, I thought it was from my separation (were back together) but it was from her and they didn't know what to think. Protect their children of course...I would. And now the New Employee that just started last week, I would love to keep (Masters in Child Dev and trying to get on with the School District), is worried about working with me because the former employee told her I will bring her down and doesn't advise it.
I'm currently trying to work with the Town to open up a Child Care Center next year but I want my hard work from last year brought back to the community. I now have a bad reputation when I was well known and loved in daycare.
Please, what do I do? I tried to be professional but I can't let her bring my business that I started and worked so hard for down. Should I sue for lost clients???
By the way she left in June, bought a home and just started her own Preschool with a similar name. ME, I have purchased a very expensive HR package from my payroll company. Lesson learned. Reminds me of a movie.
Sorry so long,
Stacy in CA
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