I'm confusing myself - please help!!

[curlycathy]

I know there have been posts on here before about Christmas (and I think next time I update my contracts I'm going to spell out what will happen) but right now I'm getting myself confused over charges.

I intend to take the whole of the Christmas school holidays off. My last working day will be Wednesday 22nd December and I start back Wednesday 5th January. My policy is not to charge for my hols, parents pay full for theirs.

I mind siblings A and B Mondays and Fridays. They have a term time contract, Mum pays half over school holidays and they have a sibling discount.

Mindees C and D come Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Contracts state full fee is due for Bank Hols if it falls on a contracted day.

I'm happy not to charge at all for the non Bank holiday days, even the siblings (thought of very cute A and a Christmas Tree gives me shudders lol!) but what do I do about the Bank Holidays? Can I still charge for them even though for A and B its in school holidays and technically not a contracted day? And for C and D - do I charge for 28th December?

Sorry this is long! I'm tempted to take the easy route and say no charges but don't want to cheat myself. And A and B are already on quite a good deal. Oh I don't know what to do. Please help me...xx

[Lady Haha]

Firstly, I'm pretty sure you can't charge for the bank hols that fall in school holidays if its a termtime only contract.

Secondly, I'm confused about you asking whether to charge for 28th. If you have taken the whole period off as your own holiday and starting back on 5th Jan, then you are on holiday on 28th and as you don't charge for holidays, then I don't think you can charge for that day unless you are willing to work it if asked (at a very high rate of course!!!)

I don't think not charging for any of it is the easy way out or cheating yourself, I think it's the fairest wasy to be honest:)

[singlewiththree]

I know there have been posts on here before about Christmas (and I think next time I update my contracts I'm going to spell out what will happen) but right now I'm getting myself confused over charges.

This is what I would do
I intend to take the whole of the Christmas school holidays off. My last working day will be Wednesday 22nd December and I start back Wednesday 5th January. My policy is not to charge for my hols, parents pay full for theirs.

I mind siblings A and B Mondays and Fridays. They have a term time contract, Mum pays half over school holidays and they have a sibling discount.
I wouldn't charge as you are on holiday therefore no fee and I don't charge BH at christmas, technically the boxing day is on the monday so if you do decide to charge for the bank holiday then it would be this one

Mindees C and D come Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
No fee at all as its your holiday

Contracts state full fee is due for Bank Hols if it falls on a contracted day.

I'm happy not to charge at all for the non Bank holiday days, even the siblings (thought of very cute A and a Christmas Tree gives me shudders lol!) but what do I do about the Bank Holidays? Can I still charge for them even though for A and B its in school holidays and technically not a contracted day? And for C and D - do I charge for 28th December?

Sorry this is long! I'm tempted to take the easy route and say no charges but don't want to cheat myself. And A and B are already on quite a good deal. Oh I don't know what to do. Please help me...xx

I personally feel that I can't charge for the days I don't work so even though you feel you are losing out, you are getting a long deserved holiday :)

[babs]

I'm taking christmas off too and i don't charge for my hols so no pay.. i go back a little earlier then you on the monday...

[curlycathy]

I thought the answer is not to charge at all but then I started thinking- and thinking - and thinking and got confused. I knew thinking was bad for me:)

This is the first year that I put into the contracts that I would charge for bank holidays - never done if before but then got thinking that parents get paid it so why not??? But given that - apart from Christmas - Bank Hols are usually a Friday or Monday and in school hols I'm probably not going to benefit much!!! Ah well - at least the May one is my dds birthday and will be able to charge for that...:)

Thank you for your responses, I am easily confused I know:blush:

So - no charges, long holiday and no worries about a Christmas tree being pulled over:laughing:

Starting back on 5th cos the 4th is our wedding anniversary:clapping:

[breezy]

glad thats sorted :laughing:

[LeanneC]

Hmmm sorry to throw a spanner in the works BUT

Why dont you charge for your hols? if you where employed you would get paid and the parents when they take their hols get paid??
I charge half fee for all my hols and half fee for bank holidays too if child the does not attend otherwise I double the fee if I work but I have not had to yet (As of next year I will be charging full fee for bank hols as do all cm in my area which i didnt know). For christmas i dont charge obviously for Christmas day boxing day and new years day but all others I do charge half fee as its my holidays as they are normal days and I would prob be asked to work them. Last year a parent text me asking if I would work Boxing day :eek:

Hope that makes sense

[aly]

Hmmm sorry to throw a spanner in the works BUT

Why dont you charge for your hols?

a lot of people dont charge for their hols as they see it that you are unavailable and the parents would have to pay double for childcare.!...I dont charge but I do charge full fee for the parents hols/sickness.

[Pipsqueak]

Hmmm sorry to throw a spanner in the works BUT



throwing the spanner back lol;)
I don't charge and I think I would be totally out of work if I did.

I know NCMA recommend we negotiate paid hols/time off - but I'm not working and its my choice to close the setting. I charge a slightly higher rate and it sort of covers my hols.

[Penny1959]

A complicated subject.

As I used to tutor a childminders business and marketing course for new childminders - this is the advice I gave - hope it helps.

Charging for holidays is a moral issue - you are either comfortable with it or you are not.

BUT there are ways to get holiday pay without feeling guilty!

A) Charge a lower fee than other childminders in your area, all year round. Explain this to parents when they start, saying that although charge all year you have a lower fee structure. Often parents like this as it helps with their budgeting to spread the cost a little.

I personally do this (and used to when last registered) and have NEVER had a parent object. It is all about explaining it properly.

B) Work out what you need to earn in a whole year from each place that you offer (ie under five place, school age place) and divide this amount by the number of weeks that you work - this is then your your weekly fee for a full time place - you then divide by number of hours you work in a week and you end up with your standard hourly fee. Then you just add for any extras such as unsocial hours etc and subtract for any discounts that you offer.

I find it helps to have options when setting your fees - for example all year round, short term contracts, occassional childminding etc. As parents then have a choice - of course you will have made sure that which ever option they choice it is to your benefit and provides the income that you need / are happy with.

If you would like to veiw my fee structure take a look at my website www.********************* this will give you an idea of different fee options - of course remember that in my area average fees for childminding maybe higher or lower that your area - so the actual amounts should not be considered important - just the options I offer. And of course you may decide that one option would meet your needs.

So my final advice:-

It does not matter what you charge and if all year round or not - it is YOUR business - you are your own boss - just make sure you are happy with your decision - because once fees are set parents will then object if you change your mind and try to enforce changes (other than the normal annual review / small increase).

Good luck.

[curlycathy]

Hmm now spanners are flying they might hit me on the head and I'll be even more confused:panic:

I've always taken the view that if I close the setting I don't charge cos parents may end up paying twice for childcare. Also I don't have it set in my contracts how many holidays I take - I explain to parents that I'll probably have time off at Christmas, about a week in the summer and then I might have a few days here and there in the other school holidays. Because I don't charge I don't feel limited (don't take a lot of time off but the option is there if I want to) and I give them more than a months notice. I do charge full for parents holidays though - I used to tell them that if I filled the place I wouldn't charge but then found that a couple of parents were swapping days around and I would end up working more days for no more pay so stopped that. Now if I fill a space it comes off their next invoice!

Penny - you've given me a lot to think about. My contract reviews aren't until next year though. At least it gives me plenty of time to get my head around it all:laughing: :laughing:

Pip - I'm still loving you!!!!!