To charge for a tutoring session cancelled with less than 12 hours notice?

[Fivemoreminutes1]

I’m a tutor and don’t earn a huge income. Pupil’s parent has cancelled due to family illness. Lesson was supposed to be this evening. Cancelled half an hour ago. As a parent, would you expect to be billed for this? I’ve got to make ends meet somehow.

It sounds like you havent got terms and conditions.

So maybe spend the time you would have spent with that student, drawing up terms and conditions which include late cancellation fees.

When you take on a tutee you should lay out your policy on cancellations.

you can’t impose one in retrospect, so I would email/call/text and let them know from now on cancellation with less than 24hr notice will be charged.

You haven't said what is in your contract? If you don't have a contract then you don't have a leg to stand on, and are making yourself vulnerable. Are you charging as a self employed, fully insures tutor or is it a casual arrangement?
My dc's tutor charges term in advance. If she cancels she reschedules, if I cancel without adequate notice then I forfeit, as per our contract.

Do you not have it covered in your T&Cs? Under 24 hours notice = full fee paid usually.

Wow we're really lucky with ours it seems. She has a fab reputation and is never short of pupils so can pick which ones she wants - so works both ways.

Well, it sounds like you don't have a contract in which case it's tough luck, really,

You can't charge someone a cancellation fee if they never agreed to it.

I'd expect to do whatever was in my contract.

As a parent who uses tutors I would expect to be charged, but would appreciate you trying to re-arrange another time.

We don't have any contract with tutors BTW - don't know if that's common or not but there's a certain flex around it.

It depends on the tutor really.

Contracts can be both good and bad IMO!

Yep here for music/11+ etc it was either reschedule or lesson added on the end of term or refund off next terms bill.

Yes I would expect to pay. I've paid to reserve your time. You need a solid cancellation policy so it's all agreed upfront.

My piano teacher requires 24hr notice to cancel/reschedule a lesson, and he is strict with it so it's fair across the board. If it's more than 24hr he has a chance of using that slot for someone else, if you cancel with less time it's often impossible to fill. It's his livelihood as it is yours, take it seriously. You teach clients/students how to treat you and how seriously to take your work.

That sounds like you think they're probably taking the proverbial in which case I would charge

Agree with others.
I tutor a bit on top of my day job and because it's just that- bit of extra, I don't charge for cancellation. If it were more of a full time and my only income thing, then I'd definitely have a proper contract with a 24 hr cancellation clause.

Fully agree with you. When my gran was on EOL care at home for her last two weeks, we still paid her cleaner even though she wasn't coming in. Why wouldn't we?

I would expect to pay. But are you saying you wouldn't have charged had they given more than 12 hours notice? It's not clear from your post.