Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

sick pay/hol pay, cm & parents

45 replies

KiddieCare · 04/12/2007 23:18

Would love to hear from both parents and childminders regarding charging and paying for childs sick/hol and cm sick/hols?

Do you parents agree with still paying a cm if they are on hol/sick?

And cm's do you charge for your own days sick/hol?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

shoshaliteupthetree · 04/12/2007 23:28

Kiddie, if you search messages love you will find that there was a huge thread on just this subject recently.

SweetSnowflake · 05/12/2007 13:43

are you a cm yourself of nursery?

Original poster

KiddieCare · 05/12/2007 14:33

i am a cm myself, just starting out

OP posts:

GloriaInEleusis · 05/12/2007 14:37

No way no how would I pay for achildminder's time off, whether they are sick, on holiday or otherwise unavailable for work. I would however pay in full any time they are available and I fail to show up (whether sick, on hols, or otherwise unavailable).

I know some childminders do this and get away with it. But I think it is very cheecky. You are either me employee or you run a small business. You can't have the perks of both and the responsibilities of neither.

SweetSnowflake · 05/12/2007 19:21

ok, all cm's i know either cahrge 1/2 or full fee for thier hols(i charge 1/2 fee), most do not charge when they are off sick or have to take time off unnecpectadly(i dont either)and some charge half fee others full fee when mindees are off regardless of hol or sickness(i charge full fee whenever they dont turn up, so in my contract i dont specify how much time they can have off, its up to them as long as im given notice as i still get paid)

what area are you in?

maximummummy · 05/12/2007 20:51

these threads make so

maximummummy · 05/12/2007 20:54

gloria - fine if you don't wanna pay your childminder time off BUT i charge 4 weeks full holiday per year and parents are happy with this - it's discussed at first contact and is on the contract - perfectly legal and above board

MaureenMLovesmincepies · 05/12/2007 21:02

Will we be needing popcorn for this one?

GloriaInEleusis · 05/12/2007 21:03

Yes, of course it's legal. And if parents sign up to it then of course they have to pay it. But this thread was asking for opinions, and mine is that I don't pay a business for a service they are not available to provide.

This of course means that you as a childminder will need to charge a bit more as an hourly rate to cover your costs. And that's fine. But I just have a problem with paying you for something you aren't doing.

PanicPressiePants · 05/12/2007 21:12

I kindof agree with both of you re holiday pay.

However, if is highly annoying as a parent to pay hundreds of pounds for someone to take a holiday, AND have to pay the same again to another cm.

My cm, I think has the ideal solution - she is paid for her holidays but provides alternative childcare which I don't pay for (I don't know if she pays or it's a system the cm in her group have to cover each other)

I am happy to pay if ds is sick or unable to attend. But I'm not paying someone to have a holiday, IF I also have to pay someone else to look after ds.

PanicPressiePants · 05/12/2007 21:13

IT is highly annoying.

shoshaliteupthetree · 05/12/2007 21:39

I charge half NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO am not getting into this argument again >>>>

paros · 05/12/2007 21:43

pass the popcorn

shoshaliteupthetree · 05/12/2007 21:46

MaureenMLovesmincepies · 05/12/2007 21:48

I'm feeling more like Spud for this one!

In answer to OP though, its really up to you what you do. Some charge 1/2 for theirs and parents holidays, some charge full pay all year round, some don't. The decision is yours.....

karen999 · 05/12/2007 21:57

All I can say is that would you like to have a holiday from work and not get paid? All workers should be entitled to holiday pay. Yes,it may be frustrating that you are paying when the childminder is off but they are entiltled to holidays as well. You are paying for the place. And you can't help if your childminder is sick - would you like to go into work if you were very ill?? I am not a CM but I think it is unfair to think that they should be treated any differently!

GloriaInEleusis · 05/12/2007 22:38

I don't actually use a childminder at this time. But if I did:

I am paying for a service provided by a small business. I am not hiring an employee. There is a difference. If you want to be my employ, then I will pay 4 weeks hols. But you will conduct your day as I instruct. You will look after the children I approve. You will attend the play groups I say. You will work in my house, not yours. You will ask for holiday and will say yay or nay at your requested dates. You will have all the perks of being an employee and you will have the responsibilites.

Or...

You can run a small business where I don't get to make these decisions. You will tell me where you go during the day, you will look after whom you like (within ofsted regulations) and will look after your holiday expenses.

Comparing your small business to my staff position at work is apples and oranges.

At the end of the day it doesn't really matter because you will raise your hourly rate to make up for revenue lost while you are on 4 weeks of annual leave. But, I think you will find a lot of parents while they may agree to it resent paying you when you aren't available. And I think you will have happier customers if you just work out how much you need to raise your hourly rate to cover the 4 weeks of leave.

maximummummy · 05/12/2007 22:52

blah...blah...blah...

"i just have a problem paying someone for something they're not doing"

wonder if your boss feels like that when you are on holiday? But of course he is legally required to pay your holiday time

and yes that's different you are an employee and not self employed

why am i even wasting my time here?

islandofsodor · 05/12/2007 23:06

Totally agree with Gloria.

As someone whose dh is self employed term time only he doesn't get paid holidays. He could of course purely be an employee and get those perks but he prefers to run a small business.

You'll be asking parents to pay your NI contributions next.

lenaschildminding · 05/12/2007 23:23

I think (please don't have a go if I'm mistaken) the National Childminding Association recommends that we DO charge for holidays.

However, I don't charge for my holidays or my sickness, personally I don't think parents should have to pay me and try to find alternative childcare which may also come at a cost, afterall, if parents had relatives or friends that could have their kids for them for nothing, why would they need a childminder in the first place!

Mindee's holidays and sickness are chargable though.

maximummummy · 05/12/2007 23:34

oh god not islandofsodor and her music teaching husband again

islandofsodor · 06/12/2007 00:10

OK, will my plumber Dad be any better for you? Or how about my friend who does book-keeping from home. Neither can charge their customers for time spent on holiday.

Kiddiecare asked for parents opinions and I gave them.

Now go and get a life and stop hounding me. If I had realised it was you on this thread I would have stayed away.

maximummummy · 06/12/2007 00:36

ok i will just pop out and get a life (paying for it with my unfairly gotten holiday payments)

cat64 · 06/12/2007 00:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

lenaschildminding · 06/12/2007 00:47

cat64... that's too much for this hour of the morning! read it twice and still can't make sense of it! think I need to go to bed!

Flip

1 2