CM Club: What to do about payment - I've been off sick........

[looneytune]

I've been off with bad Tonsillitis for the last 2 days and after a phonecall from my Friday mindees mum, decided to work tomorrow (she desperately needs to go to the passport office so I felt bad and said yes - mug!)

ANYWAY.............I text my full time mindee's mum during the day to let her know I'd be working tomorrow so see mindee in the morning. She read this when she finished work and called to say that there is no way she thought i'd be back til Monday (as she knows how ill you can feel with it) so mindee is at grandparents (away from the area).

My question - would you agree that I should not refund tomorrow to the parents as I'm available to work? (I'll be refunding the other days as I actually chose not to work)

I hate money side of this job :(

personally, I would refund tomorrow. She obviously sent mindee away assuming you would be off so it's, imo, unfair to charge her.

Should you really be working tomorrow, isn't tonsilitis infectious for a while?

Just my opinion but I don't think you should be working if you don't feel up to it, even if you do feel bad.

Oh right, suppose so, didn't think of it like that. As for infectious, they weren't bothered about that even if I was as I had her for the first day (it killed me which was why I took the next 2 days off). BTW, Dr said it wasn't a reason not to childmind. Just no kisses, sharing cups etc.

Anyway, she was lovely about it and just said they wanted me to rest. I guess I'll just have to suffer the extra loss. Now wish I wasn't working tomorrow :(

Thanks for the advice

Just read again - missed your bit about thinking I shouldn't work. I wish I wasn't but felt really pressured into it by Friday mindees mum (doesn't work) who's stressed as got to go to main passport office and doesn't want to drag baby around. Spoken since and she knows I'm not having other mindee and knows I still feel really weird etc. and she didn't really say anything other than 'oh no, poor you, thanks for doing this'. What could I say? My own fault for saying yes earlier (I didn't mind so much when thought was totally back to work but I feel like I'll be doing a full day for hardly any pay :()

Ignore me, in one of those moods

no, it's alright. I can imagine how you feel. I'm a bit like you. I'll always say yes to help someone out and because I don't want to say no, and then regret it.

What time do you have her from? Could you not ring in the morning if you feel rough? (as she's not working tomorrow) or even later tonight if you are feeling no better?

I know it's hard to say no but it's better than doing it and resenting it.......

She never works, uses me for a break so any other week I would be ok but she was sounding really stressed on the phone and sort of desperate otherwise I would have said no.

I've told her I won't be up to much activity wise and it will have to be a very chilled house tomorrow and she's fine. I also asked if she would mind if I look a state (i.e. just got out of bed) to save me getting up earlier to get ready and she was fine - was happy if I wore a binbag as long as working

I'm now looking at the positive side. The mindee is a baby so none of the toddlers fights I'd have if other mindee was here. No rushing to do school run and hopefully baby will sleep a little here and there too (although he's got Hand Foot and Mouth so not well himself :()

Just can't believe how much money I've lost this week, just didn't need it with dh loosing a days temp pay due to car problems (which also cost £300 to fix!)

Having one of those weeks

Before I decide for sure, I just wanted more opinions on this from other childminders if that's ok (so I can tell dh it's normal to refund in this case, he and my family think I shouldn't so I need backup )

Thanks :)

any other opinions? :)

I can't comment - as I get paid for my sick (at least I don't loose money) as I work with other people

However I'd give it as a refund from their next payment rather than now I think?

Hi Loonytune - just trying to catch up on all the threads as have not been on here for a few weeks but thought I'd add my opinion!

From a business point of view, if you are available to work then I would charge irrespective of whether parent wishes to use you or not - that is what I would do anyhow.

My Contracts state that if a child is absent for any reason, the fee is still payable.

I probably sound as though I am quite harsh but I do not think that the charges should be waivered just because the parent has made an assumption about the length of time that you may be ill.

It really depends on how you want to run your business and what is in your Contract.

Hope you feel better soon.

PS from next week I shall be changing my name! not sure to what though yet - i'll have to get my thinking cap on....

Thanks for the comments.

Tan - my policies state that if the child is off then they still pay but I just thought this was a bit different as it's down to me being off sick.

Decisions, decisions! Oh well, one way or another, I will have made a decision by tomorrow! :)

I also don't charge if I'm off sick and, like Tan, would probably agree (being ultra professional and all that) that if you are then available to work and the parent has chosen not to send their child, then you should charge.

However, the word "MUG" is tatooed on my forehead and, if the mum didn't read your text till she finished work (lucky it wasn't an emergency then!!) and she had already made arrangements, then I would probably not charge.

What I think you should do and what I know I would actually do are two different things. There ... that was no help at all really!! Sorry!

cheers TP!!

At least a couple of you see my point, that's the main thing

Just to make clear, I became ill late on Monday night. Made appointment for Dr's first thing on Tues. Parents were fine for me to take mindees and I said I'd let them know how I got on etc.

Managed (somehow) to get through the 12 hour day but really did feel quite poorly so let parents know and we arranged for me to text in early hours if got worse so they knew not to come. This is what happened as I was too ill to work.

Dh then called the parents on the Wed evening (I was finally asleep) to let them know I wasn't working Thurs. It's at this point this particular mindees parents arranged for mindees grandparents to have them. Not clear on whether mindee went Wed night or Thurs morning but they'd arranged for the rest of the week as grandparents live away and they thought I should rest for the remainder of the week. They were only thinking of me which is really sweet however I felt well enough to work on Friday and of course, couldn't afford the extra day off. Of course it was too late for this mindee as she was already away so it didn't matter what time I texted iyswim.

God, I'm confused now .

Oh well, waiting to hear back on whether they want a refund into bank or reduction on next month so I'll see how they respond to that first

Thanks again for your advice! :)

Sounds like you just need to explain to the mum that you cant afford not to get paid. Whilst shes thinking of you then she wont mind paying you will she? I dont think parents always think about 'the business' side of the job naturally its not their business is it.