Bank holidays

[Chatterbox Childcare]

As you can see from the differing opinions there is no right or wrong way.

I set my fees based on what I want for myself as a business person. Sometimes I am too expensive for parents and that is fine but they usually come back within a couple of months as others will go in at a lower rate and then there are lots of add ons.

My advise to anyone is to decide what rate you want for what hours and then negotiate with parents the "add ons". I give choices, food supplied or not supplied, nappies, wipes provided or not etc.. It isn't always about price for parents, sometimes it is the all round service that we can provide.

Bank holidays are no different but I never consider what the parents get, paid or not, it is all about what I want out of my business.

[line6]

I'm firmly in the 'open = charge, closed = no charge' camp. Again I wouldn't think to tell others how to run their business however as a parent I was very annoyed to find myself paying for closed bank holidays at a private nursery a few years back. I paid it because I had to but it did irritate me. My husband gets paid bank holidays off as that is normal in his chosen career. I worked on the same theory when setting my fee policies - I assumed self employed people earn when working and not when closed but presumably made up for the not earning parts throughout the year (I'm still new and learning a lot!!) I charge what I would expect looking in from the other side. As always each to their own though and if parents are happy then that's that.

[Simona]

I think we have seen from the many comments that we ALL differ...best repeat this again and respect how we all manage our small businesses

I still am of the opinion that as self employed we need to think of remaining sustainable...I feel we have 2 options: one is to charge, even if half the amount, and the other is not to charge but increase fees to include BH in our daily fees ...what is the difference?

Yes I do appreciate that some employees do not get paid for BH while some do but unlike us they do not incur expenses during the holidays and they do not have to carry out tasks that we only can do when off work such as LJs, doing accounts, keeping updated, review practice, do SEF and, at times, also manage to redecorate settings which is not possible when children are present and so on

[Shivvi]

Im in the same boat I had a parent ask me yesterday why does she have to pay for bank holidays when I dont work. But she gets paid for bank holidays and doesnt work. I include it in my holidays so should I charge half fees like holidays or should it be full fee? In my contract it states holidays are half fees and sickness half fees both sides. Due to being stung once before with fees and sickness and holidays. So am I wrong charging full fees should it be half? Thanks

It annoys me that parents question these things when we all go through them up front during the interview and they read and sign their contract. If they are in full time employment they get paid. You are doing a valuable job caring for their children so why do they try and under cut us all the time. I charge full for bank holidays and when I had a childminder when mine were small I was charge and paid it without question.

[Lottie]

I'm in the same camp as Simona. I charge slightly higher rates that include everything and just cover bank holidays. This has worked for me.
If a parent thinks I'm too expensive, then I view this as I am better off not working with them so don't take them on. The reason I say this is that in my experience parents who are all about the money tend to be difficult to work with. Whereas parents who put more emphasis on what's best for their child work together in a more harmonious way.

[bunyip]

I probably read into your post wrong. I have had grief from some local cm's because I do an all inclusive fee, so if I'm open I charge if I'm closed I don't, I don't add extras for trips food or anything, I chose to do this just for simplicity but some of us cm's who have adopted this approach are almost being bullied by some others want us to charge the same way as them as some parents have questioned why they charge for bh when others don't. The argument they use for charging bh is well parents are being paid so why shouldn't I, I just think when you use that arguement you don't look very professional. Because I charge an all inclusive rate it is a slightly higher rate than others in my area, some parents have questioned why I charge more than others and I point out we are all free to charge what we feel is fit to offer the service we provide just the same as different builders and hairdresser have different fees.

I have to agree. When I started out CMing I was shocked that this sort of bullying and ganging up goes on, especially amongst people who like to call themselves "professionals." Surely the whole point of being self-employed is making our own decisions, aside from what is already dictated by regulations. But I find (locally at least) that so many CMs join a group/network and get sucked into the group mentality of "this is how we/everyone have to do it." The level of intimidation is outrageous. TBH it shocks and disappoints me, but doesn't scare me. I'd have to care first.

One of my first fall-outs was over bank holidays. A mum asked me to do a one-off bank holiday cos her regular CM refused to work it (and still charged her). I agreed to do it and when she asked the fee, I said "pay me what your usual CM charges you for a regular day." The regular CM blew a fuse and complained to my DO, who lectured me on "poaching" from other CMs. I explained I wasn't taking business from anyone, merely agreeing to work when the other CM had refused. DO then told me I must charge double for BH work. I told her I'd be happy to when she had shown me the law, regulation, or NCMA members' rule which said I must do that.

1 or 2 of the CM group privately said they were glad someone had stood up for themselves, but were too scared to do so themselves cos they feared the consequences.

[bunyip]

I still am of the opinion that as self employed we need to think of remaining sustainable...I feel we have 2 options: one is to charge, even if half the amount, and the other is not to charge but increase fees to include BH in our daily fees ...what is the difference?

The difference is one of perception, rather than of maths.

Enquirers trawling through a list of CMs tend to look first at availability, location and advertised price. So the lower 'headline'rates look good and tempt a lot of parents whittle down the shortlist based on what they think they'll end up paying. They only seem to notice the additional charges for holidays, meals, trips, etc. once they start appearing on the invoice, and they start moaning about how "unfair" it all is.

I've had parents ask me for a quote. I give them a pretty much all-inclusive starting point figure (unless they want to offer a starting figure for negotiations). They say, "oh, you're more expensive than the others." I reply, "well, sit down and work out the comparison after the other CMs have charged you for your holidays, their holidays, so-called "anti-social" hours, the hours you lo spends at preschool, plus every meal, snack, banana, and trip, then come back." 9 times out of 10, I'm actually cheaper than all but the most dreadful local baby-farm-style CMs once they're done the maths.

[Snowwhite]

So because i charge half fee for my annual leave do you think the bank holidays that fall during my time off (such as Xmas Day,Boxing day & New Years Day) should also be half fee or full fee? Seeing as parents employed by a company would get full pay for those bank holidays (aplogies if i am wrong on that)
Also when i am working and theres a bank holiday approaching such as a May BH) then would you charge full fee for that? (i dont work bank holidays but choose to charge & would charge double if needed)
Currently the Xmas Bh's are at half fee as i am off work,but just dunno whether i should have actually charged full.Its so hard to know whats the right thing!