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chezzagriff
04-08-2013, 07:35 AM
I have a parent who wants to come and sign contracts today but before she does so she wants to ask me a few questions about some of the things in my policies and procedures. One of those things being "why do I have to pay bank holidays if your closed" I dont charge when I take my own holidays which I know a lot of people do in my area but I do bank holidays. Parents get paid for holidays they take from work but how can I explain this? She moaned because she has to pay when she goes on holiday and when I explained its to save the place she still questioned it. I had to go into great detail explaining that I cant fill the space for that short amount of time etc. Any help on how to explain to this parent would be appreciated as I think its going to be a loooooooong day!

adedwards68
04-08-2013, 08:05 AM
Everyone has different views on this. Personally I don't charge for BH because I don't want to work them. If you charge are you willing to work?
Also remember, speaking as a self employed person and OH is self employed, not all parents get paid for holidays and BH. I do charge if parent takes time off as I am opening for business
But you decide on your conditions and can't necessarily change them to suit one parent

AgentTink
04-08-2013, 08:07 AM
i too like you charge for bank holidays but not any other holiday i take.

I explain bank holidays different though. I say i am open bank holidays, and happy to work however if a parent wishes to use my services on that day they must give me 4 weeks notice and they will be charged at double pay. If they do not wish to use me then it just normal pay as they will be off and not attending. I will only work for their full contracted hours on that day and no less. So for example if they have a 8 hour day normally they cannot say well they will use me for 4 hours and use the days fee to cover it.

If i am not prepared to work any bank holiday then i book it as part of my holidays, and then a parent would not have to pay.

adedwards68
04-08-2013, 08:12 AM
I agree if you are going to charge then you should be available to work, if this is the case then tell the parent that. Lots of parents still need childcare on BH as shops, hospitals, restaurants, factories etc all still open and work

The Juggler
04-08-2013, 08:21 AM
i would tell her that some cm's charge full when they (the cm) are away on holidays. You don't. You DO charge when parents are away as you are open for business and working but can't fill the space that her child is not using just for a 2 week period (or however long).

You could always give her the option, tell her you won't charge for bank holidays but you will charge for 8 occasional days off through the year to be taken as and when with 4 weeks notice. I'm sure she'd rather have the security of knowing when the bank holidays are and that you and she will both be off at the same time. :thumbsup:

little chickee
04-08-2013, 08:22 AM
I am willing to work bank holidays. If i do work i charge double time.
If parent decides not to attend that day i charge my normal fee.

Its the same as my holiday/ time off policy. If i'm available to work i get paid.

Parents pay to keep the space not for the actual hours i care for the child.

All i can say is you need to decide what you want to do.
How much do you need the work. If you really need to contract you might want to consider not charging. If this is your descision you need to tell her from the start. It needs to look like your choice. Do not let her think that she has persauded you to change your mind otherwise you will more than likely find that she will be contantly challengeing your policys trying to get her own way.

pinkellifun
04-08-2013, 08:56 AM
I say to them, 'I don't charge for any day in which I am not available (be it holiday, illness, whatever). I charge full price for any day in which you (the parent) decide not to bring your child to my setting (be it holiday, illness, etc). As for Bank Holidays, if your normal contracted days include Bank Holidays then you will be charged double price if your child attends the setting but normal rate if you keep them at home, as its classed as you taking a holiday.'

I just decided what I wanted from them and explain the above and say if they are not happy with that, then I can give them some other childminder numbers for them to contact.

HTH

Anacrusis
04-08-2013, 09:03 AM
I would explain that your terms & conditions aren't negotiable (unless they are!) and that you charge for bank holidays because you still need to be paid, buy food etc. even when there's a bank holiday. The theory of bank holidays is that it's a free day off for all of us - the Mum coming to see you will be paid for bank holidays / paid extra if she works.

I charge half fee for up to two weeks of my own holiday & although parents have seemed surprised, once I've explained the situation eg. both extremes of what other childminders do re hoidays (no charge/full charge etc) and said that I sat down & thought about it & decided that I wanted to be able to afford to take a holiday and that's why I charge they've understood. All of my families go on holidays and whenever I've said this they've realised that, yes, I'm entitled to a holiday too!

adedwards68
04-08-2013, 09:47 AM
I know its up to every individual what they charge and i have no argument about that. And yes if you want to charge double and its in the contract thats fine. But you can't assume every parent gets paid bank holidays. Before I became a cm I worked with OH both self employed, didn't get paid for any holidays taken inc BH's. even parents who have to work BH, may get a day off in lieu, but rarely get paid double pay
Ok rant over :-)

bunyip
04-08-2013, 10:45 AM
I do things differently, but that's not relevant to the question.

What is important is that we're all self-employed and have our own way of doing certain things. The only thing I do find a little odd here (and I hope the OP doesn't take offence, cos none is intended, but I do have a habit of 'speaking as I find') is that the question needs to be asked at all. By all means, have a policy/practice on bank holiday working, but you need to be clear about your own reasons in your own mind if you're ever going to be able to explain it to a questioning client.

In short, every self-employed person could quite honestly and truthfully answer, "that's just how I do things - take it or leave it." It's actually a perfectly reasonable approach, but unfortunately down-to-earth, honest plain speaking is no longer fashionable in a society where everyone is so obsessed with "good impressions" and so-called "professionalism".

Try this.

1. You need a certain amount of time, like anyone else, away from work to rest and recharge. One way you do this is to take a week's unpaid (unlike other CMs in your area) holiday at a time of your choosing, giving you the chance to go away. After all, a lot of people go away, so why shouldn't you?
2. Bank holidays give you an odd day, now and again, to unwind too. It is a good time because it inconveniences the least number of clients; OK there will be exceptions, but most parents can be with their lo's on bank hols.
3. Like it or not, there is a "bottom line". ie. You need to make a certain amount of money out of your work to make it worthwhile commensurate to your skills, time, training, etc. - otherwise, you close down, get another job, and the client doesn't have a CM. You've chosen to do that, in part, by charging for bank hols (there are other ways, such as not charging for them, but having to raise your basic fee, but it pretty much all amounts to the same thing.) At the end of the day, neither, you, I, nor any CM can start cutting this or that charge off of the contract and still have a viable business. If we all do it, then no-one has any childcare.

Sadly, I think a lot of clients don't get this. :(

Chimps Childminding
04-08-2013, 10:46 AM
I don't charge bank holidays as I don't want to work them!! But although I understand if a cm works bh they may charge double or whatever, as a parent I would be unhappy that if I chose to send the child it is double, but if I manage to get the day off I still have to pay :rolleyes: Most of my parents work in jobs that involve shifts and if its your day to work its tough bh or not, but although they may get the day back, they don't get double time for it!!