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Paid childcare

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

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Original poster

Is my childminder ripping me off?

99 replies

Katie0907 · 11/07/2008 10:08

She wants me to pay her the full rate for time she was off sick. Is this right? I'm annoyed as I had to take time off work and lose pay.

OP posts:

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PinkChick · 11/07/2008 10:09

check what it says in your contract but, i dont, nor do i know of ANY childminder who charges when SHE/HE is off sick!

vInTaGeVioLeT · 11/07/2008 10:51

i don't charge if i'm off sick.
as pinkchick says check your contract.

bethoo · 11/07/2008 10:54

if she has to take time off for personal reasons i dont think you should pay. my cm did not charge me when her baby had a rash and so was unsure my baby and me should have contact. it is an inconvenience to you so why should you pay?
if this is the case i would seriously look elsewhere.

chel86 · 11/07/2008 10:55

C/M charge for when they are available for work (holidays are a different agreement sometimes) and I don't know any cm who would charge for when they are off sick! I would double check your contract and see what it states about time off sick.

Shoshe · 11/07/2008 11:07

I have never charged when sick (some parents have still paid me, but that is a deffernet matter) if I am not available, then I cant charge!

Tas1 · 11/07/2008 11:18

Check your contract.
I don't charge if I,m off sick.

Sazisi · 11/07/2008 11:30

I don't charge when I'm sick.
CM's are self employed, not employed by you so you don't heave any employer's responsibility, such as paying sick pay. That's how it works in Ireland anyway

Sazisi · 11/07/2008 11:31

Have -not heave

AtheneNoctua · 11/07/2008 11:42

Yep, she's ripping you off. I wouldn't pay a CM when he/she is unavailable for work for whatever reason. I would, however, expect to pay if it was I who was not available to come to the childminder (holiday, illness, etc.)

KaySamuels · 11/07/2008 20:39

I charge full fees when available, no fees when I am unavailable.

Check your contract to see if she is trying it on.

southernbelle77 · 11/07/2008 21:11

I don't know of ANY cm's that charge when they are ill! I certainly would not.

That seems most unusual to me

beansprout · 14/07/2008 11:19

Our old CM used to charge us when she was off sick.

love2sleep · 15/07/2008 10:33

Our previous CM was paid when she was sick or on holiday (up to a specified maximum days per year) but had a slightly lower basic hourly rate to make up for this. This is fine as long as it is in your contract and you know in advance.

Fadge · 17/07/2008 14:14

A Childminder is a self employed business person and can set whatever terms and conditions they want to perfectly legally - sick pay, holiday pay, pay for xmas day, whatever - but that doesn't mean you have to agree to it though, or sign a contract with those terms does it?

SO yes - if you signed to pay in these circumstances, then yes you have to pay as you signed a legally binding contract.

If that is the case, make sure you read it in future before signing!

If it is not, then it cannot be enforced so tell her you won't be paying, she can't do anything about it - apart from give notice I suppose if she is pissed at you!

CatIsSleepy · 17/07/2008 14:16

our CM doesn't charge for sick days
although the one day she did have off last year for a hosp appt i think I still paid her as would have felt a bit of a meanie not to

JenniPenni · 17/07/2008 22:51

I do not charge for sick days, but do charge for holidays... eg: if I have a child 3 times a week they pay 6 days holiday pay to me annually. If they come to me once a week, they pay me 2 days holiday pay annually. Bank holidays are half pay.

Childminders are self employed and have their own contracts, and it's up to them what they charge... I do feel it's good practice to be flexible and negotiate with the parents.

TequilaMockinBird · 17/07/2008 22:54

My CM charges when shes off sick and when shes off on holiday.

Infact, I have just paid her over £300 to lie on a beach while I had to take time off work to look after dd myself!

JenniPenni · 17/07/2008 23:17

Tequila, were you OK with this when it was contract negotiation time?

Fadge · 18/07/2008 10:49

Tequila, but you agreed to that by signing the contracts - if you don't agree with a childminders terms and conditions then don't sign a legally binding contract, and go elsewhere

tomwill · 20/07/2008 11:23

Paying a CM when she's off sick is just plain wrong. The CM is likely self employed - she's therefore properbly able to claim something back from government.

And a CM charging parents when CM goes on holiday is even worse. Plenty of good CM's out there happy to play fair - bin this one immediately - she's a greedy lady taking advantage of working parents.

Fadge · 20/07/2008 14:28

Again, sounding like a broken record here but IF YOU SIGNED TO AGREE IN CONTRACT< THEN YOU ARE LEGALLY BOUND TO PAY!

Read things more carefully in future!

smeeinit · 20/07/2008 20:37

i echo what fadge says (shouts!!) if you disagree with whats in your contract then dont sign it!

tomwill "she's a greedy lady taking advantage of working parents." ????? huh? taking advantage? working parents? so the cm isnt working then? more than likely also a working parent????!!! childcare is a just a doddle,we cms should maybe consider doing it free??!!!!

TequilaMockinBird · 20/07/2008 20:58

Thing is she's one of only two who pickup from dd's school.

She was the only one with a vacancy and she did come highly recommended from a good friend of mine.

I have to say, she is an excellent CM and I wouldnt change her for the world.

Just having a particularly skint month this month and decided to rant on here! Sorry!

Pazzer · 21/07/2008 13:03

Im a childminder and do not charge for my holidays or sick leave, not that I have been off sick anyway.

Think this is terrible.

Pazzer

tomwill · 21/07/2008 13:16

Dear TequilaMockinBird

I would not ever suggest CM works for free but would insist the arrangement is fair and that certainly doesn't include paying for services when the CM declares her services 'closed'.

I agree that the majority of CM's are working parents and to that end maybe CM should therefore be more fair with her charges since she knows what it's like to be a working parent. Not quite the same really, CM stays at home whilst caring for her own child and is therefore her own boss. Us working mums are answerable to a boss, always rushing to get to work and then back to CM on time (God forbide our trains late).

The working mum using the CM who goes sick then has to either take her precious annual leave or pay for alternative childcare - it's just not at all fair if she pays the sick CM as well - that's the ups and downs of working for yourself I'm afraid.

I actually do use a CM and she's great but I certainly would not pay her if she couldn't provide me with services - she is not a nanny on the payroll after all.

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