Hello. Me again......
My childminder had an accident which led to her being unavailable for work, ie off sick, for the three week period leading up to Christmas break.
She told me she was "unavailable" until after Christmas. I had to work and had to pay someone else to cover that.
I had to ask her to pay me the money back for the initial three weeks as I usually pay her a month in advance and I could not afford to pay an emergency cover after I had already paid her.
Her contract states she is unpaid for any sick leave but receives half pay for any holiday.
She had already had 5 weeks holiday up to the 21st of Dec including summer holidays, odd days and almost three weeks in October.
She called me this morning and asked me when I am going to pay her for the Christmas holiday. She told me that she always has Christmas off. "all the other mums have paid her", I replied that she was over the holiday limit and in any case was off sick, not on holiday.
She is saying no, she was only unavailable as it was holiday.....
I'm really cross, I feel like she is pulling a bit of a fast one here.
Any tips on how to discuss this calmly but firmly tonight? I don't want to lose her as a minder but this is winding me up now.
It will cost me almost £200 on top of the £560 that I had to pay to emergency cover because she said she was unable to work.