Our child is ill - do we still pay for cancelled care?

**Tim** · 26-10-2010, 12:14 PM

Hi,

We are in an unusual situation and would like some advice please!
A friend has completed the childminding course and is currently awaiting registration. In the mean time she is being a nanny for us in our own home as she can't have our child at hers yet.

Recently one of my children (not one she looks after) has been off with diarrhea and sickness so I took time off work to look after him. My husband then got ill and stayed off so he was able to mind the youngest, Owen (the one normally looked after) and the other who was also still ill!

We got extra help in from parents and managed. We cancelled the nanny during this time because we didn't feel it fair to have her in the house where illness was as she herself has a family. However she is now saying she is expecting to be paid when she was not here because that's apparently normal practice for childminders.

Is it?

Thanks,

Sarah

**tulip0803** · 26-10-2010, 02:13 PM

It is normal practice for childminders to be paid if a child does not attend their setting and it is open. You are paying for a space not the time of the childminder. This would be put in the childminding contract before care commences.

As a nanny however it would depend on the contract that you have with her. As she was available to work and you cancelled it may be that you will still have to pay her. Sorry not sure about nanny contracts. Perhaps you could ask the citizen's advice or a nanny agency what should happen.

**jelly15** · 26-10-2010, 02:13 PM

I don't charge for anytime I am not available to work i.e. my hols and my sickness, but, if a parents/childs hols don't coinside with mine then I expect to be paid, as I am available, same with parent child sickness. Can't make a living if i wasn't paid everytime a parent or child took a day off for any reason.

**PixiePetal** · 26-10-2010, 02:18 PM

As a CM I get paid when child is off ill.

As a nanny, before I had my own children and registered, I was usually the one at home with children if parents were still working, also if they gave me the day off for any reason I still got paid.

So in answer to your question - I would have expected payment. This would depend on your contract of course, if you have one, but seems fair to me.

Pipsqueak · 26-10-2010, 02:27 PM

Based on what you are saying - you cancelled the nanny/care (with well meaning intent as you a) didn't want her getting ill - and potentially having her off ill at a later date b)as loving caring parents you choose to care for your own sick children) yes i would expect payment to be made. It was not her choice not to work - you made that decision, she was available and willing to work (I presume).

also it will all depend on what you had/have down in the contract.

Sorry if that is not what you want to hear.

Coming back to a childminding situation - you say she is a friend, please remember that when she childminds - she is not working for you, she is her own boss - you are all going to have to have a discussion about friendship and professional boundaries - make clear expectations etc. Within a childminding remit - yes if you choose not to use childcare on a contract day for whatever reason you will need to pay.

Remember she is a friend as well as someone who will be providing a service - how much you value your friendship (this goes just as much for her) will be how you all handle the professional section of your lives.

**snufflepuff** · 26-10-2010, 02:39 PM

I agree with everyone else, you still need to pay her

**Beckieboo** · 26-10-2010, 02:59 PM

I agree, she should be paid as you cancelled her days!

~Chelle~ · 26-10-2010, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by Pipsqueak

Based on what you are saying - you cancelled the nanny/care (with well meaning intent as you a) didn't want her getting ill - and potentially having her off ill at a later date b)as loving caring parents you choose to care for your own sick children) yes i would expect payment to be made. It was not her choice not to work - you made that decision, she was available and willing to work (I presume).

also it will all depend on what you had/have down in the contract.

Sorry if that is not what you want to hear.

Coming back to a childminding situation - you say she is a friend, please remember that when she childminds - she is not working for you, she is her own boss - you are all going to have to have a discussion about friendship and professional boundaries - make clear expectations etc. Within a childminding remit - yes if you choose not to use childcare on a contract day for whatever reason you will need to pay.

Remember she is a friend as well as someone who will be providing a service - how much you value your friendship (this goes just as much for her) will be how you all handle the professional section of your lives.

Well said Pip x

**mamasheshe** · 26-10-2010, 04:58 PM

i would agree with above

**sarah707** · 26-10-2010, 05:07 PM

I charge for child / parent sickness / days off but not for my own.

However as the others have said it does depend on what your contract says.

I hope this does not leave ill feeling between you.

**miffy** · 26-10-2010, 05:13 PM

It wasn't her choice not to work - it was yours so yes, if it were me I would expect to be paid.

Miffy xx

**kymberly** · 27-10-2010, 08:04 PM

If i am ill (unable to work) I don't charge.

If child/parent is ill then I do charge (I'm able to work so shouldn't go unpaid).

It wouldn't work if childminder/nanny didn't get paid every time the child was ill - how could we pay our bills (hard enough not getting paid when we're ill, most people get sick pay, not us

)

Sorry, probably not what you wanted to hear but that's whats fair.

Good luck xx

TheBTeam · 27-10-2010, 08:31 PM

With others on this, i think your nanny should be paid, unless she has specifically agreed otherwise in a contract.

As others have said if you use this lady as a childminder you need to have a very clear contract in position and remember that she is her own boss and it is very different to being a nanny.

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 27-10-2010, 08:36 PM

As a childminder my contract says that I would be paid as I am willing and able to work but it also states that if the child is sick then I would not have them but still expect to be paid

What does your contract say as she is a nanny at present until registered?

**brightstar** · 28-10-2010, 07:38 AM

From a moral point of view: if your boss was off sick and told you not to come into work, would you be happy forfeiting your wages? Sorry if I upset the apple cart

**Heaven Scent** · 28-10-2010, 07:54 AM

I agree with everyone so far - and some very good points made.

It may be helpful to bear in mind that we all work to pay the bills and we all depend on our income to cover those bills and it is just not possible for us to budget for bills if we are not sure when and where our next pennies are coming from. We as Childminders work in the money we lose when we take holiday and also have to factor in for unplanned days off due to illness family bereavements etc - It just isn't possible to factor in when a parent may take a days leave or not send their child due to illness - it could happen that all of our parents could choose the same day/week not to turn up and therefore we would be without any money for that day/week - I hope this makes sense.

**ORKSIE** · 28-10-2010, 08:41 AM

My contract states....if i dont have child because they are ill or parent is ill, I still charge.

If I am ill and cannot care for that child I do not charge.

xx

**SaijaM** · 28-10-2010, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by sarah707

I charge for child / parent sickness / days off but not for my own.

However as the others have said it does depend on what your contract says.

I hope this does not leave ill feeling between you.

I do this too and agree with this.

Hope it all gets sorted nicely!

**Tinglesnark** · 28-10-2010, 12:03 PM

i agree with all of the above

if i am unavailable i do not charge
if the child/parents are unavailable its full fee

good luck

**samb** · 28-10-2010, 07:19 PM

I worked as a nanny for 6 years before becoming a childminder. I always looked after the children if they were sick and if parents were sick they just went to bed and I carried on as if they weren't there! If they chose to send me home, they would still pay me. It was in my contract with them that I had 5 weeks paid holiday a year (gosh I miss that!), they would choose 2 weeks, I would choose 2 weeks and the other week was generally odd days. As you are her boss at the moment, you should know what is in the contract and stick with that. When she is your childminder she will be setting her own terms and conditions and so at least you know in advance that you will be paying for care when you chose to not use it.