To not pay childminder for Xmas day

[emmagreen481]

My DS’s childminder wants me to pay her for Xmas day & Boxing Day when she’s not even open?? Is this normal

She is taking the piss imo. I used to be a cm - I charged when I was open for business, irrespective of whether the parents chose to use the service or not. If I was unavailable, I didn't charge and that seemed the fairest system to me.

You are not her employer and therefore you do not owe her holiday or sick pay. She is self employed and therefore responsible for financing her own time off, like all other self employed people. Most would build this into their daily rate.

Obviously, the market sets the terms, so if cms are in short supply in your area, you may find the contracts on offer are weighted in their favour, but to me, no terms agreeing to payment in the contract = no payment!

And yes, she is acting illegally by charging for childcare if she is not registered as a cm.

Chwaraeteg, the flip side to that is many parents want a full time nanny service whilst paying less than min wage!

I’m quite shocked at responses here.

I’ve used a few CMs and nurseries over the years and none have charged for BH’s or Christmas closures. I’m surprised that so many do, given it’s a service contract and the one side isn’t being fulfilled?

It feels like having swimming lessons on a Monday but being charged for the lesson, even though the instructor has decided not to work, because it’s a BH.

I would definitely sort out a contract ASAP though, OP. This thread shows how much things vary.

I pay 1/2 fees for CM hols and my hols. I think that's standard. Mine is taking holiday over Xmas.

It's hard cos now I'm paying 1/2 fees for a CM that isn't open and full fees for the one I've had to use.

Aridane Mon 17-Dec-18 14:17:12
Bloody hell - if she’s charging I would put the children in for a couple of hours on Christmas Day and Boxing Day

Yeah what would she say if you tried to send your kids?

I thought childcare took the piss with their prices already, this is some next level cheeky fuckery.

I might just retrain as a bloody childminder!

I’ve used a few CMs and nurseries over the years and none have charged for BH’s or Christmas closures. I’m surprised that so many do, given it’s a service contract and the one side isn’t being fulfilled?

I don’t know about CM but every nursery here charges for bank holidays apart from the ones that are closed for Christmas week and they don’t charge for Christmas Day and Boxing Day (but do for New Year’s Day etc).

I might just retrain as a bloody childminder
crack on then; same to all the other posters saying we're cheeky fuckers.
Try doing a day when you only have one little one as an extra day favour to the parents and you put in a 12 hour day for £35 minus food, toddler group etc. plus cleaning up afterwards; plus telling your own kids they can't go swimming 'cos little one is here when they wouldn't normally be.
And you know why we put ourselves out to such a degree? Because 99% of us are totally dedicated to this profession and put outr heart and soul into the job and the kids.
But obviously we're cheeky fuckers with our wanting £3 an hour and the occassional day off

Chwaraeteg My childminder is definitely not a piss-taker. She's amazing, and I'd be lost without her. She has never charged for her holidays either. I find your post quite vile.

Just to say, Ofsted have nothing to do with contracts! - It is strictly between childminder and client. If your childminder, relative or not, is receiving financial gain from you where the sessions are over 2 hours long she is definitely breaking the law if she is not Ofsted Registered. As you don’t have a contract in place, she hasn’t got a leg to stand on - not that she should be doing this anyway if she isn’t registered!!! Sorry if you have mentioned it but can you confirm if she is or not? Also to those saying we take the piss.....yep, we are rolling in it and the job is so easy

ItIsChristmasTime ours never used to. You didn’t get any other weeks we didn’t have to pay for. I’ve seen people mention they get 2 weeks where they don’t pay/pay half for your holidays etc.

I still find it strange. I don’t pay my cleaner if she doesn’t work. She’s decided to have Christmas off and I don’t pay her (although she will have a Christmas bonus & present) and I thought this is fairly normal as neither my CM or cleaner are an employee, therefore I’m not liable to pay them for holidays and sickness.

It isn’t anything to do with how good they are or how little they are paid per hour, it’s a service relationship, surely? You don’t provide the service, you don’t get paid?

Childminding is very oddly priced. It seems many of them charge for their holidays as they would be paid if they were an employee.
As a freelancer I find this odd, I don't charge when I'm on holiday, but I do earn far more than your average childminder so I wouldn't begrudge paying them. It's not an individual cm's fault that the payment structure is odd. And it's no odder than quoting nanny pay as 'net' when every other job in the world is quoted as a gross pay rate.

But I chose not to use a childminder as being freelance myself I couldn't deal with the fact the cm could book a holiday and be unavailable when I needed childcare the most for the launch of a big project.

Pretty disgusted at comments here calling childminders pisstakers. How many of you work jobs from 8am to 6pm and get absolutely no break or lunch? They have all their own costs, toys and activity materials (which break and need replaced), heating and lighting, cleaning, wear and insurance registration fees and possibly food, transport and activities like playgroups..

Looking after small children is not an easy job. Look at all the posts on here from stressed out parents!

OP it is always a disaster to think you don't need a contract with a friend or relative.

New Year’s resolution - get a contract

“Oh great, didn’t think you’d be open for business, will drop them off at usual time then, cheers”

Whew, I hope none of you people giving out about childminders ever have to use one. This is the person looking after your most precious gift, your child, while you and your OH work. Why would you not respect them? How on earth do you expect someone who you treat so badly to Kindly mind your child? And yes I know they are paid, but honestly I bet they are not well paid.

Do you get holiday pay if you're self-employed?

If you are self employed who would pay you holiday pay?

Do you get holiday pay if you're self-employed?

Sensible self employed people will seek to make sure their rate allows them to cover themselves financially for holidays/ time when sick.

It may be hidden in an inflated hourly rate or upfront as some of these CM are doing.

This is a situation which should have been discussed from day one of your relative minding your child. I minded for a year and got one weeks pay for Xmas holidays and Easter and nothing for summer as the dad was a teacher. I knew this from the beginning so it was fine. If it hadn't been discussed I wouldnt have budgeted accordingly to fund those weeks I didn't get paid. You can bet that most childminders who don't charge for holidays will have factored these days into their rates from day 1. Is it safe to assume that you get a full months pay in your job despite not working Christmas Day? Not sure how you can get past this without paying up or causing tension with minder but from now on sit down and write up a contract of what is expected on both sides.

Do you get holiday pay if you're self-employed?

Well you set your own terms, so yes, if you contract it in.

God op if you don't have a contract I wouldn't risk falling out with my cm over a single days pay..
Pay her this year and have a conversation in the new year

You should have a contract even if she is a relative. Registered Childminders use them all the time. Some charge bank holidays, some don't, but the annual cost often works out the same.

I thought CMs were self-employed? Which means no holiday pay, surely?

Well it would for any other type of self-employed people. But childminders want to have their cake and eat it. their industry association encourages them to tie parents into these sorts of contracts.

No it's not fair, but it's a closed shop and they're all at it.

Just drop your child off with her whilst you're getting Christmas dinner ready. If she's making you pay, she must be available.

Nursery charge us for all BH evenrhough they're not open. It means the bill is the same each month, which makes it easier to budget.

Some other nurseries in our town don't charge for BH, but they charge slightly more per day than our nursery. So in the end they're all charging pretty much the same, just carving it up in different ways.