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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

CMs and Bank Holiday charges

23 replies

SweetApril · 19/04/2011 10:20

Just asking this out of interest really. Is it the norm for CMs to charge full rate for bank holidays? My CM does and it's agreed in my contract and I never questioned it. I work pretty much all bank holidays so it occasionally causes me problems with finding alternative childcare but I deal with it because I knew I would have to.

Anyway, it came up in converation over dinner with friends and family recently because we have a lot of bank hols coming up and I was moaning as I have to work for all of them - and they were all really shocked that my CM is charging me full rate for all of these days. They felt if there was a full charge then the CM should be available to take care of my child on that day (which she is not) otherwise it should be half rate maximum.

It doesn't change anything for me. I'm very happy with the CM and we have a contract which I agreed to. But the unanimity and force of their response surprised me and now I'm curious as to what other CMs do. TIA.

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RosieGirl · 19/04/2011 10:41

So you can't use your CM on the bank holidays?

Thats awful, if you pay for them she should be available.

Do you pay her for her own holidays? Do the bank holidays make up part of her agreed annual holidays. What does it say in your contract?

eastmidlandsnightnanny · 19/04/2011 10:45

As the childminder is self employed she sets out her terms and conditions in her contract and you sign to say whether you agree or not.

Most childcare providers nurseries or childminders charge for bank holidays and are not available to provide care for them, some childminders will be available but charge a higher rate.

The childminder we have chosen charges for them and for our holidays but doesnt charge for her holidays and her sickness but charges for child sickness.

Another childminder we looked at charge 50% fee for her and our holidays and for bank hols and if child was sick and didnt charge if she was sick - she didnt limit our holiday allowance and she only took 2wks a year so was losing out really (esp as I would be taking 4-6wks!!)

Original poster

SweetApril · 19/04/2011 10:54

I pay half rate for her holidays and our holidays. Full rate for child sickness. Bank holidays are separate from her annual holiday.

Eastmidlands - when you say most childcare providers charge for bank hols do you mean full rate?

RosieGirl - You sound shocked like my friends! Are you a CM?

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RosieGirl · 19/04/2011 11:05

Yes I am, I don't charge for anytime I am not available. Nor do any of the minders I know locally. If I am required to work weekends or BH I charge double, but only on request.

In a different way to you I am also cursing all the BH's this month as I am very out of pocket.

Reality · 19/04/2011 11:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

berrieberrie · 19/04/2011 11:15

I would say that bank holidays are like weekend when it comes to childminders. I wouldn't expect her to work, and I wouldnt expect to pay her.
We have paid for the 29th though as our fees were wroked ut at the start of the school year when we didnt know about it. I'm not going to bring it up, she works her arse off and deserves it

Original poster

SweetApril · 19/04/2011 11:16

Ah, thanks, RosieGirl. That's interesting. I wonder if lots of CMs will come on here and tell you you ought to charge!! Sorry you're out of pocket. It really is a rubbish month, isn't it? I even have to work the royal wedding day!

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Original poster

SweetApril · 19/04/2011 11:21

I'm genuinely surprised at the responses so far. I fully expected CMs, to say they charge full rate for BHs.

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RosieGirl · 19/04/2011 11:24

Thanks SA, although I am short this month, I consider it part of being self-employed, there are perks and drawbacks, I wouldn't consider charging my parents, although I know some CM's on here do, as long as the parents are aware and agree with it that's fine, but as you have to work BH's I would consider discussing it with your childminder if you need the cover.

hotcrossbarry · 19/04/2011 11:57

our CM doesn't charge us for BHs, but I've asked her to, because we are both salaried workers who do not work BHs - her own personal holiday times, we do not pay her for, as we need to arrange alternative cover then. She was not totally comfortable with being paid for BHs, but as she only minds for us on thursday and friday, it's only a couple of days a year. maybe if she had DS all week, I'd feel differently about it?!

sounds like your CM is taking the piss a little.

Strix · 19/04/2011 12:12

My childminder charges full rate whenever we don't show up (i.e. sickness, our hol, et.). I do not pay anything when she is not available (sickness, her hol, etc.). Her other customers do pay for her hol, but I negotiated otherwise at the start of the contract.

I do pay her for bank hols which fall on a normal minding day (it is a term time only contract so many of the BHs are not chargable). I never have to work on bank hols. I see the point that she is charging for a service she is not providing. But, she gave me everything else I asked for in contract negotiation, and I know it is the norm in the area to charge for bank hols, so I just accepted it and didn't even ask.

So, I am willing to pay for bank holidays, but not willing to cover any other paid time off.

Lola10 · 19/04/2011 12:18

I do not see why the CM should't be paid for BH.

