Parents & CM Holidays!

[MaryPoppinsMagic]

I have a feeling i am BU on this.

I am a CM, I have given my parents my holidays for the year which i have as i do not get paid when i am on holiday, however when i asked one of the parents when she will be taking their 4 weeks she told me she will have holidays when i do.

Now i dont know if i will be explaining myself properly here, however i want to ask her if i can charge 1/2 fee when i am on holiday and 1/2 when she is on holiday (which she says she wont be) i think the problem i am having is that the only time i will get time off is if i am unpaid and she only wants time off if she doesnt have to pay for it.

Is this part and parcel of being self -employed? or should i ask her?

It depends on what your contract says, if it says no charge for your holidays then you can't charge her unless you give the required notice of change of contrract and then renegotiate. You don't need to ask her if you can do it, you're self employed and set your own conditions, however bear in mind she doesn't have to agree to any new terms and may decide to look elsewhere. My holidays are unpaid and all my parents try to fit theirs in with mine, it doesn't bother me, if I was in their position I'd probably do the same.

My contract states I get half fee for holidays (all parties) but this is something I've agreed with my parents before hand. When I used childcare myelf I worked out the annual fee (taking into account holidays) and averaging it out over 12 months so we paid the same each month and our CM also got the same. It worked for us but I think if your contract/fees state no pay for you and full pay for their holidays its unfortunate that she's only going to take holiday when you do :-(

Maybe she only has enough holidays to cover your time off? My parents have occasional days off where they pay me full but most of then need theirs for when I'm not working or in case their children are poorly.

She has to take holiday when you are off - to cover childcare.

Are you seriously suggesting she should take time off to cover your holiday, and then another 4 weeks off for her holiday which she has to pay for?

I think you are being not unreasonable, but unrealistic. Your terms and conditions don't encourage the sort of behaviour you want to see. I suspect most parents will strive to have holiday at the same time as you, regardless of the financial arrangements, because they would otherwise have to find and pay for alternative childcare. That being the case, and given that you know what holiday you want, in your position I would charge for my holidays (full or half) but point out that they are already known so that families can avoid any additional cost/hassle by going on holiday at the same time, but offer if they want to take additional holiday to only charge half rate for absence. It may be too late to change policy for this family though, but you could have different terms for new customers.

...or charge in full for your holiday, and nothing for theirs might work even better, so long as you limit the number of weeks they are allowed.

@ritamorgan - if there's no charge from MPM then she can use, and pay for, MPM's CM cover at no more cost to her. I agree that it makes financial sense for the parent to take the same time off to cover her childcare, no doubt about it as she would save herself 4 weeks money :-) I suppose we CM's live and learn eh?

So you want to take your 4 weeks him and her to take another 4 weeks him at a different time. What parent do you know that has 8 weeks him per year? Or another back up child carer?

My old childminder charged half for her holidays and if took extra time off there was no discount. I so glad I don't have to rely on child care now.

Personally, I don't think cm should charges for their holidays, but if you take extra time off you should pay in full. It's by a nursery so there aren't staffing issues, you're self employed. Any other se person doesn't get paid when on holiday, why should it be different for cm )am preparing myself to get flamed)

No rita, that is not was i was suggesting!

Off not him. Bloody autocorrect!

What are you suggesting then MPM? From your OP it sounded like you objected to parents taking holiday to cover yours instead of at another time when they have to pay?

my2princesses - and what if there isn't another CM available, or the parent doesn't want to send her child to another random CM?

I don't understand why she needs to pay.

52 weeks - you take 4 weeks unpaid = 48 weeks paid
52 weeks - you take 4 weeks unpaid She takes a further 4 weeks half pay = 44 weeks paid = 4 weeks half pay.

If she chooses to holiday when you do then you don't lose out financially as if she were to have an extra 4 weeks.

I don't know what I am suggesting really, I'm getting used this self-employed malrky.

The only way I can go on holiday is to loose a weeks pay which is tough and the downside to running my own business I guess

When I used Childcare myself our CM had a back up minder who we sent dd when we couldn't cover the holiday ourselves. She wasn't a random person we didn't know and our dd was comfortable with her but obviously this isn't a standard set up? :-) unfortunately childcare is fill of things people don't agree with, its worse than car insurance!

MPM - if your contract states that your holiday is unpaid, you chose it that way

Parents taking holiday at the same time as you doesn't effect you, does it?

When I gave the parent my holidays for the year (2 and a half weeks in total) I asked her if there any set dates she is taking holiday and she said no, she will only take holiday when I am off.

I think, what I am trying to say in this situation I want to charge half for holidays on both sides because of the fact I will only get 'time off' without being paid, which means I do not really want to take time off because I can't really afford it. If the parent were to be taking holiday also I would just keep it as it is.

When I gave the parent my holidays for the year (2 and a half weeks in total) I asked her if there any set dates she is taking holiday and she said no, she will only take holiday when I am off.

I think, what I am trying to say in this situation I want to charge half for holidays on both sides because of the fact I will only get 'time off' without being paid, which means I do not really want to take time off because I can't really afford it. If the parent were to be taking holiday also I would just keep it as it is.

Too late now, these are the things you should have thought about before you started up.

Suggest next time contract up for review with this parent you implement it then, and implement it from now on for any new starters.

That's part of being self employed I'm afraid and something that should have been thought of when looking at your charges (£ not children!)

welcome to self employment.
Unpaid holidays is part n parcel of it.

Unless all your parents take holiday at the same time though, it won't be a holiday for you

Do you review your contracts annually? That would be the point where you could talk about changing your terms.

Consider if half-pay actually leaves you better off financially.

Say now, you take 4 weeks off unpaid and parent takes the same weeks, you get paid 48 weeks.

If the parent took 4 different weeks, you'd still be paid 48 weeks.

If you take 4 weeks half pay and the parent takes a different 4 weeks half pay, you'd have 44 weeks full pay, 8 weeks half pay = 48 weeks paid.

It makes sense in my mind. i just cant explain it.

Thanks for all advice

mi4 i am not perfect.. it is not something i thought to conisder un till the actual event!!!

Did they not mention this kind of thing at pre reg training, all the things you have to think about before you start? Hope there's nothing else that'll bite you the ass!

And please don't assume I am being horrid, get the feeling you are... have seen friend who went into Cming be completely unprepared and didn't put anything into place that she should have and as a result get slaughtered come inspection time