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

[BootyMum]

I have a lovely childminder for my two DS. The contract is that I pay when they are sick or on holiday [which is fair enough imo] but also if she is on holiday [standard 4 weeks a year] or sick.

I can't really understand how childminders have made it standard that they expect to be paid for their holidays and sick pay. My childminder is not my employee, as a nanny would be. She is self employed and is paid to perform a service. I think if she is not available to perform that service, for whatever reason, I should not be expected to fork out.

I am self employed as is my DH. Both of us provide services to clients in our professions. When we are on holiday or sick we don't get paid. We wouldn't dream of billing clients for time when we were absent [and I imagine our clients wouldn't stand for it either!], so why is it fair that childminders have this arrangement?

As it stands, when my childminder is absent I have to pay her but have to take time off from my own work to take care of DS 1 & 2 and don't get paid. Or I have to find other childcare arrangements and pay twice.

I just think the terms of contract are unreasonable but seem to be pretty standard for childminders [I am in London btw]

AIBU?

I agree with this.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.