VIPKID Cancellation Policy: Everything You Need to Know
Life happens and in certain circumstances, it might be necessary to cancel a VIPKID class. In this post, you’ll learn all about the VIPKID cancellation policy, the implications of cancelling a VIPKID class, and how you can avoid any negative consequences.
How Many Classes Can I Cancel with VIPKID?
As with any job, there is always a bit of wiggle room for attendance in case of emergencies. The VIPKID policy allows each teacher up to 6 missed appointments (cancellation or no-show) per six-month contract.
Here is how VIPKID calculates missed appointments:
✔️ If you must cancel one, two, or three classes on the same calendar day, this counts as ONE missed appointment total.
✔️ If you must cancel four or more classes on the same calendar day, this counts as TWO missed appointments total.
VIPKID Teacher Cancellation vs. Teacher No-Show
In the VIPKID world, there are two different scenarios for a teacher missing class:
1. Teacher no-show
2. Teacher cancellation
If the teacher doesn’t show up at all or cancels the class within 2-hours of the class start time, this is considered a teacher no-show.
When a teacher cancels a VIPKID class before the class begins, this is known as a teacher cancellation.
Based on the VIPKID cancellation policy, there are different consequences for teacher cancellations versus teacher no-shows, which we will cover below.
Teacher No-Show Policy
As stated above, a teacher no-show happens when a teacher does not cancel a class and doesn’t show up. It is also considered a teacher no-show when a teacher cancels a class within 2 hours before the scheduled start time.
When a teacher no-show occurs, the teacher will not receive payment for that class and in turn, will have $10 per class deducted from their paycheck. Although I don’t fully agree with this deduction, this is how VIPKID has set up their teacher no-show policy.
Cancellations
Based on the written policy, a VIPKID cancellation can take three forms: soft, medium, and regular cancellations.
VIPKID Soft Cancellation Policy VS Medium Cancellation Policy
A cancellation can be considered soft or medium when the VIPKID teacher provides valid proof of one of the following scenarios: illness, natural disaster or emergency, birth, or death. The severity of the situation and proof of documentation will determine whether or not you’ll receive a soft or medium cancellation.
1. Illness
To be considered for a soft cancellation, the illness must affect you, your child, or spouse. The illness must be serious; a hospital visit or urgent care visit would most likely qualify.
You won’t be considered for a soft cancellation for everyday illnesses such as a cold or flu, but you could be granted a medium cancellation with the proper documentation.
Always submit a doctor’s note and medical bill with your soft/medium cancellation request. The doctor’s note should be descriptive (date and time of visit) but there is no need to include your diagnosis or personal information.
2. Natural disasters and emergencies
Natural disasters and emergencies is a large category that many scenarios may fall under. These are emergencies that are out of your control including hurricanes, power outages, accidents, etc.
Unfortunately, VIPKID can be quite stingy about what they consider “out of your control”, so they do not accept things like traffic jams or delayed flights as an emergency scenario.
Since I use VIPKID to fund our world travels, booking classes around flights can be tricky. I always give myself a day or two after my flight is scheduled to land before I start teaching again. If I arrive at my destination on time, I can always open short notice classes.
Valid documentation for natural disasters, power outages, or accidents include an official letter from the power company, an official weather report for your area, or a police report.
Keep in mind, VIPKID doesn’t always side with the teachers about cancellations. Unless the weather is dangerous enough to make national news, it might not qualify for a soft or medium cancellation. In cases like this, it’s important to have a back-up internet source (we use GoogleFi) and battery-powered lighting on hand.
3. Birth
This one is self-explanatory. If you (or spouse) go into labour, VIPKID will consider this a soft-cancellation. To qualify for a soft cancellation, submit a doctor’s note, medical bill, and birth certificate. This seems like a lot, especially with a new baby, but it’s VIPKID policy.
4. Death
This scenario is a bit more complicated than childbirth. VIPKID will only declare a soft or medium cancellation in situations that involve immediate family members (parents, spouse, children, siblings, grandparents).
In order to apply for a soft or medium cancellation, you’ll need to submit an obituary and death certificate.
Consequences For a Soft or Medium VIPKID Cancellation
Based on the VIPKID policy, if your cancellation is declared soft or medium, it will NOT count as one of the six allowed absences or cancellations for your contract. This means you will not be at risk for termination if your cancellation is considered soft or medium by the VIPKID staff.
There will also be no financial consequences for soft cancellations, while medium cancellations will have a financial consequence or paycheck deduction.
The financial penalties for medium cancellations are as follows:
1. Medium cancellation (canceled 24+ hours before the class) = no penalty
2. Medium cancellation (canceled 2 – 24 hours before the class) = $2 penalty per canceled class
3. Medium cancellation (canceled less than 2 hours before the class) = $10 penalty per class
These penalties will be taken from your paycheck and listed under “Deductions”.
How To Apply For a Soft or Medium Cancellation
To apply for a soft or medium cancellation, go to your VIPKID dashboard and select “Classrooms” in the “Class” dropdown menu. From here, select “All Classes”. A list will generate that shows all of the classes you have taught this month.
Next, click “Cancellations & No Shows & Change Finish Type”.. a mouthful right?!
Once you’re redirected to a new page, select the class or classes that you wish to apply for and choose “Soft/Medium Cancellation”. This is where you’ll supply all of the valid documentation for your cancellation (doctor’s note, birth certificate, etc).
In order to submit an application for a soft/medium cancellation, the class must have a teacher no show or teacher cancellation finish type.
Be sure to submit your soft/medium cancellation application within 30 days of the missed appointment. You can check on the status of your application by going back to this same page and finding the class in which you applied. Details will be listed directly next to the class.
VIPKID Regular Cancellation
A regular cancellation is a cancellation that doesn’t fit any of the above scenarios and this is subject to VIPKID’s discretion. Regular cancellations do apply to the six cancellations allotted per VIPKID teacher contract.
These cancellations are also subject to financial penalties:
1. Regular cancellation (canceled 24+ hours before the class) – no financial penalty
2. Regular cancellation (canceled 2 – 24 hours before the class) – $2 penalty per canceled class
3. Regular cancellation (canceled less than 2 hours before the class) – $10 penalty per class
Note: I often see VIPKID warn teachers about the negative consequences of cancelling classes, but let’s get real.. LIFE HAPPENS.
Don’t feel embarrassed or afraid if you must cancel a class. Students and their parents will understand. Of course, avoid canceling as much as possible, but if you must, you have six missed appointments per contract.
VIPKID Student Cancellation
If you’re wondering what happens when a student cancels a class, head on over to our blog post, VIPKID Student No Show: Can I Leave Yet?
The Wrap-Up: VIPKID Cancellation Policy
When life happens, don’t worry! As VIPKID teachers, it isn’t the end of the world to cancel a class every now and then. I hope this post helped you understand the VIPKID cancellation policy, how you can apply for soft/medium cancellations, and how you can avoid any negative consequences.
If you have any more questions about the cancellation policy, leave me a comment below!
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