Paying childminder on bank holidays

[MrsNOC]

I'm wondering if any of you use the standard NCA contract or have knowledge of it's t&cs? What does it say about paying childminders on bank holidays?

We have been with our childminder for almost 4 years now and she has minded both our girls from when they were babies. We have a good relationship with her and always pay for a full day on bank holidays. Our understanding of this is because childminders are available to work on bank holidays and so had to be paid.

We asked our childminder if she could mind our 2 girls today (first time asking on a bank holiday). She agreed and had them for 3 hours. When my husband collected them she said to him that it was double pay on bank holidays and it was in the contract. Unfortunately, we can only find part 3 of 3 of the contract and this is not in it. It is a standard NCA contract.

I would welcome any information on this as we will be taking about it this week. Also, we will need to ask her to mind the girls on one of the bank holidays on the next bank holiday weekend.

Ask her for a copy of your contract. It all depends what you agreed when you signed it.

I charge double if needed to work and none if not as I don't want to work.

On the ncma contract there is a bit about pay for different things and the childminder will have filled in the blank, I'd ask for a copy.

I would charge standard fee for bank holidays and double fee per hour for any hours used. It will depend on what you signed in the contract and your childminder should have the duplicate.

I don't charge for bank holidays unless they're booked, and then I charge £60 (£10 more than standard day rate) - it's in my contract. As HSMM says, the childminder fills in the blank about bank holidays and you agree to it when you sign it.

If you've misplaced some pages of your contract then just tell her and get a copy. When was your last contract review? You should have one every year, really - I would have thought you could come to some agreement about the days in June as it's such a long relationship. I mind for someone doing a postgrad course and I worked this bank holiday and will work the June ones.

I charge for Bank Holidays (normally at 50%) and do not work them - very many employed people get paid for B/Hols but do not work them (although I accept this does not apply to everyone but certainly the vast majority of employees), so why should Registered Childminders be different.

Im with the SCMA being in Scotland. It varies for every childminder I work bank holidays for my normal flat rate, but them Im new and building up my business. If i was full and had waiting lists i might find myself in the position to charge more, but its decided in the contract whatever the rate and your childminder should be happy to give you a copy if you've lost yours.

Just depends what your contract says. The standard NCMA contract says all kinds of things I crossed out and re-wrote. But, if you didn't, then you are stuck with it I'm afraid.

Registered CMs are different because they're self-employed (and can therefore choose to charge them) so have no right to Bank Hols whereas employees do have the right to 5.6 weeks holiday which includes the BHs, although increasingly there is no right to have BHs off.

A CM is well within their rights to request paid BHs, and a parent to decline, but they are different purely be ause they are not employed so it doesn't work the same way.

no such thing as a standard contract IME.
I've signed 3 NCMA contracts with different CMs all with very different t&c.