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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think I shouldn't have to pay CM?

47 replies

DirtyDancingCleanLiving · 30/11/2013 14:48

OK, so I have a childminder, and a pretty standard contract - if she can't have my children for any reason (like her/her dc's sickness), I don't have to pay. However, if my children are ill, or I keep them off for any reason, I still have to pay.

Up until now, we've never had to apply these rules - she has never taken a day off and the kids have attended every day (only 3 days a week after school).

On Thursday CM phoned me at 7pm (the night before I was due in work - she was due to have dc from 3.30pm - 6.30pm on Friday). She has an 18month old dd and was calling to tell me that her dd had been very ill over that day and she was taking her to the Dr's the next morning. She wanted to give me the heads up that if her dd was worse the next day, or the Dr diagnosed something contagious, she could well be unavailable. She could let me know for definite by about midday whether she could have them after school, but she didn't think it likely.

I said OK, can't be helped, hope she's OK. Don't worry about it, concentrate on your dd and i'll arrange an early finish. She was thankful for me being so understanding, I was thankful she'd let me know the night before and not the same day.

So, I drop the kids at school the next morning, go to work and arrange a few hours off, so that I finish at 3pm. These hours I had to take out of my holiday allowance and my boss was not thrilled with the short notice.
At 11am I get a text from CM saying her dd is much better, she didn't even end up taking her to the Drs as she seems fine, she thinks it was something she ate and she's now on the mend. So it's fine for her to have the dc, she can pick them up from school as normal.

I reply that I've already booked the hours off and I can't now cancel them as my manager has arranged alternative cover, so not necessary.

Her reply? 'Oh, OK, no probs then :). Just so we're on the same page though, because I am available, payment will still be due as normal for the day. Hope you enjoy your early finish! :)'

Enjoy my early finish? AIBU to expect to NOT have to pay for the day in these circumstances?

OP posts:

Jinty64 · 30/11/2013 15:20

YANBU you should not have to pay however I think I would just pay it on this occasion but sort out with her how this will be avoided in future.

MrsOsbourne · 30/11/2013 15:21

OOOPS sorry just saw this was Thursday !

FlipFlippingFlippers · 30/11/2013 15:21

Can you agree to pay her half this time and ask to set up a notice period in case it happens again? I can sort of see it from both sides tbh. She said she'd let you know before midday (which she did) but on the other hand it didn't really leave you enough time to make proper arrangements.

SirChenjin · 30/11/2013 15:22

What Sidge and Flip said

SeaSickSal · 30/11/2013 15:23

I think the problem is that she said she'd let you know for definite by midday and you said that was okay. If you were going to have to make the decision to have time off there and then you should have told her and not said midday was fine.

insancerre · 30/11/2013 15:24

so, if you were still at work at 11am couldn't you have told your boss that you now didn't need to take the hours as holiday and let the cm pick up as normal?
she did say she would let you know by miday and she did tell you by 11am that she was available, so she was available, you just chose not to use her

ivykaty44 · 30/11/2013 15:24

you can change this arrangement with 4 hours to go - you have now effectively been told you have to pay twice for a service as she changed it late in the day

by paying twice I mean you could have employed someone else or taken unpaid leave to cover her.

i would put pen to paper and explain that this is not contractual to give 4 hours notice that she is now available and expect everyone and every other arrangement not to now count. It is not professional or contractual to be given hours notice that she can work when at such late notice she wasn't available for work.

Possible state on this occasion you will be grudgingly pay but in future you need 24 hours notice of whether she is available to work, as it is very complicated to try to arrange emergency cover pay for it and then cancel with such short notice for someone else. You are not happy with being left hanging in midair

OutragedFromLeeds · 30/11/2013 15:25

I think I agree with life et al.

You agreed to her letting you know before midday, but then made arrangements anyway. I can see her side and yours (obviously midday the same day was too late).

What will you achieve by refusing to pay though? She won't give you a heads up next time! She'll wait until she knows for certain.

WhoNickedMyName · 30/11/2013 15:29

YANBU.

BUT if she's a great childminder, your children are settled, they've been there for a while and she's never done this before then I'd let this occasion slide, but make it clear that in future 3 hours notice that she's available isn't acceptable and this won't be happening again.

thebody · 30/11/2013 15:40

hi op, ex cm here. no I wouldn't work like this purely because good business is keeping the parents happy and recommending your business to others.

however technically you do owe her as she explained when she would he definatly letting you know and she did this.

still can understand you are miffed and I think she is being short sighted and silly to do this for just a few hours pay.

CoffeeTea103 · 30/11/2013 15:41

Yanbu, the conditions of the contract are benefitting one party only. You should not pay.

ThanSheSaid · 30/11/2013 16:04

YANBU I think it was all a little unclear but I still think she should not ask you to pay.

Jelly15 · 30/11/2013 17:58

I am a CM and I would not expect to be paid if you had to make alternative arrangements because I had told you there was a chance I would be unavailable.

Madmammy83 · 30/11/2013 18:17

I would give her a call and explain that you are not happy with the situation, and that your own time off has been affected. I would tell her that on this occasion she will be paid, but for future reference, she will need to let you know in the initial phone call whether she is definitely available or not.

madwomanintheatt1c · 30/11/2013 18:21

She said she would let you know by noon. She let you know at 11am.

She did exactly what she said she would.

Maybe if you had said the night before 'actually, I need to know now, so that I can make other arrangements first thing' it would have been clearer to both of you.

Wibblypiglikesbananas · 30/11/2013 18:47

I'd tell her I'd be happy to pay if she'd be happy to reimburse the lost hours at work (due to her maybe/maybe not approach to availability).

She has to be trying it on.

mumofweeboys · 30/11/2013 18:48

You shouldn't have to pay but unfortunately you did agree that she could inform you before midday. This time I would pay up but explain that next time you will need a days notice, to allow you to arrange alternative care as in this occasion you have had to use annual leave that was intended for something else.

fairylightsintheautumn · 30/11/2013 18:53

I think you either shouldn't pay, OR if you are otherwise happy with her and don't want to rock the boat have her take your DD and take the time for yourself. We are teachers and have to pay for some (not all) of our regular CM hours in the holidays, so we use them for DIY, shopping, cinema trips etc, stuff that is MUCH easier without the DCs. That way you make the most of your holiday time.

Morloth · 30/11/2013 19:29

I would respond to that text with 'in that case please collect the kids as usual'.

Next time don't agree to such short notice.

Thurlow · 30/11/2013 19:44

Difficult one. I would have made other arrangements in that situation too, but the CM did tell you before the cut off date.

If you like the CM and don't want to sour the relationship I would be tempted to suck this one up but have a friendly conversation about how you lose money taking time off, and so next time it will need to be a yes/no the night before. She might not have realised it would cost you money to take time off.

RandomMess · 30/11/2013 19:48

I think she covered herself by telling you she would confirm at midday. I would suck it up this time but discuss a different strategy with her for next time.

Good childcare is difficult to find and around here you are expected to pay if your CM is sick!

IThoughtThat · 02/12/2013 23:20

Any update OP?

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