Holiday entitlement

[NikNak]

Hello. Can anyone help me please. I think I have made a mistake by planning my holidays/time off in advance and giving parents the dates in advance (a full year). Do holidays run from April to April or Jan to Jan?

How do you do it? Does anyone just give the 4 weeks notice for each holiday? I thought it would be helpful for the parents to plan ahead but now need to change the dates and have booked a holiday to Turkey at the end of Sep!!!!!!!!! I darn't tell them!

Also I care for a child that the parent is a Teacher so she pays me 50% fee for all holidays to keep the childs place available. My holiday to Turkey is in term time:eek: (I know shock horror)! Im taking my 2 children! Shall I tell this parent that I wont charge her at all seeing as she will have to find alternative care?

I feel really confused and not sure how to resolve this holiday situation or the best wording to use when telling them!?

Any advice would be very helpful. Thank you.x

[sarah707]

I wouldn't charge a teacher if I went away in term time...

They need as much notice as possible, so I'd tell them sooner rather than later ...

Just say you got an offer you couldn't refuse! :D

[Heaven Scent]

What did you put as your minimum holiday notice in your contract? So long as you fulfil your contract obligations then you cant be pulled up on it. We can't win with holidays can we no time is ever good for people no matter what we do, Some parents really rely on us being around in the school hols and others don't require us then at all. You just have to do your best and ensure they understand that you need your family time too.

I personally stated that I would want to take up to 6 weeks unpaid holidays pa plus all Bank Holidays paid and all parents hols are to be paid in full. - I do not have teachers who I provide places for and I don't charge retainers for School holiday places at the moment but may do in the future as I can fill them at the moment and to be honest I'm glad of a bit of light relief when I have fewer older children now and again.

[wendywu]

I would not charge a teacher if i was away in term time.

I always give a years notice of my main two week holiday in the school summer hols. But that is only because i always book in advance as the places i like to go to are fully booked by the end of may start of june. The other weeks are always a good few months in advance.

But you have as much holiday as you like if you dont get paid for it. I recently looked online to see what the minimum holiday was for employees. Just to know if my lot could cover 5 weeks next year. It was 24.8 days.

Just enjoy your holiday in Turkey.:)

[Banana]

I take holiday as and when i need it and is convenient (within reason) for parents. However. I barely take any time off and had my first holiday in a year last week. You take as much holiday as you want when you arent being paid for it but parents will want someone reliable also, so you have to think about this

I give 4 weeks notice of holidays, I like to see if parents are having holidays that I could plan time off around and still get paid, Call it sneaky maybe, but I'd rather be paid and have time off if I can.

x

[deeb66]

I usually run from January - December but if you want your year to be April - March then that is also fine.

I give all my parents as much notice as possible but a minimum of 4 weeks.

So I told them all last October when I booked this years holiday in Dom Rep.

I do not charge for my holidays so it wouldn't affect me but I think in your situation I wouldn't charge a teacher as they are not allowed to have time off during term time and yest they would have to definately seek alternative cover which means they are forking out a lot more money.

[wendywu]

My parents would hate it if i only took one week a year as they would then have to pay me 50 weeks of the year. They like it when i book time off as they can have a holiday and not pay me. But they get plenty of notice so they can also plan:)

[nell57]

I run my holidays from Jan to dec, mainly because my husbands holidays run from then. I dont charge for when i have time of, but do try to fit in with parents where i can, although this is not always possible. i usually have worked out with the parents when i will have time of for the whole year in Jan.

Cant offer advice on the teacher situation, i've never been in that situation, but good advice given from the other girls:)

Helen

[NikNak]

Thanks everyone as usual! I feel a bit clearer about it now, just got to muster up the courage to tell them! :panic: . x