Paying a month in advance - then not needing all the hours paid for

[JolieGirl]

I have another question for you all on something that DH and I were just discussing that I would really value some advice on as you were all so helpful previously

I have just gone back to work leaving my little one with a great CM 2 days a week. This is the second month she has had him, and so far so good.

We pay a month in advance for her to have him 8am to 6pm each day, however given I work from home frequesntly, and my husband travels a lot with his job we can, for most of the time, be in a position where we can pick him up say between 4-5pm.

The contract I have signed states an hourly rate, rather than a daily/weekly one, so in effect we have now paid for quite a lot of time now where she has not had DS.

I don't want to broach anything for fear of upsetting her, she is great and I really value her already but I did wonder whether she might have mentioned something to me about this?

Should I say something? Or maybe when next months cheque is due discuss officially reducing his hours? There may still be the odd occasion however where we need her to have him right up until 6pm however. HELP! Any advice much appreciated, this is all totally new to me.

Your contract (I highly suspect) is for a place between 8am and 6pm two specific days per week. If you decide to collect your child early, then you still pay for your contracted hours. It is very hard for your childminder to re-sell your sons place, for those times that you decide you do not require the care.

You can certainly discuss reducing hours, but you will not get any guarantee that if you need additional hours, that those hours will be available.

i have a child that i look after that pays till 4.30 but will often collect at 4 or 3.30 but pay me the rate of up to 4.30 as they cant tell each day what time it will be..

HHmmm tricky one. We previously had a great nanny share, with a standard weekly rate but additional hours were paid up at the end of the week. We paid through the nose for her, and in the end we felt really exploited - which isn't a great way to feel about your child carer. When DS3 came along and the other two were at school needing just afterschool care we went for a child minder and have negotiated a contract based on the minimum number of hours we will need per week 9-6pm 3 days p/w. Any additional hours we will pay seperately. We pay 3 weeks in arrears 1 week in advance on the 25th of the month - this is how we are both paid and I suppose it offers a little bit of a safety net for us if everything goes pear shaped instead of the month in advance (who else gets paid a month in advance??)

In the same vein though - I wouldn't be happy with my employer if they paid me for as many hours as they wanted me to work each month instead of what I was initially contracted to work. You could try renegotiating your contract but if you need her to look after your child to 6pm regularly in the future she may choose not to be so flexible. I would also give her plenty of notice - say a month if you want to change the contracted hours.

Decide what you really need and then stick to it is my motto after paying for 10 years worth of nannies, childminders, creche's and nurserys.

Tactfully put Nick

I agree with what nannynick has said.

If you want to change your contract (I suspect that not all minders will agree to this until it gets reviewed though), you would have to agree to a finishing time (4pm? 5pm?) and hope that your CM will do later collections when you need them. How would you manage if she can't or won't?

& if you agree a 5pm finish, then you turn up at 5:15 and she hits you with a £25 late collection fee

in my contracts it clearly states that fees are made up from the hours on the enrolment form so late drop off and early pick ups do not reduce your fees

at nurserys a full day is 7.30am until 6pm if you pick your child up earler they dont refund any money

if you feel now that you are back to work that you can pick your child up by 5pm (even if your not working from home) then reduce your hours

i would much rather work til 5pm than 6pm

but dont assume if you are running late that your cm can have your dc for longer i quite often book hairdressers/docs etc for 5.15 on the days i work till 5pm

why not use the extra hour or so to have dinner out with your dh without your dc
have some me time

Message withdrawn

we get paid weekly/monthly in advance so we have the securaty that we will get paid
i have often had parents that cant pay me as they are waiting for family tax credit to pay them then they leave and i get nothing very hard to track them down and make them pay

now everybody eirther pays a week in advange or give me a months deposit to keep their place

Well remember we aren't employees so other things that get paid in advance - Childminders provide a service & lots of services are paid for in advance eg

Theatre/concert tickets
Holidays
Special orders for furniture
Custom designed clothes

Mainly stuff that if you book - no-one else can have it, so if you don't pay the person/company providing it looses out

The money a childminder chanrges is not the wage they take home,- there are loads of expenses that a childminder must pay out before their final wage can be calculated.

ive just hadto change mindees contract (and wasnt due to be reviewed till may) as their hours were 8 per day five days per week. all discusssed in advance and happily signed!..then parents shifts fall in and suddenly, it has to be reviewed..now 40 hours per 'week'..still same amount but previous agreement meant more money/hours for me when shifts were worked..so lost one full timer and have to reduce hours effectivly for other one