Changing Working Hours

[helenlc]

How do you go about changing the hours you are available to work? I know HOW to do it ie inform the parents etc but I wondered how you JUSTIFY it and if it causes problems.

It would only be working an hour less one day a week (Thursday - want to finish at 5 instead of 6). I currently have 3 mindees on a Thursday - one goes at 3.30 so not affected, one goes at 6pm and my new starter (2 weeks in) goes at 5.30.

My DD has just been signed by Charlton girls and has training twice a week. I used to be able to take her to one training session and take one mindee which mum was fine with. But now I have the 5.30 finisher and so cannot go along.:( I could take her along to one of the sessions but would need to finish work at 5.

Has anyone else changed their available hours? And how did parents react?

I don't want to lose mindees as these 2 (that finish at 5.30 and 6) are my main earners. But I do want to take my DD along to her training sessions.

I know I am self employed and can in effect choose my own hours, but I have taken on these LOs with certain hours available. I would give plenty of notice to them.

Thanks for any advice.

[caz3007]

How about having a chat with them to see what their reaction is. Some of my mums are able to arrange alternative collection times or someone to pick them up early if needed.

[Mouse]

I would explain to the parents why you need to change hours and hope they're understanding and can arrange something else (ie. finishing work early themselves, get children picked up by grandparents etc). Very often, if you tell them there is a problem, they can sort something out.

If not, you'll have to decide what you want to do. If you tell them you're changing hours & they can't accommodate the change, you'll have to risk losing them.

Speak to them first though. Like I say, they often come up with a solution themselves.

[Toothfairy]

If you can't get mindees to change their pick up times, could you lift share with another girl on the team. ie; They take and you pick up?

[miffy]

I would explain to the parents why you need to change hours and hope they're understanding and can arrange something else (ie. finishing work early themselves, get children picked up by grandparents etc). Very often, if you tell them there is a problem, they can sort something out.


I agree with this, I'd talk to the parents first.

If it was easier could you take the mindees along with you and ask parents to pick up from wherever the training is held?

Miffy xx

[The Juggler]

doing a swap with another parent every other week sounds like a good option. Also, how far is it, is it too far for parents to collect from her training ground?

[helenlc]

Neither of the children who finish later have parents who drive. So them picking up from training is not an option.

I could take them both with me and drop them home a little later than normal. But there is not much there for LOs to do and I end up watching them and not my DD - so kind of defeats the purpose of me being there!!:laughing:

I will leave it a week or two and find out if the training sessions are at any other times during the close of the football season and take it from there.

I suspect one of the mums doesnt actually work on a thursday and just has a day to herself so that could be ok to drop her LO off early. The only other one would be the 5.30 finish but dad has managed to get here at 5.15 one day so it could be do-able.

Thanks for the responses.:thumbsup:

[The Juggler]

hope it works out. let us know!