holidays!

[auntie lisa]

I take Christmas day and New years day off and 3days in March and 5days in September.

[kaz26]

I take 3 weeks

[rickysmiths]

I take Christmas day and New years day off and 3days in March and 5days in September.

I'm sorry but that is nuts. You need a proper break. 8 days a year is not enough and I bet all your parents have at least 5 weeks. No one will thank you in the end for working without a break.

Min wage people have 28 days a year. 20 days plus the 8 BH and I believe we should all follow that model as a min.

[LauraS]

I took no holiday in my first year, registered end of June but was saving my holiday for a big holiday we had planned in the following august. I took four weeks off for that all in one go.

This year I am taking five weeks, one in May, two August, one October, couple of days at Christmas and a couple of long weekends.

I used to work for a local authority and used to work flexibly and get potentially nine weeks a year inc bank holidays plus a further five days per year paid parental leave to cover childrens illness, so am still struggling with five weeks. I miss being able to book an afternoon off at a moments notice if fed up or if I need to get something done.

[Nicadooby]

I don't take much either as I'd prefer the money lol

The Christmas just gone was the first time I charged whilst being closed from 24th dec until 2nd January.

I had 3 days off in August, 5 days in April and a day to move in November last year all unpaid.

This year I will be have Xmas off (paid) a week in may (unpaid) and what ever else I want, I don't put how many days in my contracts just if I'm off I don't get paid so I can be off as much as I like :-)

[rickysmiths]

I don't take much either as I'd prefer the money lol

The Christmas just gone was the first time I charged whilst being closed from 24th dec until 2nd January.

I had 3 days off in August, 5 days in April and a day to move in November last year all unpaid.

This year I will be have Xmas off (paid) a week in may (unpaid) and what ever else I want, I don't put how many days in my contracts just if I'm off I don't get paid so I can be off as much as I like :-)

I think my parents would find it hard to plan if I didn't tell them when I was going to be off. It doesn't matter if you charge when you are off or not parents still have to plan what to do with their children when you can't care for them. Do they take holiday at the same time, do they have to arrange for family to come and stay? This is why I always tell them the main holidays in Jan each year.

[tess1981]

All parents get a copy of my yearly holiday list when they are getting the contracts. I issue a new list every January and give them to parents after the Christmas break so they know for the entire year when I am off. I charge when I am off 26 days if I have to close for any other reason eg funeral wedding I do not charge and it is rare I have to do this... think I might have had to do it once.