help

**mum2three** · 14-12-2007, 09:09 AM

Hi eveyone, need advice please.
My parent has booked quite a few odd days off for annual leave in Jan and Feb, she told me that I willl not have the children. I explained that I will still need to be paid (in contract) and now they are saying ok then you will have the children.
Also they have a child with me who is leaving (given notice)he has gone to another school and will be looked after by a friend,the problem is during one of the notice days, mum is leaving work early to collect him from school and is going to bring him to me (because she is paying for it) but it is at a really awkward time when I am not around,I have to do school run at another school (which she knows) AARRRRGH think I am going mad !!!!

With the annual leave do I have to still be on stanby incase they want to use the place... or can I arrange to do something has it's a day off for me?

**angeldelight** · 14-12-2007, 09:19 AM

Hi Voni

Welcome to the forum - will you introduce yourself in the HELLO section so everyone can welcome you when you have a sec

If like most of us you charge for days off for whatever the reason and it is in your contract then of course this parent must still pay you if the child is not with you

Regarding the child who is leaving you
Your hours of work are the hours in your contract so if the parent decides to bring him later and you are not going to be in then that is her problem and not yours I am afraid
This is the problem with some parents they do tend to think we sit at home all day it can be annoying

I would arrange a suitable time with her - and remember this is your buisness not hers so you make the rules

Good luck she sounds like she is being a little awkward so I would nip it in the bud

Angel xx

**mum2three** · 14-12-2007, 10:18 AM

Hi, thanks for getting back to me,

What should I do then if they choose to bring the child anyway because they are paying? Do I have to be available on the days that they book annual leave?
Thanks voni

**Blaze** · 14-12-2007, 10:18 AM

Agree,
If it is contracted that she pays when the child is not there then point this out to her! If you hav it in writing...doesn't have to be anything fancy...just signed that days have been booked off you are entitled to be payed & NOT be available!
As Angel has said it's your business...you rules, so I'd nip this in the bud asap!
Tasha

**mum2three** · 14-12-2007, 10:32 AM

Ok thanks for yor advice, I will let you know how it goes!
voni

**susi513** · 14-12-2007, 10:34 AM

Dropping off at a different time - if they want to drop off later than usual I will usually offer parents the choice of dropping of at the place I've gone to - eg school playground, toddlers etc or waiting in their car outside my house til I get back. If I don't have the right car seat with me then they have to do option b.

There are differing opinions about annual leave. some people think that you should not charge if the place is not available to their child - if you have booked your own holiday for example, thinking you have no mindees then you are closed and your service is unavailable. Others think its the parents problem - if they've told you you're not needed you're free to do what you like with your time. The way I've dealt with it is to put in my contract that the absence fee applies if I was open when they booked the holiday. If they change their mind about the holiday I cannot guarantee availability and charges will not be waived or reduced UNLESS I have booked someone else in their place. If I book anyone else in their place I will waive the holiday fee as I don't charge 2 families for the same place.

If we were to put everything on hold to remain available at parent's beck & call just in case they cancel their holiday, it seems pointless to get any notice of their holiday in the first place!

**buildingblocks** · 15-12-2007, 12:20 PM

If they are not dropping the child at a normal contracted time then I tell them they have to work with me and drop them to where I will be at that time. On Monday i have a parent wanting to pick up from me at 3pm (normally 1pm but playgroup is closed) unfortunately I will be on the way to school parent has been give the option of pick up at school from me at 3pm or pick up from my house at 3.45pm.

As for the annual leave question a tricky one. In my eyes if a parent chooses to send their child to me while they have a day off that is there choice. If you are charging them because you are open then they are paying to use that space (as you can see I am probably the only one who thinks like that lol).

But I do have in my contract that If they change their mind with less than 48 hours and decide to send their child then I take them at my discretion (only because I don't have any other children aprt from school aged ones)

love Kate

**mum2three** · 15-12-2007, 05:26 PM

Thankyou Ladies,
I have the father telling me that I have to have the children all except one of the days (childs birthday) and the mother emailed me saying I won't be having them!

who ever said never work with kid's! they are fine it's the parents!

Pipsqueak · 15-12-2007, 06:19 PM

I had this with a parent - she told me that she didn't need me xxx days (as per contract) - I said ok but I still charge xxx (as per contract you signed) - she flipped her lid and then said I can have the children. I said fine - she said the hours would be different I explain what the contract said and then mum said not to worry about having the kids because she wouldn't pay the "out of hours" charge (wanted me to have them till 8pm) I then got her decision in writing.
I said ok your choice, and went ahead and booked various appoints. The night before she text me to say that she had changed her mind and that she was dropping the kids!!! I phoned to say no can do. She flipped and said she'd turn up anyway and if I wasn't available then she'd sue me. This is a long story but I rung NCMA and it is a "difficult" call. Get it in writing and signed and a copy to each party (you and them).
NCMA was explaining that if you make yourself unavailable when the parent had specified that they want you - you cannot charge, clearly stipulate in your contracts your minimum notice required by you to change hours etc to cover yourself for these type of situations. In my case it was a hard lesson learnt.

Hope you get yours sorted.