Would it be fairer to be paid for these days?

[Neitherherenortherehey]

I’m a teacher and currently doing private tutoring. I’ve taught one student for around a year. I was asked to help with a specific subject they struggle with, but it soon became about helping with homework and prepping for school tests, which is fine.
My issue is, that sometimes, the parent will message me and say their dc says they have no tests or homework so there’s nothing to do, so no lesson. I’m also expecting because it’s due to be Easter holidays that I will receive a similar message soon. Is this fair? It means I’ll miss out on two weeks of pay.
I often have others asking for tutoring, but don’t have space due to devoting my hours to this student.
I don’t mind them not wanting some holidays or some days if there isn’t much work to do, but should I be paid for these?

But then you need to get more clients. It's the disadvantage of freelance work that you don't get paid if you don't work.

I don’t understand why they are setting the terms of your business. Is the time tomorrow to draw up a new contract for all your clients, explain that you’re having a review and need to tighten up your terms and conditions.

I’d reply to dad saying you accept you aren’t needed tomorrow but that after Easter you’ll be introducing a new contract to reduce the impact of cancellations on your business.

Maybe think about why you value your time and skills so little that you’ll allow clients to take the piss.

If you haven't got a formal contact in place you probably don't have many options. I think you need to get one with prior payment and a robust cancellation policy drawn up before you work with this family again.

Well that's something you need to address really.

Agree, it needs to be a month/half term in advance and cancellation policy going forwards. I'm sure you posted previously about the dd cancelling randomly and had similar advice. .

So you don’t think it’s ok to reply asking if it’s possible he pays me over the holidays?

You can still offer tutoring during the holidays but put the hourly price up for holiday lessons (less of an incentive to casually cancel on you) and make sure you get date, times and ts&cs in advance

I would say no you shouldn't as you have an evening off.
Now ever if they always cancel in school holidays and you wanted to work school hols you could charge term time only people a litttle more. Surely you want the holidays off?

You could also start doing a term in advance payment eg you need to commit to every Monday at 5 and I'll keep that slot for you that's £x per half term (just like swimming lessons or something) - if they miss them it's not your problem

@Unexpectedlysinglemum I can’t really afford to have the holidays off. It makes a difference to suddenly not have that income, especially over the long summer hols

You can of course try doing that but without a contract and terms and conditions in place you might not get far. I think you'd be best served getting a framework in place going forward. Quite honestly clients like this are just taking you for a ride. You're out of pocket and it's causing you anxiety which is avoidable.

@ilovesooty Do you think they are taking the piss out of me? Do you think they realise this

In that case factor the holidays into your contract. If they don't like it then they can go elsewhere. Eventually a firm boundaried approach will work for you.

I think they are, and they're fully aware of it.

@ilovesooty How would you reply to his message

My DC tutors are term time only.

For 1 -I have to pay for all weeks. Dates are given a long way in advance. This is 1 to 1 tutoring

For the second - I have to tell her by the first of the month if there are any weeks they won't attend and she charges me for the other weeks. This is for a small group tutoring.

Either system is fine as long as everyone knows the deal.

@Unexpectedlysinglemum I can’t really afford to have the holidays off. It makes a difference to suddenly not have that income, especially over the long summer hols

You need to set your fees so you have enough to save to cover holidays, and contract with clients that they pay a month/6 weeks/whatever in advance and no refunds for cancellations.

I think that has to be your decision really, but I would make it clear that this can't be sustained and a contract is going to be implemented. Only you know whether you are likely to get any payment from him for the short notice cancellation.

Absolutely.

You’re taking the piss out of yourself OP. They aren’t doing anything wrong because you have never put terms in place.

All you are is a freelance tutor, that means you get paid when you work and you don’t get paid when you don’t work.

It’s REALLY simple.

You cannot ask them to pay you now because it’s your fault you haven’t got terms in place!

If you rely on this money so heavily I don’t understand why you haven’t bothered to sort a contract out. Learn the lesson now and spend the next few days sorting this out.

Time to set up some T&Cs. Sessions are payable in advance and/or missed lessons are chargeable.
I also do some private tutoring (4 hours a week) and belong to a few fb groups for tutors, so have seen and heard it all.
There are (as you've seen) plenty of other clients out there. If this one is being a piss-taker, sack them off. Your business, your rules.

No, they're not taking the piss. You have not set terms up front, you didn't charge when they cancelled day 1 so why would they pay you?

DS had Spanish tutoring. We paid by the term. If we didn't show/cancelled, tough luck. That said, she was flexible in that if he couldn't make it on the normal day, she would ask someone else to swap times. All her pupils were willing to swap when possible if asked as it suited everyone.

He also did applied Maths as an extra subject outside school. That was pay as you go so if we cancelled before paying (he generally asked for payment 2 days before the class) we didn't pay. He was also flexible in changing times.

Basically, you need to decide on your terms and notify your clients that your terms are changing from x date. I would expect a bit of notice of the change in terms so starting after Easter holidays would be reasonable. I would also always get paid in advance, whether by term, monthly or the week before.

DDs tutor operates a booking system. I get a message before the end of each month with her sessions for next month and a link to pay for them. If she doesn't need a particular session we have the choice to remove that one and not pay for it (so tutor would know at least a fortnight in advance, but up to six weeks depending on where in the month that session was). If we don't use a session after paying for it we'd lose the payment for it. Seems fair to me. Can you perhaps introduce something like this?

Of course.

Of course you can't do that.

You sound completely clueless about business. You don't have a contract, you don't have any T&C's, you haven't factored in sickness, or school holidays, or last minute cancellations

You need a contract. With a cancellation policy, proper terms and conditions and a rate of pay that means you don't lose out over the holidays.

They aren’t taking the piss out of you. You have set yourself up as a casual contractor and they’ve used you in exactly that way. It suits them and they have no earthly idea that it doesn’t suit you too.

If you want a more formal situation with more guarantees, you need to put the effort in to be more businesslike and set up terms, conditions and prices that you think the market can bear and that suit you better. To be successful, you may need to make some difficult decisions about what risks you’re prepared to take to try and get there (you may not - there may be far more demand than you can satisfy), you may need to advertise, you may need some difficult conversations with some clients, you may need to do things like send out reminders.

If you want a business and the better work conditions and, normally, money, etc. that come with that not a casual job on the side you pick up as and when it suits everyone, set up a proper business. This sort of stuff doesn’t just magically happen.