CM Club...holiday pay....

[Earthymama]

I've let the parents of my mindees know in advance that I'll be off for two weeks. One family have decided to go away at the same time as me; what do I do about charging?

My policy is that they pay me for times they are on holiday but not for my holidays. Obviously both policies apply to the same weeks, so I would appreciate your advice!!

I have the same terms as you about holiday pay. If my families decide to book their hols to co-incide with mine then I don't charge.

I do charge if parents go at the same time as me, half fee as normal otherwise they get a free holiday when the other parents are still paying when they go away. At the end of the day they have chosen these weeks and probably would have anyway even if you were not going away. Just my thoughts!

my policy is if i'm at work and the childs off for whatever reason (sickness, hoilday) they pay full fees as i am still able to offer my services
when i am on hols they pay me half fees
normally i give parents my hol list 1 yr in advance and parents book the same weeks off as me

Thanks for your thoughts, I'm beginning to think that cladders and dmo have the right idea. Have you always had this policy? If not how did you introduce the change?
I'm worried about managing without any income for half a month, (though I have saved for bills etc)It would be so much easier to be working for an organization that makes these decisions for you!!

I always had this policy! Sorry, i thought that it only seemed fair that all parents paid the same!

i,ve always had these policys
but change is good tend to change fees etc each april after tax year parents are ok cause they have a rise to and they dont get used to extra payworked as a nursery nurse for 13yrs before childminding so nicked most of their policys and ideas

I usually charge parents half-fee when they are on holiday (and I'm working).

However, if parents book their holiday to coincide iwth mine, then I don't charge. I wouldn't feel happy with charging parents as it is my choice in the first place to book that time off. What they choose to do when I'm not working is up to them.

They will be paying me for the full hours for the rest of the time, as they would already have had their holiday. I think it probably evens out money-wise.

I know what I mean, but I don't think I'm explaining it very well!!

earthymama - how do you get paid? weekly, monthly?

what you should probably do - (I will assume here) -

you take 4 weeks unpaid leave in a year of 52 weeks - therefore you need to be paid 48 weeks.

so with each contract - work out weekly fee, times by 48 then divide by 12 - this then is what you charge on a monthly basis and you can ensure you always have the same income each month and know where you stand.

I do what Lexie mum does - it means a bit of maths whne they start & a bit when they end - but it's worth it

I charge full for parents holidays and half for mine - it seems a lot I guess when a lot of CMs don't charge for theirs, but my parents have been happy with this. I take max of 4 weeks a year (any more would be no charge, but I don't take this much!) plus I'd try and coincide it with parents if I could. It works out I'm paid 50 out of 52 weeks a year.

I do with school age kids what previously said - work out the cost at 50 weeks, divide it by 52 to make a weekly rate that's the same, and inclusive of my holiday. Then parents can't quibble, if I don't take my holiday technically they're quids up etc etc.

However with schoolies it gets messy - for example, parents are paying the extra to cover holidays, and if you take your four weeks during school holidays they're losing out a bit etc etc... But noone's mentioned this with me booking two weeks off end of August (to have a baby) so I may just be lucky!

Oh and it can get messy too - if you need another CM to cover you (illness etc) you may owe them money!

Eg - if I needed a day sick in hols, and parent pays me x amount a day, because it's averaged out it's a middle amount between the cheapest rate (term time) and holidays (dearest rate)

So if I get paid £80 a week from a kid, that covers say £40 a week termtime, and £160 holidays (random figures) if I need a week off in the holidays parents aren't going to suddenly want to pay £160.. you may have to cough up diff!