How do you charge over Christmas?

[RaspberrySouffle]

Obviously you wouldn't charge for Christmas Day, but what about the rest? I'm thinking of charging as normal apart from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as I'm not available for work on those days.

I don't charge for my summer holiday at all, charge half price for children's holiday of 4 weeks a year, and half price for the Christmas Break and BH's.

It works well for me because all my parents are off the same time over Christmas, so it means that none have to find alternate care.

so you charge half price for Christmas Day?!

I don't

I close from Christmas eve and open day after New Year & I don't charge for this (AS I AM NOT WORKING)

But this year I am having Christmas eve afternoon off & Friday 2nd, so I open on 5th January....yipee

Difficult isn't it? After all (unless SE) the parent will be getting full pay for Christmas day/Boxing day as they are bank holidays, so they are benefiting even more if they have no childminder fees for those days. But when I was childminding I always found it difficult (I used to ask for half pay)

I don't charge anything for any BH's.

2 sets of parents are taking the week off after christmas, so they pay me half-fee.

Yes its in my contract, and have never had it queried. We are on a Army Base, and the Army shuts down from 19th till the 5th, so we all have the same time off.

It's in my contract that I don't charge for bank holidays but wasn't sure about Christmas Eve.

We were having this very conversation yesterday at toddlers. A CM I know charges full rate for Xmas day and Boxing day!

I do no charge for BHs because I do not want to work those days. However, I think that any new mindee's contract will be different and I will charge for BHs. After all, I am losing out because that day is not a working day. If I am asked to work, then I would charge double.... I think - anyone else do that?

I alwyas take two weeks off as a xmas break, don't charge for my time off (four weeks a year).

I am really looking forward to it!

I am a childminder in Horsforth. I do charge full for bank holidays. The reason for this is that parents get paid full when they are off on bank holidays so why shouldn't childminders.

I charge half for time off when I am on holiday and half when they take time off as well.

I don't charge when I am off sick (which is rarely) but charge full if the child is sick and can't come.

I don't charge when I don't work, I am self employed not employed!

That said - I have said I am available to work on days I know they won't want me to work as they are off for two week shut down themselves, which is a tad naughty, but tough they get TC anyway :p

I charge full price for bank hols - sibs pay half.

im a cm but have no children of my own. I charge full rate for every day I am avaliable to work and an enhanced rate if a child actualy comes to me on a bank holiday.

I charge full for all public/ bank holidays

Including
Good Friday (Easter)
Christmas Eve (Half Day till 12:00pm)
Christmas Day
Boxing Day
New years eve & New years day.

I wrote up a seperate policy which parents sign in the begining to except conditions. I expect full pay however i am Closed (usually the only break as a childminder we do get)

Chirstmas eve and new years eve i state as a holiday (but only because i have written it up and told parents that i have these days off as paid days.) they aren;t actually public holidays.

Any other time in year, if i take holiday you dont pay me.
If you take holiday you get 50% reduction if your full fee paying and 1/3 off if you are on tax credits

Hope this helps

I charge for ALL bank holidays...I don't however charge for any of my other holidays..so its kind of swings and roundabouts! My theory is that I don't CHOOSE to take bank holidays off...I wouldn't take them if it weren't for the fact that parents never want me to work. Its all in my contracts and the parents all agreed to it.

Another CM here who charges for all BHols - i have in addition to the NCMA contract all parents sign, my own terms and conditions which answers all FAQs sch as holidays,sickness etc and it states that Bhols are only holidays charged for. None of my parents have ever had any problem with this.

I do not take any other time off over Christmas/new year, although parents may choose to not bring children if they are home etc.

i charge for xmas day, its a bank holiday. plus half pay for rest of my 2 weeks off

I only charge for days I'm available. I do not want to work Bank Holidays, so my contracts say I don't work them and the charge for them is £0.00. All other days are charged full rate (and I am available).

So .... over Christmas, I do not work and do not charge for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.

Just a query for those of you who are saying that you charge for Bank Holidays including Christmas Day and Boxing Day simply because its not your choice not to work on those day - does that mean that you would take children on those days if asked. I only ask because my CM asks for full pay for all Bank/Public Hols but is closed, as well as closing for 4 additional weeks during the year for which she expects full pay. Her rationale is that parents get full pay, so should she, but this isn't true for many of us (eg my husband) who are self-employed (as I always thought childminders were) and don't get paid on days they don't work. Just a question, really, to see whether my CM is being a bit cheeky.

I haven't actually signed a contract yet as am not returning to work until Feb so really just wanted to check if I'm being ripped off or not before I sign contracts. Unfortunately, its not always going to be possible for us to coordinate my paid hols with the CM, which will mean my husband having to take time off (and not get paid), which is a real bummer, but in every other way I really like her as a CM and my daughter has spent a couple of days there already and seems to like her, but the holiday thing is bothering me a bit.

Would you rather pay extra for a childminder you like, or less for one you were not so happy with?

Sorry.

Everyone is different. To me, it does not seem right to charge when you are not available to work. I always assume that in that case, the parents would have to pay for alternative care and could end up paying twice.

It is quite normal practice for childminders to take some paid holiday (but I don't).

been here before but........ncma recommend cms charge four weeks fully paid hols per year. i live in south london and we all charge either full or half pay for a set amount of holidays. parents know that when they sign contracts. we also charge full pay for bank hols not worked.

never had any complaints.

I charge full rate for all Bank Holidays but I don't work them. Fully discuss this with parents at time of Contract preparation. I don't charge for any holidays I may take (couldn't afford to take any days off this year at all) so will be pleased with the three days off over Christmas/New Year.