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Logging Work Hours

I am a paraprofessional (shadow) working in a boys school. It is done through an agency and i am paid through the board of ed. billing works as follows: every month i fill out a log with the hours that i worked (ie- 1-5pm) and i am paid for those hours. The agency told me that i can only bill for the hours that i worked so if the kid i work with is absent one day, i cannot bill for that day. other paras told me that over the years they have billed for days that they could have worked but were unable to either because the school was off for a holiday or the child was absent. they feel like they are losing out in those situations because they are paid per hour unlike people who get a set salary are payed for holidays… am i allowed to bill for a day that the child i work with is absent because on that day, i would have came to work but i am unable to because the child is not here to work with- i am losing out?

Answer:

Although I understand that you are losing out from the arrangement, this loss does not give you license to report untruthfully to the Board of Education.

Perhaps you can go directly to the Board of Education, which is the source of payment, and ask them if you can include work hours even when the child is absent. It does not make sense that you cannot include these hours, because you have to clear time for work, and if the child doesn’t show up there is no reason why you should not be compensated.

However, if the rules are that you cannot claim payment for such hours, you cannot break the rules even if they are unfair.

Best wishes and good luck!

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