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.

Oh, but you were the one being patronising about how I wrote? Apologies if i’m wrong and it wasn’t you.
I’m on a phone which often has a mind of its own, typing quickly in between other things, i’m not checking my spelling or grammar, i’m not that uptight. I’m a good teacher, I don’t have a good business set up, this is true and something I will think about over the summer.

And ITT has been interesting, to say the least, throughout the last five years.

In 2020 students qualified with our local training provider by turning up for placement a week before lockdown to observe and 'completing extra written projects" without teaching a class.

We've not seen a trainee since who would have had the subject knowledge to have been accepted on the course a few years ago, and despite changing provider, haven't had a single one we'd employ as a teacher.

I teach in school too

In that case, you WILL be able to apply for marking for exam boards to supplement your income. Bit late for this year I would have thought?

So you have a full time job and you still want to be paid for your tuition in the holidays that you're not doing?
At your age you wouldn't have enough experience for me to warrant paying when you're not working just to keep the space for September. I would be taking my chances on you being available or get someone else. I don't mean that to sound harsh or rude but you've surely only got a few years of experience.

Are you declaring the income?

I work part time

Of course it is

What…?

Patronising a 26 year old isn't clever. Ageism is frequently raised as a problem on here, yet the way the OP is being spoken to is uncalled for.

Once you're with the exam board, they don't recheck. I'm a few years out of the classroom and have been recruited for extra exams this summer.

Plus, I THINK it's only AQA that have that requirement (I could well be wrong however, I'm not actively applying). Edexcel don't. CIE don't. They just require a qualified teacher and subject expert.

There are October, November and March series though. You can more or less examine year round if you accept international qualification.

Thanks for clarifying. I do like your business model from what you've described. Take my hat off to you for building up a good rep and a steady business.

I've learnt a fair bit from you! I'm a 54 year old retired FE visiting teacher. I say retired because I decided I'd had enough of mainstream and I never wanted a permanent position. I have toyed with the idea of going back to personal tutoring; I did it 15 years ago but I am wondering how I'd get on with applying for working with examining bodies. I don't need the work but I'd like to keep my hand in. Thanks for sharing your experience x

If that was directed at me I'm not being ageist in saying she won't have much experience. How many years will she have? And she's just said she only works part time. So even less.

It's not ageist to point this out.

I tutor online from home and do the other bits in between and in holidays. Fell into it post covid.

I work a lot, but nowhere near as much as the 70/80 hours a week I put in as a teacher. Just find it hard to say no really. You can work as much or as little as you like.

The thing I've got my eye on at the moment is possible examining of digital mocks. This is a service being provided to schools (probably mostly international at the moment) who don't want to set, administrate or mark their own mocks. I'm assuming they'll need examiners although expect some of the work will be done by AI, But could be a nice little earner for flesh-and-blood examiners too.

Thank you, I can feel it from some posters

to be honest if you can fill their slot with a full paying person, - full fee!
if you can manage it possible 20% reduction to hold their place?

In my job, I have people who want similar (differnt field) but theory is the same, but they pay or find someone else - i am that savage with my response!

Tutoring is a session-based arrangement and you’re self-employed. You can’t expect them to pay you for sessions they don’t have. You need to build your holidays and their holidays - expect four weeks off as a minimum - into your business model and prices so you aren’t skint and reliant on one family having lessons every week. I tutor and nobody pays me in the school holidays unless they book additional holiday sessions. My lesson charges are higher all year round because I need to balance the dry spells so I can pay myself a working wage.

Independent contractors generally don’t get paid for not working.

Self employment is all zero hours I’m afraid (as I know only too well). You risk ruining a reliable client relationship if you ask.

Sounds like you need to communicate better with your clients. Unfortunately you will probably have to take the hit this time. For new clients you need to have agreements in place that are written down, eg tutoring is £ per hour, your regular hours are 3-4 Mon- Fri (or whatever) and this runs from x date to x date. You also need to make it clear that if they take holidays etc during the contract the time must still be paid for but if you cancel a session you will either try to rearrange or refund the time.

These terms would be standard for anything like tutoring/dance classes/karate classes etc.

You also need to specify if they won’t be continuing at the end of the contract they need to give you x weeks/months notice to allow you time to fill the slot.

This set up will hopefully avoid you being in their situation again. It is all about communication and setting expectations.

Your initial post asked for commentary on how it would be seen to ask for payment for a period that you are not working.

Your responses to anyone who suggest that you behaviour is that of:
a) CF
b) immature
c) disorganised
d) uninformed
has been to lash out at the poster.

That, and your original question, makes you come across as quite self-entitled.

If you can't take criticism (on-topic but perhaps not what you want to hear), or be organised enough to have discussed this previously, or have been tutoring for 3+ years without understanding how self-employment works, then I fear for your long-term future in the SE world. Asking how much your retainer should be is a naive question.

It makes we want to ask whether you have setup the necessary structures for self-employment (including liability insurance, for instance), and whether you are properly accounting for Income Tax and Class 2 NICs, or completing Self-Assessment.

If you are just spending the money as though it is nett salary then you are heading for trouble. The lack of a contract makes me suspect that might be the case.

I hope you get it resolved, but I'd advise you to ponder all advice given, not just lash out at the stuff you don't want to hear and ignore it.

To be fair, the OP asked the question:

CF is a defined abbreviation on mumsnet.

When I started my businesses I made many mistakes. But the biggest mistake anyone can make is to hide from questions that you don't like, or fail to consider advice because you don't like the way the advice is phrased.

In Self Employment, you have to grow a thicker skin. The OP is 26 - should one be considered a proper adult at that age, and not be triggered (given that none of the criticism is personal, only aimed at actions and behaviurs), or at what age do you think people should no longer expect kid gloves

Sorry…switched off halfway through that..