Relief Care is time-sensitive work. When a booking is canceled late or someone doesn’t show, the
other side loses real time, income, and coverage. This policy is built to compensate the impacted
party, reduce repeat offenders, and keep outcomes predictable.
Definitions
- Care Seeker: The facility/clinic or family booking care.
- Care Giver: The PSW, nurse, or other healthcare professional accepting the shift.
- Last-Minute Cancellation: A cancellation within a defined short window before the start time.
- Care Seeker No-Show: The Care Giver arrives (or is ready for access), but the Care Seeker is
unavailable/unresponsive, preventing the shift from starting. - Care Giver No-Show: The Care Giver does not arrive within the grace period and is unreachable.
Relief Care Baseline Rules
- In-App Changes Only: All changes (cancel, reschedule, end early) must be done in-app. Off-
platform changes are treated as unsupported. - No Cash: All payments stay in Relief Care. No cash, e-transfers, or side deals.
- Confirmation Controls Payout: Relief Care holds funds and releases payouts only based on in-
platform completion confirmation.
Cancellation Windows and Outcomes
(These are our recommended default policies)
If the Care Seeker Cancels:
- More than 24 hours before start: Full refund of the care portion. Platform fees are handled per
the posted fee policy. - 24 to 12 hours before start: A short-notice cancellation fee equal to 1 hour of the booked rate is
paid to the Care Giver. The rest is refunded. - 12 to 2 hours before start: A short-notice cancellation fee equal to 2 hours of the booked rate is
paid to the Care Giver. The rest is refunded. - Less than 2 hours before start (or after start time): Treated as a Care Seeker No-Show unless the
Care Giver confirms otherwise.
If the Care Giver Cancels:
- More than 24 hours before start: No penalty.
- 24 to 2 hours before start: A reliability strike is issued, plus reduced booking priority.
- Less than 2 hours before start: A stronger strike is issued, potential temporary suspension, and
the booking is immediately routed to replacements.
No-Show Rules
Care Seeker No-Show Triggered when the Care Giver has checked in, waited 15 minutes past the start
time, and the Care Seeker is unresponsive.
- Outcome: Care Seeker pays a no-show fee equal to 2 hours of the booked rate (paid to the Care
Giver). Remaining funds are refunded minus applicable fees.
Care Giver No-Show Triggered when the Care Giver did not check in, is 15 minutes late, and is
unreachable via in-app communication.
- Outcome: Care Giver gets no payout, receives a reliability strike, and may be temporarily
suspended after repeated offenses.
Exceptions (When fees may be waived)
Fees or penalties are typically only waived or reduced in the following scenarios: - Safety Risk: The environment is unsafe or misrepresented, meaning the Care Giver is not
required to proceed. - Major Disruptions: Severe weather, disasters, or other events that make service impossible.
- Verified Emergencies: Evaluated on a case-by-case basis by support.
Repeat Behavior Enforcement - Care Seekers: Repeated last-minute cancels or no-shows can trigger booking limits, prepayment-
only restrictions, or temporary suspension. - Care Givers: “Strikes” roll over a time window (e.g., 90 days).
o 1 Strike: Warning
o 2 Strikes: Reduced priority
o 3 Strikes: Temporary suspension
o 4+ Strikes: Removal pending review
Evidence and Dispute Process
If you need to dispute a fee or a strike, you must report it within 24 hours of the shift start time. We
review:
- In-app messages
- Check-in timestamps
- Location stamps (optional)
- Facility sign-in logs (where available)
Replacement Support
When a Care Giver cancels inside 24 hours or no-shows, Relief Care will auto-route the shift to
replacement candidates immediately. If no replacement is found, we prioritize your refund and
document the incident.
