Technical Support
Last-Minute Cancellations and No-Shows
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 article is a plain-language summary. The full, governing terms are in the Relief Care Cancellation Policy, which is incorporated into the Terms of Use.
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
If the Care Seeker cancels:
- More than 24 hours before start: full refund of the care portion. Platform fees are handled per the Cancellation 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 strike may be recorded on the Care Giver's file at Relief Care's discretion.
- Less than 2 hours before start: the booking is immediately routed to replacement candidates, and a strike may be recorded on the Care Giver's file.
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: the 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: the Care Giver receives no payout for the cancelled shift, and a strike may be recorded on their file.
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.
How strikes work
Strikes are reviewed and recorded by Relief Care admins (not automated) and remain active for 90 days:
- 1–2 active strikes: warning.
- 3 active strikes: temporary suspension.
- 4 or more: removal from the platform pending review.
Strikes issued in error or for verified emergencies can be voided. Strikes do not automatically change your visibility or matching priority — matching is based only on profession, specialty, service area, and availability.
Evidence and dispute process
If you need to dispute a cancellation fee or a strike, report it through Relief Care support within 7 days of the relevant event. We review:
- in-app messages;
- check-in timestamps;
- location stamps (optional); and
- 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.
For the complete and governing terms, see the Relief Care Cancellation Policy.
