being paid for holidays

**Hebs** · 13-12-2008, 10:08 PM

how many of you actually charge for your holidays??

i'm thinking of 2 weeks paid 2 weeks non payment as if i was in any other job i'd be paid for holidays

**patevans** · 13-12-2008, 10:15 PM

I get 20 days paid, this is the first year that I have taken them all!! I give the dats a year in advance if possible and parents book for the same time

**Hebs** · 13-12-2008, 10:25 PM

TBH i'll probably only take 2 weeks off,

i always go on holiday for 1 week in march/april and a weekend away in caravan at end of year

i know my holiday dates for 2009 and 2010

so parents will have AT LEAST 1 years notice of holiday closures

**louised** · 13-12-2008, 11:05 PM

I take 4 weeks holiday and charge half fees, but this year I will have had 6 weeks as parents have taken 2 weeks at christmas. Parents are happy to pay half as they know nurseries would charge them full fee

**Shirlwith3** · 14-12-2008, 07:53 AM

I'm the same I have 4 weeks & charge 1/2 for my & their holidays which I think is fair, when I sent my daughter to a childminder this is what we did & it worked out fair.

Shirl

**balloon** · 14-12-2008, 09:13 AM

I don't charge anything for my holidays but do charge in full for theirs.

**samgeordie** · 14-12-2008, 09:47 AM

i take 5 weeks and charge half fees, when i arrange the contract i get the parents to tell me how many more weeks they will be taking on top of my 5 weeks and charge them half for these weeks too, if they take anymore than this they will pay me full fee as normal. Works for all of us and no complaints

**Bushpig** · 14-12-2008, 10:38 AM

I charge on average 2 days paid holiday annually for myself (and even got grief for this from one parent!), but no other charge. I charge fully for their holidays.

**Little Antics** · 14-12-2008, 11:15 AM

I charge parents for 4 weeks hols per year.

Firstly because they take hols off anyway - usually 1 week at Christmas
1 week at Easter and 2 in the Summer - and most get paid for this.

Also now with addedd paperwork etc., you can guarantee that I will still be working on various things to prepare for ofsted.

Then I try to recoup for the next run!

**sunflower** · 14-12-2008, 01:47 PM

I charge 1/2 for my holidays and 1/2 for theirs

with up to 4 wks a year

Bank holidays i charge full fee

**chaotic_space** · 14-12-2008, 02:06 PM

I have never charged parents for my holidays but charge full fees for parent/carer time off no matter what the reason.

One of my friends who is also a childminder ended up out of pocket when a couple took different weeks off because they only had to pay their minder half money. Between them they took 10 weeks! and my friend could do nothing until it was time to renew the contract and she could add a max half fees clause.

**mrs lilly** · 14-12-2008, 06:47 PM

I have 4 weeks at full pay and all b/h are full fee too although I don't work them. I give parents 4 weeks at half rate as long as they are taken at different time to me, if they take at same time as me then full fee applies. Sounds complicated but have never had any complaints about it from my parents so must be ok.

**nell57** · 14-12-2008, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by onceinabluemoon

I don't charge anything for my holidays but do charge in full for theirs.

Sane here

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 14-12-2008, 07:06 PM

I get two weeks in the school time and if I have term time contracts I charge them for 41 weeks as I don't take any in term time.

**Chimps Childminding** · 16-12-2008, 04:10 PM

I don't charge for my holidays and charge half for parents upto 4 weeks per year. Any holidays over 4 weeks are charged at full (not that anyone has ever used more than 4 yet). Would like to get paid if I am off, but work on the theory that the parents have to sort out childcare elsewhere so don't really like to!

**Dragonfly** · 16-12-2008, 06:57 PM

Same as Carolyn

**chaotic_space** · 16-12-2008, 07:02 PM

It was a good idea to make 'up to 4 weeks only' half pay as part of your contract Carolyn. It's little details like that that make all the difference. We're running a business after all.

**Zoomie** · 16-12-2008, 07:33 PM

Do you think that it is better to charge parents for your holidays (say 4 weeks per year) or to include it in your fee, so actually increase your fee by say 1/13th (which would equate to your holiday). That way parent's pay without really feeling it, but it might also put parents off as you appear 'more expensive' ???

I know this is off topic but I think that parents often comapre the inital rate, and then make decisions about cm, but the 'extra's' can actually make the cm who appeared to have the best rates, actually have the most expensive cos she adds all these extras ???

**acorns** · 16-12-2008, 08:14 PM

I dont charge for my holidays, but charge for theirs if taken at a different time. I think it's one of the downsides of working for yourself - not many other self employed jobs around where you get paid holidays. When I used a childminder I definately was not happy about paying for her holidays, but it's a matter of opinion & my fees do reflect the fact I dont charge for holidays, so in a roundabout way, they do pay but don't realise it

**Hebs** · 12-01-2009, 10:13 PM

well i have decided to take 4 weeks holidays paid a year after talking to my son's new childminder who said she has added 4 weeks paid holidays as the other local minders do

was like "thanks for that info"