aibu to think childminders should not charge when they are sick?

[cmsickness]

Namechanged regular asking for a friend.

I use a nursery myself and pay 52 weeks a year, including bank holidays, and still pay if my child is sick or on holiday. However, friend has childminder that has now drawn up a contract saying she has to pay even when the nanny is sick/ unavailable as her own child is sick. To me that just sounds wrong. If it were a nanny, as an employee, yes she would get sick pay. But a childminder is self employed and providing a service, she shouldn't expect employee benefits like paid sick leave, surely?

Aibu to think if she cannot provide the service she should not charge? Or make up the time a different day?

Sorry said nanny instead of childminder. This is not a nanny, definitely a childminder! Childminder expects to be paid even when sick. Would be different if it was a nanny.

Tabby, not many do this. Childminders can charge whatever they like. She doesn't have to sign the contract and should use another childminder if she's not happy with it.

I'm s childminder and don't charge if I'm sick, but I do charge if the child is sick and unable to come. I think that's pretty fair.

I personally do not charge.

Your friend should not sign the contract if she does not agree with it, if she does then that's agreeing with the t and c's and she shouldnt complain. But it sounds like your getting worked up about something that doesnt affect you. Maybe your friend is ok with paying her?

YANBU, not sure where tabby came from!

Tbh it's up to your friend, she can't be forced into accepting these terms, but the CM is self employed and can charge as she wishes for her service as long as it is in the contract. Some CMs have a lower hourly rate and charge for holidays and sickness, some charge more to cover these. You can't tell a self employed person, "you cannot charge for sickness, you're self employed" as a self employed person can charge for whatever they want as long as there is a contract, but if her charges are unreasonable she is unlikely to have much business.

I decided never to charge for hours I am not available but to charge the full rate for contract hours which are not used, e.g. childminded child is sick or goes on a family holiday.

This has always seemed fair to me and the parents.

I know that other childminders feel that they factor holidays, sickness, etc into the overall price and are advised to do so by professional bodies but I think it just causes bad feeling when parents are being made to pay for a service they are not receiving.

No, friend asked my advice as she isn't happy with it and wanted to know if it was usual. Since I use a nursery I don't have first hand knowledge so I said I would ask on here.

Charging when the mindee is sick is perfectly right. But my view is that the childminder has no right to pay when it is her that cannot provide the service, unless friend signs a contract giving her that right, which she doesn't want to do.

She has used said childminder for six months but has only now drawn up the contract, and there was an occasion last month when the childminder's dd was sick and friend had to take the day off. She was assuming she would be either not paying or getting a day in lieu.

Well if she doesn't want to then she shouldn't. She should look for a childminder who does not charge but it is likely they will have a higher fee to compensate for this.

I think, at the very most she might insert a small number of paid sick days, in agreement with her employer. But saying she can charge for any days she's off sick or her own child is sick is just ridiculous.

Thanks, it is rather complicated by the fact that she is friends with the childminder. So she doesn't want to make waves. I will ask her if she is paying below market rate as that might justify it. However, she also has two children being minded so will be paying dearly for any impromptu days off even if the rate per child is discounted.

We have a really good relationship with our childminder and pay a set amount a month which is pro-rated for the year (we pay for holidays which is common practice in our area). If she is sick, the general rule is that we won't be doubly out of pocket so she pays our replacement childminder for the day, but if we haven't had to pay for childcare, I do nothing. I should reduce her pay for that month but she's fab, and is extremely flexible and accommodating so I let it lie. In two years, she's had four sick days (in two blocks of two) and had to pay for two of the days.

So, it's in our contract not to pay but I ignore it.....it depends on your relationship I think.

She needs to sit down with the friend/childminder and sort this out properly.

I have childminded for lots of friends and, on every occasion, I have made sure a contract is signed in advance so we both know exactly where we stand. Minding a child for six months without a contract is very poor practice.

I think this parent may be better finding an alternative childminder with whom she can have a purely professional relationship as this childminder is clearly not capable of successfully combining her business with her friendships.

I had a previous CM try and charge me when she was off sick even though her contract said otherwise. She also had the highest fees in the town (was the only one available to collect from school)

I hope she manages to sort it out

Goldmandra, I think they will sit down and sort it amicably, friend just wanted to establish whether this was normal before questioning it!

My sister had a childminder who did before and after school care for her DDs and occasional days in the school holidays. She insisted that my sister paid her for a full day's minding for both girls for every bank holiday in the year despite them not being covered by contracted hours and her not being available to work them. Cheeky blighter.

She's just about the only person I've ever known to get one over on my sister.

Our contracts have always been quite straightforward on this. If the CM is available on a normal childcare day but we don't/can't use her because of illness or holiday, we pay. If the CM isn't available because of illness, we don't pay. We then both get 4 weeks holiday a year charged at 1/2 fees.

Although I wouldn't charge, I wouldn't dream of passing judgement on another childminder's charges. You have to look at the whole package and see if it works for you.

Some charge sickness; some don't.
Some charge holidays; some don't.
Some charge overtime; some don't.
Some charge late fees; some don't.
Some charge retainers; some don't.
Some charge notice; some don't.
Some charge for meals; some don't.

I could go on.

That's the advantage of being self-employed. We can tailor charges and services to the parents we want to attract. Parents can find the childminder that fits them best.

The childminder has every right to charge what she needs to run her business. I'd also point out that she's susceptible to illness being brought into her setting - perhaps she's trying to discourage that?

Thanks, it is rather complicated by the fact that she is friends with the childminder. So she doesn't want to make waves.

Seems like it's the CM who's making waves.

So she was quite happy to use the CM for 6 months without having a contract with her, but now she's got one and there's something in it she doesn't like, she's complaining?
As others have said,every CM is different,and if her child his happy
there it would be a shame to move them somewhere else.