Charging holiday pay

[libbyliberty]

I have just started childminding in February one boy after school and school holidays. The parents are unhappy with my contract and do not wish to pay for my holidays. What I have done is charged them £4.25 ph after school for 2.5 hours a day, I include a snack and a hot meal in that price. This is cheap for the area I live in some childminders charge £6.50ph or £15 viseminiumum charge.

I have asked for half pay for my holiday, I am planning on taking 3 weeks a year.

I was advised to do this by the NCMA but now I cannot find anything on their website to back it up, can anyone help.

Thanks

Libby

[miffy]

Did parents sign the contract? Holiday pay should have been sorted out then.

I charge in full for parents holidays but nothing for my own (on the basis that parents have to pay for other childcare if I am not working). I do have a bit in my contracts about having two weeks paid holiday a year which I use if parents never take any holiday.

If you explained your terms and conditions when parents signed up then I would stand your ground - you are perfectly entitled to charge for your holidays - some parents will try and get away with paying you nothing!

Miffy xx

[caz3007]

I charge half for mine and theirs. No one has ever queried it and only one parent said she was she didnt have to pay full for her holiday as she had to when her older child was with a minder.

If they have signed, then they have agreed to it. You are self employed so allowed to set your own terms and if parents dont like it, then they look elsewhere for one they do

[rickysmiths]

I have just started childminding in February one boy after school and school holidays. The parents are unhappy with my contract and do not wish to pay for my holidays. What I have done is charged them £4.25 ph after school for 2.5 hours a day, I include a snack and a hot meal in that price. This is cheap for the area I live in some childminders charge £6.50ph or £15 viseminiumum charge.

I have asked for half pay for my holiday, I am planning on taking 3 weeks a year.

I was advised to do this by the NCMA but now I cannot find anything on their website to back it up, can anyone help.

Thanks

Libby


Golly how will you survive on 3 weeks a year? I bet the parents have more. The min an employer is allowed to give a worker on min wage is 25 days.

I take 25 days now and I am paid full fee for it. NCMA recommend a min of 4 weeks holiday for us and section19 on the back of page 3 of their Contracts recommends no more than 4 weeks off for the parent.

Effectively I am paid, like most Nurseries, 52 weeks a year. I am not paid if I am off sick or if due to unforseen circumstances I need more than 25 days off.

I always puzzle at the thing that parents will always need to pay for childcare when I am away. Why? I give them my holiday dates in Jan for at least 20 of the days for the year and I can sometimes be a bit flexible so we can talk about dates.

I then find that the majority of them choose to go on holiday at the same time and then they don't incure extra childcare costs and of course they are paid for their holiday. I have also found in recent years that parents often have more days holiday than I do. The other thing is that 2 parents can work together to cover holiday if they want too.


I charge half fee for all school holidays for the term time only children. I don't fill the places in the holidays and with 4 weeks notice the parent can choose to use the space and top up the fee for any days used.

[caz3007]

I also only take 3 weeks holidays a year, but I only work a 4 day week and insist my day off is sacred until 3 when I do school pick ups

[Penny1959]

Like Rickysmiths I charge full for my holidays and parents have never questioned it.

I agree you should stand your ground - it is your business and set the terms and conditions. You should explain before they sign contracts - once signed no changes can be made without the appropriate notice period to do so.

Penny :)

[alwaysright]

if its in your contract to be paid for holidays i too would stand my my ground! i have just had something similar myself. i currently charge full fees for their holidays and half for mine, maximum 4 weeks per year. mum tryed to pull that one, why should i pay you if i have to pay someone else, so i tactfully explained that seeing as you are a student and i take school holiday times off how can you have to pay someone else??!! i give my holidays ages in advance so we can co-ordinate and its the only time off i get, mine get sent in even when the parents are off which was why i started charging. anyway i stood my ground and she realised that she was going to have to pay. she agreed to all my fees at the start of the contract! funny how some people try to wangle things to suit themselves :D

[The Juggler]

I also only take 3 weeks holidays a year, but I only work a 4 day week and insist my day off is sacred until 3 when I do school pick ups

me too but I have a day off in the week too and work only 3 days in each school hols so that adds up to lots more.:)

however, hon, I agree, stand your ground. they signed a contract agreeing to paying you 1/2 for your hols. You could tell them this is how you keep your hourly rate so cheap. You could always offer them the alternative of putting up your hourly fees to the average local rate and then charging nothign for your hols. ;) :)