refund for holidays

[ReetPetit]

Hi,might be being dim here - not sure! am a cm and look after one little girl on tues and weds. parents have now asked me to refund the fees pay in advance for dec and i'm thinking i'll refund the whole 2 weeks i was off (including xmas day and new years day which were both tues) in the contract is says i don't charge for bank holidays as i'm not available so i would assume i would still refund them even though they would never had expected me to have her (I don't think!!)
in case its not clear, i don't charge when i'm not available and have had 2 weeks off (4 of her days)
Am I right? thanks x

If these were your 2 weeks holiday and you don't charge for your holiday then yes you should take it off next month's bill. The only day really in dispute would be Jan 2nd as that is the only one not a bh - if you were not available to work it, and you don't normally charge for your holidays then I would refund that too. If however you normally charge for your holidays, but not for bank holidays, then you need to refund them 3 out of the 4 days - i think.

Thankyou, that's what I thought

As you do not charge when you are not available, or on a bank holiday, then Yes the days over xmas/new year would be refundable. Jan 2nd is a holiday in Scotland (so if you are in Scotland then that is refundable) but if in England/Wales/NI then it would be refundable only if you were not providing childcare that day.

Instead of refunding you could deduct the fees from the next invoice perhaps if the parents allow that... though I feel they are within their rights to ask for a refund as you did not calculate the invoice for December (and perhaps also January) correctly and thus over charged.

hi nannynick, thankyou. no, i don't charge at all for my holidays (most cms do but i don't, neither do i charge for bh as I don't want to work them...)

i think they want a refund - which is fine. i don't invoice, they pay by standing order, same amount every month but i'm starting to think i might start invoicing instead, save this having to refund which feels like it's coming out of my own pocket (I know it isn't, of course)

Thanks