Holiday entitlement

[Bessandra]

Hello there!

My first post after hanging around and doing lots of reading!

I'm 'almost' registered and have a customer waiting in the wings...
What is a reasonable amount of holiday entitlement , for them and for me?
I'm considering giving them 4 weeks free but don't really have a clue what I
Doing! They both work in academia so have about 8 weeks leave pa.

Can anyone help please?

Many thanks :-)

[rickysmiths]

Welcome to the Forum!

I have a very simple policy. I take 35 days a year at half fee. Parents pay full fee unless they go on holiday at the same time as me.

The min the government allow an employer to pay an employee is 38 days a year but that can include BH.

I tell my parents by the end of Jan every year when I am going to take my main holiday, I keep 3-4 days as ' Floating' days for unexpected things that crop up and I undertake to give as much notice as possible for these days. I used one last month to take my son to a University Open Day.

I also make it clear that my main holidays are always in the school holidays because I have children at school and a teacher husband.

By telling them early they then have the choice to take their holidays at the same time as me or make alternative arrangements for childcare.

If the parents take take holiday when I am off they pay half fee. If they choose to go away when I am working they pay full fee.

Never feel guilty about charging the parents like this because they have paid holiday and I am not a charity. I can't afford to subsidise a parents holiday and all my parents at the moment have 6 weeks holiday.

If I charged half or no fee for their holiday that means I would potentially loose 35 to 17.5 weeks fees a year. (I currently have 7 families on my books)

[greenfields]

At the moment, I take 4 weeks holidays a year.

My holiday: no fee
Their holiday: 2 weeks half fee, more than 2 weeks full fee.

I don't charge or work bank holidays.

[WibbleWobble]

i take 5 weeks unpaid

i make sure i give a years holiday plan in advance.

i charge full rate for their hols/time off.

i dont work or charge for BHs


you decide how much hols you want...its your business. I take 5 weeks as i have medical conditions which need me to "recharge" my batteries!

[cupcake22]

I take 1 week for every day worked. ie if a child with me full time I take 5 weeks, If say with me 3 days a week then i take 3 weeks. I charge full fees for my holiday & full fee for theirs.
Never had a problem with charging for my holiday. It is explained to them fully before the contract is signed. I always charge for Bank hoilidays if it falls on a contracted day although I never work them.

Cupcake22

[funemnx]

Hi there and welcome!

I don't have strict number of days I take every year - one of the bonuses of being self-employed! Some times I take 5 weeks and some, like this year only 3. It depends how busy I am and how much money I have

I always give out my holiday dates for the year at the end on January. I don't get paid for my holidays but charge in full for lo's holidays - they can have as many as they like as I still get paid

[cathtee]

welcome to the forum, enjoy!

I take 4 weeks holidays unpaid, and I take all bank hols paid, I too give my holiday dates out in January and if the parents take theirs at the same time then they don't pay, but if they take it at any other time they pay full fee. It has worked for me for many years and parents are always happy with arrangements

[Pipsqueak]

I take as many holidays as and when i please - however I have to factor into that my finances and reputation and my committment to my families - oh i don't charge for my time of apart from bank and public holidays!

clients can take as much holiday and time of as they like - the still pay for the space.

Personally I wouldn't give them 'free' time....

[Bessandra]

Thank you all so very much!
This is fab info!

So, would offering them 4 weeks free and then my own entitlement be quite generous, would you say? Perhaps even over-generous?!

What I don't think I mentioned before was that these parents are really good friends... Testing times I think :-(
(I just don't know what to do)..

[WibbleWobble]

Thank you all so very much!
This is fab info!

So, would offering them 4 weeks free and then my own entitlement be quite generous, would you say? Perhaps even over-generous?!

What I don't think I mentioned before was that these parents are really good friends... Testing times I think :-(
(I just don't know what to do)..

more than generous!

but have you thought about a term time only contract. I charge a bit more on the hourly rate and then i dont ask for a retainer during the hols.....some will charge a % retainer for hols. I then split the money over 12 months so i get a constant amout of money and families dont feel its all feast or famine with their childcare bills.

mandy xxxxx

[Bessandra]

Hi Mandy
Thank you for your really quick reply!
Well, I sort of thought about that but it wouldn't be term time only - they take their leave whenever suits them really, but.. Upping the hourly rate and the spreading the cost of 12 months could work.. Maybe I should look into that?

[Bluebell]

my parents pay full fee for their time off and nothing for my time off. I am considering having 2 weeks off paid per year or 4 weeks at half pay. Not sure how I would introduce this to existing parents or whether it would be written into my contracts for new parents. (although as a friend and colleague pointed out this couls be tricky if the parents spoke to each other and realised they were not on the same agreement!)

I agree with Ricky - if she is being paid half fees for her holidays and she gives plenty of notice then it is to their benefit to then take time off at the same time - ultimately if they have older children off school then they will have to take time off or save themselves money from not having to arrange childcare/holiday clubs/whatever for them!!

I have a problem of when to take my holidays because my hubby works seasonal so is busier in holidays and I make more money in holidays BUT I have children at school so would like time off to be with them! tricky!!

[Bluebell]

I'm also considering payment for bank holidays but that seems unfair for the people who only come on a Monday versus those that have a day that doesn't fall on any bank holiday!
so 4 x mondays are bank holidays plus good friday x 1 plus tues/weds x 1 for christmas/ tues x 1 for new year day.

[rickysmiths]

Thank you all so very much!
This is fab info!

So, would offering them 4 weeks free and then my own entitlement be quite generous, would you say? Perhaps even over-generous?!

What I don't think I mentioned before was that these parents are really good friends... Testing times I think :-(
(I just don't know what to do)..

Can you afford to give all your parents free holiday?

Think about it. You have four weeks off and charge no fee. You have 4 families on your books and they each take four weeks. Thats 20 weeks a year you are not getting paid for.

I don't understand why parents should get any money off their holidays if they take them when you are working you are keeping a space open for their child and you can't get someone in for the week to fill the space can you?

I would say no fee, half fee or full fee for your 4 or 5 weeks and full fee for the parents if they don't go away at the same time as you.


If they are good friends then all the more reason to very firmly put your professional business head on and set the rules firmly from day one. In my business there are no favours for friends or family.

Just a point I always ask parents at the interview stage how many weeks holiday they get and I jot it down on the info form I have. These days most parents get a min of 35 days and I am finding more and more seem to have 40 days (6 weeks) plus all the bank holidays so don't give yourself too little holiday remember you are doing a hard physical and mental job and you earn your breaks, just the same way your parent do.

Be careful if you add up annual fees and divide by 12 to give the parents an even monthly payment. It seems like a good plan but it is essential you keep a log of actual monthly payment due against the even payments being made because you will find as the year goes through because of five week months there will be times when you ow the parents or they ow you. You need to know this through the year, so if they give notice you know if they ow you extra money or indeed if you need to repay them money.