I am paid at work to have day off, so is she.

Original poster

SweetApril · 19/04/2011 12:38

Lola10 - I think my friends viewed my situation slightly differently because I do work BHs and if I don't I don't get paid. They thought it was unfair that my CM did get paid but then wasn't available to work for that pay, iyswim. Obviously it's up to me to negotiate that kind of thing with her but I thought it was a standard part of any CMs contract and actually it probably wouldn't have occurred to me to negotiate that anyway.

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Strix · 19/04/2011 16:09

The whole NCMA contract (if this is what you use) is strongly biased in the CM's favour. Anyone is free to negotiate the terms in this or any other contract before signing it. As you might have guesed, mine has quite a few scribbles on it. Some people just sign away. But they don't have to.

I think that a CM should not be paid BH because she is not an employee. Pretty simple logic really. But, as I said earlier, I do pay my CM bank holidays and did not even question it.

Some childminders (not mine!) have trouble understanding that they are not entitled to perks normally reserved for employees.

Why should a small business owner be paid for a service he or she is not providing?

HSMM · 19/04/2011 22:15

I am a CM and I charge when I'm available. I don't charge for BHs, because I don't want to work them. If I was prepared to work, I would charge.

If you go through the old threads on here, there are several BH charging threads, showing that many CMs have different contracts to each other.

Ripeberry · 20/04/2011 00:51

I'm a childminder and don't ever work bank holidays so don't charge, But also only do term time only and don't charge for my hols as they are always out of term time and only charge parents IF they take theirs in term time which is very fair I think.

cat64 · 20/04/2011 00:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

pippin26 · 20/04/2011 08:22

I am available to work on a bank holiday at an enhanced rate. However if you (my clients) don't want me then its charged at normal rate. This is the only time I charge when I am not working.. I don't charge for my hols any other time and more often than not a bank holiday for me is catching up with paperwork.

As already said a minder can charge what they like as they are S/E it is up to the client to ensure that they have read and understood all the conditions presented to them and the client then has a choice - sign/agree or negotiate or find alternative care.

The usual shout goes up about minders being S/E and not 'entitled' to holiday pay blah blah and then comparision creep in to other S/E people... but that is not realistic. Minders do not charge comparable S/E rates say for instance to a plumber who charges a LOT more and this will often factor in holidays, sickness etc. If a minder was to charge S/E rates then we'd be rather expensive and not affordable at all (very exclusive though! lol). My hubs is S/E (fencing, decking, garden services - a luxury service if you like) and his rates put mine to shame and I am looking after the next generation, I am looking after something very very precious - children. Makes me laugh some people will willingly pay through the nose for some things (gardens, cars, clothes, holidays etc etc) and not bat an eyelid yet with the care of their most precious things (children) they query and quibble.

As said to me ... good childcare is not expensive... its invaluable.

Oh Strix, I am on the opposite side to you.. I believe the NCMA contracts are heavily weighted in favour of the client. NCMA have recently had to shake themselves up because their members were becoming very disgruntled with the legal service being weighted in favour of the clients

Original poster

SweetApril · 21/04/2011 11:41

Thanks to everyone for your replies. I think I was slightly concerned that I was being taken for a ride in some way so I'm pleased to hear that actually different CMs have different contracts. I was very focused on finding a CM with whom myself and my child were happy. It took a while but I was successful eventually. As pippin says, good childcare is invaluable...although I do fancy a nice bit of decking, pippin...

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teaka05 · 21/04/2011 16:38

Most childminders charge half rate if they are willing to work and not used and just over full rate if they are requested to work around my area

pollywollyhadadollycalledmolly · 21/04/2011 21:51

I am available for bank holidays. If you choose to use me on bh i charge double time. If you choose not to use me then you still pay normal fee.

These are my terms and conditions that i have and are explained to my parents when they sign up to use my service. If they dont like it then they don't sign on the dotted line :)

woahthere · 27/04/2011 00:09

I am only available to work for a few bank holidays a year, the rest I take as holiday and therefore do not charge, however, the 2 that I have made my self available for...because they are ones I am potentially likely to be needed on I do charge for regardless of whether they come or not, and if they do come I charge double! I have done this for the upcoming wedding holiday because frankly, I cannot afford to not be paid for it!

lisa1968 · 02/05/2011 21:42

I used to charge for BH-until one of my parents turned up with her 3 kids-shes a nurse so BH is just another day-and when I said I didnt work on BH she said 'but you charge me for it'.What could i say??Since then,I havent charged-and I dont charge for xmas eve,xmas day,new years day etc.....or any other time that i'm unavailable e.g.my hols.Yes,i suppose I end up out of pocket,but at least there's no quibbling over fees!!

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