CM-Increases fees by 22% and adds 3 extra days bank holidays

I have associates who are CMs they have told me that they are professionals and that the NCMA actively supports/suggests that they get PAID holidays. You probably have to be a NCMA member to look at their standard contracts.

The CM I used didn't have paid holidays as she has all part timers and preferred the flexiblity of unpaid holidays.

Yep, illegal in the UK too - the Office of Fair Trading supervise this - here is a quote from their site:

{BEGIN}
Cartels are prohibited by law. If you are found to be a member of a cartel, you could be fined up to 10 per cent of your turnover for up to three years. In some cases, you could receive an unlimited fine or a prison sentence of up to five years.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) views cartels as the most serious form of anti-competitive agreement and is keen to uncover them. As part of its leniency programme, the OFT actively encourages businesses who are involved in anti-competitive behaviour to report such activities. Businesses that do this could be offered a reduced fine or immunity from prosecution.

The OFT is also prepared to offer financial rewards of up to £100,000 (in exceptional circumstances) for information about cartel activity.
{END}

There was a prominent case involving public schools who always used to get together to set their fee increases for the subsequent year. They don't any more.

Cargirl - I am not convinced by the information contained on the website. I wonder if there is a more explicit stance anywhere? I will have a look . . .

I think if she has done this rate increase in conjunction with other minders then this could be collusion or non competitive behaviour - that would be illegal in NZ - not sure about the UK.

I am a music teacher and do some work through a music school - we all have to set our own rates and the manager doesn't (can't)tell us what to charge. I also work self employed in a school and again same thing.

www.ncma.org.uk/MainWebSite/ContentPage9df2c089.aspx?Map=D38AAC3E69BD9ECC4265127461F3E3EF

"Alternatively, one way for you to keep your bank holidays to yourself would be to book them as holidays. These would come out of your annual entitlement, but you would be entitled to receive payment for these days as normal holiday."

the implication being that as a CM you should get paid holidays!

Cargirl, have you a link to that advice? It seems incongruous that CM can be self employed (with all the attendant deductions from tax etc), but claim employee benefits.

Can you ask her to justify the rise? Interest rates are down, fuel prices have dropped from last year's high, inflation is sitting at 1.8%.

What are the 14 days BH she is proposing?

how many holidays do you pay her for in total, because 14 days holiday per year - assuming your dc is full time, could be in line with what the NCMA says, they think CMs should have paid holidays as if they were employed rather than self employed.

It's a tricky one, depends if she is really charging the going rate or not.

Can you assess whether any other CMs in the area are doing the same, either by contacting them directly or asking other mums?

It seems a bit steep. I'd like to know where you live to get 14 days BH - I only get 8.