cm club: Do I charge for bank holidays?

[jazee]

Hi everyone,
I have just had an enquiery for 3 days a week, one of which is a bank holiday.
The parent wont need me to have the child on the bank holiday. I said I would require half the days fee.
Worried I may not get the job as she said I was the most expensive, but I new she liked me. She said the previous minder was really not good! and seemed really happy with me and my setting. She is looking at two more minders.
Shall I change it to NO FEE
Help. work is very sparce at the mo.
What do people charge for bank holidays?

I charge full fee for bank holidays but don't work them.
they're not exactly every wee, and as I don't charge for my holidays I think it's fair enough

Each C/M must run their business the way that suits them best. Some charge and some do not. I personally charge but am closed and if I am asked to consider working on a bank holiday then my rate would be doubled.

You will often see comments on similar threads to the effect that if the parent does not get paid for a bank holiday then why should they pay their childminder.

It is fair to say that anyone in a "traditional office job" (sorry but didn't know how else to describe it), will get paid - they will get a minimum of 25 days paid holiday per year plus 8 bank holidays.

I am not sure what the NCMA recommendation is on this issue but as many will know, I think that too many of their recommendations are in favour of the parent and not the person that they are meant to be supporting - the childminder!!

I charge full fee if it falls on a contracted day - I have to be available, but have never been asked to work it! I've recently taken on a littlie and will have to work 2 bh a year and I will increase my normal fee from £4 an hour to £5.50 when that happens - parents fine about it!

Well said Millenium!!

NCMA is sitting on the fence on this one. They allow (!!!)childminders to make up their own minds.

Judging by other threads on other forums - i think there is an even spilt about those charging for bank and public holidays.

Personally I charge my normal fee if it falls on a contracted day - however if they want me to work it then its double the fee.
Its the only 'paid' holiday I get. Parents have always been fine with this.
there is a huge thread about it over on Netmums.

I used to charge standard rate but if needed to work them, charged double. I decided some time ago that I don't want to work them so I changed this to no fee (but if really needed and I work, I would charge double). This works ok for me now as I get paid a set monthly fee with all my holidays and bank hols deducted and the overall figure spread out over 12 months.

NCMA recommend we get 4 weeks PAID holiday a year so I would have thought they'd recommend being paid. But I got bored of the 'why should you get paid, you're SE' arguments on MN (which I partially agree with but the other part of me thinks that comparing us to plumbers and the like ISN'T the same as we have regular contracts and our fees are no where near as high as that etc......anyway that's been done to death now! lol) that I stuck with not being paid!

I don't charge for BH because I don't want to work them: if you charge you should be available to work. I prefer to spend the time with my family than work or even just to think that I might be called on to work.

However, I do have a wobbly every now and then and think that perhaps I should charge.

OP, if the parent really wants you (and they can afford you), they will come to you whether you charge BH or not. And Good Luck! Hope it works out!

(Interested to see the NCMA recommends 4 paid weeks leave year.... hmmmm.....)

I just find it easier to tell parents that I charge when I'm available. I don't want to work bank holidays, so I don't charge. If I was available, then I certainly would charge.

No4 - they've recommended that for years, just can't remember where I saw it all actually written LOL.

i charge for bank hols but i also work them, makes no odds to me as my fella works them too-all of them

I don't charge cos I will not work them.

me too henni

Ditto. If I'm available parent pays, if I'm not they don't, and I am not avail BH's so no fee. Keeps it simple and as 2 of my parents are also SE they don't get paid BH's either.

Why should you charge this parent more per day of child care than another parent that has Tue/Wed/Thur?

I charge normal fee if contracted as I am available. Up to parents then if they bring their child or not. So far all parents have said, " we're having a paid day off, enjoy yours too "! My dp works any way so I don't mind if I an needed.

I came on here to ask exactly the same question!

I am just about to start working a three day week.

I wanted to work Tuesday to Thursday; she has said she'd like three days in a row so I chose Monday to Wednesday. However, she's now said she charges bank holidays at full pay.

While this is (possibly) acceptable when one is taking her on full time, I really don't think it's fair that I should pay her for all bank holidays when I only work three days a week, just because one of them happens to be a Monday. (Christmas and NY work out to be Mondays too this year.)

Should I offer to pay 60% on bank holidays?

Or maybe adjust her total holiday days to allow for it?

PS I don't get paid bank holidays, so her excuse that office workers get paid rankles just a little.

do you work bank holidays then and just get normal pay and bank holidays included in your 25 days. all every1 is entitles to 25 days paid holiday which includes bank holidays but the bank holidays dont need to be taken on the actual bank holiday day

I'm contracted Tuesday to Thursday, so have to do three days a week of work a week. I agreed to have childminding Monday to Wednesday because my employer is pretty flexible most weeks on when I do these days, and I like the minder.

My employer uses my total days holiday by taking 60% of normal holiday days plus bank holidays. Bank holidays will be taken off this (if there are any that year) and I get to choose when I take the remainder. So effectively I'm paid 60% on the bank holidays I suppose. But she's asking to be paid 100%.

Another option would be to adjust her holiday in the same way I suppose. Is this ever done?

I wont work on a Bank Holiday, therefore I dont charge.

zoodle - I don't think you are paid 60% for bank holidays, I think you are just NOT paid for Thursday and Friday. Re your comment about holidays - do you pay for her holidays?

My CM didn't charge if she wasn't available for work - she has all part timers and tbh I would rather pay a higher hourly rate than a lower one and start having to pay for bank holidays, holidays etc as it starts to get very complicated and unfair if you only use cm 1 or 2 days per week and they happen to be Mondays and Fridays!

Half pay for her holidays, and half pay for mine. Why are bank holidays not seen as "holiday"? They are counted in the minimum number of days which employees have to have per year.

How much give and take is there on this? It seems like she is getting the best of both worlds - demanding employee-type benefits whilst being self-employed.

I agree with Car-Girl - I would rather pay a higher daily rate and not pay bank holidays. It's not fair that working Mondays should be so much more expensive than the other days of the week.

Zoodle, I am slightly confused..you said you wanted to work Tuesday-Thursday, why did you change it to Monday-Wednesday?

I would not pay a childminder for a bank holiday unless they were open and available to mind on those days.

It is like others have said you can't expect to have the benefits of being employed whilst having the freedom of being self-employed.

Although I am employed in one job I and my dh are also self employed so do not get paid for bank holidays.