Is it cheeky to ask to be paid over the holidays?

[Dogswimmingcompetition]

I work as a tutor. I work for three different families.
Over the summer holidays, one family like me to keep working, one family don’t have tutoring at all over the summer, but pay me year round. The final family is the family I work with the most, I’ve taught their child for almost three years. For the first year it was year round, last year they went away last minute for summer (I didn’t realise this was the plan) and I wasn’t paid all summer. I get the majority of my income from them and found it a real struggle for a couple of months.
Their child finishes their exams in a couple of weeks and mentioned something about our last lesson being in a couple of weeks (much earlier than I expected) This will leave me without pay for 3 months, which will set me back a lot.
I’m unable to commit to other families who have asked for tutoring as they would want all the time, not just in the holidays.
Would it be cheeky to put this to the father and ask if there’s any way they can pay me over the holidays and explain the situation?
I enjoy working with this family and would rather stay with them if possible, I know that i’m valued there also as the mum has told me in the past that they’re keen to keep me/continue with me.

What does your contract say... that's the only question that matters.

Of course you are being unreasonable you're self employed! You don't get holiday pay so you should adjust your rate accordingly.

You cannot ask for payment for work you don't do. You could have told them that they'd need a full year contract to ensure continuity next academic year, and you can say you might not be available in future.

Tell the family that if they don't need their 'slots' over the summer then you will need to fill them with other people and can't guarantee them your time come September.

So effectively your jobs done with that family if they are sitting exams? Time to look for new clients

How do I mention pay as part of this? I’m worried to lose them

YANBU to ask for a retainer or reduced fee over summer. Student lets often do this as well. YABU to ask for full pay though. If other families would pay you better, go to them instead.

You don't - you take on someone else over the summer and beyond. If you have space in Sept to pick them back up you do. If they want to keep you on, they'll offer.

Sorry - I get it's difficult - but this is the answer. Self-employed people have to price for holidays and sickness or need to be upfront in their contracts about what is charged and what isn't. You need to look at your model. It doesn't seem to work very well.

That was what surprised me! Bearing in mind this is the daughter that said this to me, so I need to clarify with the parents. I help with homework and studying for exams etc, but still assumed I’d be working until the end of summer term, this part seems unfair.

Do you have a contract with them? As another poster said tell them that you will be taking on tutoring clients during the summer and maybe be unable to take them back on. Offer that they can pay to reserve these slots over the summer to keep them.

It does sound like you are being messed around a bit by them though. I think you need to get a contract drawn up asap and stick to it.

YABU. That is the nature of self employed work. You need to plan for the times when you won't be working, not just ask your customers to pay you for nothing.

I wouldn't mention paying you over the summer directly. Just say that as they don't need you over the summer you will need to find other clients and can't keep 'their' slots open. If they then ask how to keep their slots you can say well other people keep paying - basically a retainer.

Honestly this is how it works with lots of services eg Personal trainers. Some people pay to keep their slot and others don't and just hope they are still free come September.

But you will need to be prepared to lose them as clients and find new ones but I don't see you have a choice really.

In future price accordingly, assuming that you won’t be needed for the holidays. Incorporate your holiday ‘pay’ into the usual fee and set some money aside.

I would say that over the summer tutoring only happens if the client requests it. But then they wouldn't have a guarantee you would be their tutor again in September. Or keep their booked slot available. I don't think you can expect to be paid.

If the child is finishing exams in a couple of weeks ( GCSEs?)I'm not sure why you'd think you'd be needed throughout summer. They won't have anything to study for and will be taking a well earned break.

Ask them.if they need you for holiday cover even not tutor in but a lower rate of pay to take the kids out to educational trips etc
If you prefer to have some work in holidays

Every tutor I've ever used for my kids has only ever scheduled lessons for term time and that's what we pay for unless we cancel within the acceptable notice period.

They all tend to offer revision classes or extra sessions to anyone who wants them during the school holidays unless they are away themselves.

It all comes down to whatever contract/cancellation terms you have agreed with the clients really.

Yabu. They should only pay for the time you are there.

Why would you expect to carry on for one/two months if exams are finished? My DS has a GCSE tutor—he is not continuing after his exam in that subject—to do so would be really expensive (and needless—he’ll be done)!

My tutor had a clearly set out contract at the start, which stated that we have to give a 30 day notice, which we did.

What does your contract say? If you don’t have one, they can do what they want.

You need a contract to

Include notice period and how long g the contract is for.

What happens if you cancel a lesson and what happens if they cancel a lesson

I think this is probably something you should have discussed with them prior to starting. If they haven't previously paid over the holidays or paid a retainer, I would imagine they will not be happy to start now.

If they give confirmation this is it for the rest of the academic year just look for other work. Come September if you have availability for them get a new contract signed which you are happy with year round.

You have to be honest with them.

Tell them that you will need to fill their slots over the summer, as otherwise you're unpaid. And that this will mean you can't guarantee these slots will be free for them in the new academic year as a result.

However, part of being a self-employed tutor is that you can't rely on any one client for your continuous, year round income.

I suggest you supplement your income with examining (Edexcel, AQA, OCR, CIE, WJEC, International Baccalaureate) and also start to advertise summer revision sessions/courses.

There is plenty of work out there but you have to diversify for a year round income.

I think your rate needs to include an allowance for holidays and you need to plan for periods.you know you won't be working.

Surely.you would have known they wouldn't need you after the exams? I don't thinknyou cam ask for holiday pay now, if that has never been part of your terms.

Do you have a contract with them?
I honestly think finding another client might be the only answer here. They haven't got much respect for you if they left you in the lurch so badly last year