Holidays , mandatory or not?

**23beccy** · 17-05-2011, 07:22 AM

Hi there, I'm new to this forum.

I am being pressured by parents to confirm if and when I'm taking holidays this year.

I dont charge for my hols, but charge parents for theirs.Contracts state this.

I understand they want to reduce costs and so coincide our holidays so they dont need to pay me.
However, Financially I cannot afford time off this year.

Does anyone know if I am compelled to take time off?

Or should I stick to my guns and not be bullied?

Thanks.

**gigglinggoblin** · 17-05-2011, 07:30 AM

Unless you have put it in your contract that you will take a certain amount of time off then its entirely up to you. Thay cant force you to take holidays!

**muffins** · 17-05-2011, 07:37 AM

I put in my contract upto 4wks then I don't have to take them.

Pipsqueak · 17-05-2011, 08:18 AM

You are self employed - you can do as you wish.

You do not have to take time off
Providing you stay within your time scales of informing parents of changes, holidays etc then you are entitled to do as you wish.
I have a set of parents who try to pressure me into telling them when I am taking my hols.... and are currently trying to see when I am taking my summer hols. I have reiterated to them that I am only obligated to give them 2wks notice as per contract but there is no way that I can tell them YET when my summer hols is going to be.

**breezy** · 17-05-2011, 08:19 AM

You dont have to take a holiday, but it might be worth having a stay at home week for your own sanity!!!!!
Seriously its your own business, you run it not the parents! Do what suits you.

**23beccy** · 17-05-2011, 08:22 AM

Cheers for replying and thanks for yr help.

**kindredspirits** · 17-05-2011, 08:54 AM

no you don't have to tell them anything - explain that you currently have nothing booked and as per the contract you will give them 4 weeks notice of any holiday time you decide to take off.

parents will take the mickey if you let them but you are not obliged to take time off and you are not obliged to coincide your time off with theirs. i have a parent taking 2 weeks off at the beginning of june - i'll probably take a week in july - i haven't decided yet and have until the beginning of june to decide if i intend to take that time off or not.

**Mouse** · 17-05-2011, 09:06 AM

I can understand parents wanting to know if & when you're taking holiday (it doesn't sounds as if they're forcing you to take holiday, they just want to know if & when you will). I let my parents know in January when I am taking holidays for the coming year. Many of them have to book time off work & will have to put their holiday forms in asap to ensure they get the days. It would be no good me telling them 4 weeks in advance as there'd be no way they'd get the time off.

Perhaps it's a similar situation for your parents? Even though you're not obliged to give more than 4 weeks notice of holidays (If that's what it says in your contract), very often it's helpful if you can, so parents can work out their own holidays.

If you're not planning to take any holiday, then just tell them that. They can them work their own holidays as they want

**The Juggler** · 17-05-2011, 12:56 PM

even if your contract states you have 4 weeks unpaid you are NOT obliged to take this.

If you can't afford to take all your hols don't but I would def. make sure you take at least a week off in the Summer hols - for your sanity and health honx

**rickysmiths** · 17-05-2011, 09:21 PM

If you are an employee on min wage your employer has to give you 25 days off every year.

Now before everyone jumps down my throat and says but we are self employed I know that, here me out.

I wonder why employers have to give a min of 25 days? Do you think there is a reason that they have arrived at 25 days rather than 20 or 15?

Sorry I don't mean to sound partonising. However one of the reasons is because who ever we are however highly or lowly paid, we are human and we all need a break.

Childminding is a mentally and physically demanding full on job. I think we should all be planning in at least 4 weeks or 5 weeks holiday a year in order to remain sane and healthy ourselves. In fact I feel so strongly that I think there should be a law covering this. A week is not long enough and as someone said you can stay at home and still have a break, you don't have to fly away to some exotic location, I wish.

I has two weeks off over Easter, the first since Easter, boy did I need the break.

I too choose to give parents my holiday info in Jan so we can sort it all out to everyones advantage, but this doesn't suit everyone and sometimes if we take a parent on who hs to book holidays months in advance surely we have to work with them on it? I learnt long ago to ask parents about their holidays in the first interview. My dh is a teacher and I refuse to take my children out of school for holidays so I am always honest with parents at this stage and tell them I take all my holidays in school holidays because this doesn't suit some parents.

Sorry about the rant.

Oh I build in 5 weeks off and I am paid for it.

**LittleStar's** · 17-05-2011, 09:57 PM

One of my parents asked me when we are taking our 2 week summer holiday a couple of weeks ago, Her face dropped when I said were not going away. We were thinking about it but we are both childminders so would loose all of our income, were on a mad saving mission to buy our house, and the week before she asked we got burgled...

(no insurance... hubbys fault) so have had to replace laptops, and we have put an alarm in.... so thats probably covered the cost of the holiday

So for us as much as we would love to have our 4-5 weeks break this year we cant afford to

and We dont charge for our holidays as we are not offering a service !

**The Juggler** · 18-05-2011, 06:15 AM

sorry to hear that LittleStars

However, but I agree with Ricky and as I've already said even if you don't go away pleeeeease take a break at least - you need it

**lorrainegooding** · 19-05-2011, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by 23beccy

Hi there, I'm new to this forum.

I am being pressured by parents to confirm if and when I'm taking holidays this year.

I dont charge for my hols, but charge parents for theirs.Contracts state this.

I understand they want to reduce costs and so coincide our holidays so they dont need to pay me.
However, Financially I cannot afford time off this year.

Does anyone know if I am compelled to take time off?

Or should I stick to my guns and not be bullied?

Thanks.

I am also new to this forum but I feel you should not be made to take holidays. I made a mistake with holidays as I am new to this and made a mistake by not charging clients for their holidays but any new ones i will be.

Thanks

**Louise0208** · 19-05-2011, 08:49 PM

Originally Posted by lorrainegooding

I am also new to this forum but I feel you should not be made to take holidays. I made a mistake with holidays as I am new to this and made a mistake by not charging clients for their holidays but any new ones i will be.

Thanks

i would tell all parents that you will be charging from next year/term etc. if i was a new parent & had to pay holidays when other parents didnt id be pretty miffed

could save a whole load of hassle!

**buildingblocks** · 19-05-2011, 08:57 PM

I don't charge for my holidays but parents pay for theirs.I try to give my parents a list of all holidays I will take throughout the year but only once hubby's two weeks holidays have been confirmed. I give them all my holidays so that they can then book their holidays for the same time to save themselves some money.

My holidays are for my benefit so we take them in term time as we have no children and I do feel for the parent who works in a school but all new parents are told that my two main holidays are taken in May and September but not in school holidays.

i would agree that no matter what you do I would take at least two x one week holiday/time off you will need it.