To really not understand why childminders expect to be paid for their holidays and sick pay?

Also galling is when they are on holiday and you also have to pay another childcare provider because you have to work so you’re paying double.

To all of those who say well just don’t sign the contract, it isn’t that easy, unless you have fifteen sisters and a grandmother who are happy to step in and carry out childminding duties.

If that contract is a typical bog standard contract and is negotiated by professional associations of childminders then that’s your lot. You’re pretty much stuck with it. You’ve got to go back to work and need childcare and cannot always invent your own terms and conditions.

I agree. Most of the childminders I have consulted expected holiday pay from their clients while I was self employed and had no holiday pay or maternity pay or sick pay.

I thought it was a bit much too.

In any case, if you didn't have these things in the contract I imagine the rate of pay would just have to go up to account for them.

Isn't it for the same reason other people in jobs expect holiday pay?

I am self employed and I don't get sick pay/holiday pay.

However, you are free, in theory if not in practice, to choose another child care system or child minder.

This isn't something snuck up on you, you're aware of it when you sign the contract, so I do support the self employed persons rights to have whatever payment system and fees they want, just as much as it is your right to choose whether you suck it up, or go elsewhere.

I agree with this.

My childminder doesn't charge me for her holidays or sick days.

Of course i pay her when im on holiday or kids off ill as thats space she's not giving another child.

I suspect OP is not using childminders any more!

I also agree with you OP. They are self-employed, not employed.

But it was ever thus, my son is now in his early 20s and his CM charged for her holidays (but to be fair, not if she took any sick leave).

So I live in NI and our childminder told us she’d be taking her holidays last week of this month. She has now come to say she’d unwell and won’t watch the kids tomorrow and that we’d have to pay for her sick leave.

Our contract says otherwise that sick
leaves are unpaid for..

I thought it was considered good practice not to charge because it was recognised that you would need the money to cover alternative arrangements in your CM's absence.

I pay my CM for our holidays and sick days but she doesn't charge for hers. However, if she is ill quite often I don't knock the money off next month's bill because she is so wonderful, I want her to feel valued, I know she's genuine and I am lucky enough to be able able to work from home for the day if need be.

I've never come across any other CMs who charge for their holidays and sick pay.

rettam - childminders can make up any contract they want! You don't have to use the NCMA one.

OP you could always re-negtiate the terms of your contract when it comes up for renewal. does no harm to ask and if she thinks you might go elsewhere she may have a rethink.

Sounds like a dodgy made up contract to me. Childminders do not charge if they are ill. The NCMA contract that parents sign says "no fee is payable for, or in respect of, any time that the contracted service is not available".

Booty - I think ultimately you just have to satisfy yourself that if she (and the other childminders in the area) decided not to charge for holiday pay, then she would simply put her hourly rate up to cover it instead.

As with many things, costs and charges for services differ hugely according to where you live in the country and local demand/supply.

I am with altinkum

You have taken out a contract for services....you should honour it.

Read contract before hand. Up to you if you engage her. If you don't like it, go elsewhere.

As someone who is in a household full of self employed people I would expect them to be savvy re reading contract terms.

Sorry if I sound harsh but it is no different engaging a child minder versus any other sort of service provider.

OP, YANBU. I live in the South East (not London) and all the CMs round my way only charge if your child is sick or you are on holiday NOT if they are sick or on holiday. In fact I know of several CMs who allow holiday time of up to 20 days with prior notice so you don't actually have to pay when you are on holiday. If you are having to pay the CMs holiday and sickness you may as well have your DC in nursery.

YANBU.

It's all very well people saying "well don't sign the contract if you don't agree to the terms" but if all CMs in an area have the same charging structure, and this CM ticks all the other boxes, then they've got you where they want you really.

I am lucky in that I have a wonderful, flexible CM. She charges me PAYG - I pay for what I use. However I pay her when I don't send the girls as it's my choice if we have holiday - she is still available to work. But I wouldn't expect her to charge me if she's not available to work.

I can't freely pick and choose as to when I book my annual leave from work (in a small team so we have to share) so I appreciate flexibility from my CM, in that she slots her time off around mine. I can't afford to pay twice for childcare.

My dd has now been with her lovely cm for 5yrs (hard to believe ).

She doesn't charge for her holidays and sickness, but we pay if dd is off sick and have 2 weeks hols per year at half price. That's pretty standard around here (Hampshire).

Dh is self employed and he moans like hell about paying for bank holidays... only SE job where you get paid for not working etc etc etc. Every time .

seems odd to me and a tad unfair, seem to remember having xx number of weeks when mine were with childminder that we did'nt pay when she took holidays

I wouldnt tar us all with the same brush if I were you, I dont charge for holidays or if Im sick, I dont know any that do, you're the mug for agreeing to it.

YANBU. It's basically cherry picking only the good bits of self employment, isn't it?