Holiday charges: fair?

[greenfields]

Term time only: half fee if not using service during school holidays.

No fee bank holiday (I do not work bank holidays).

Child’s holiday: half fee up to two weeks, full fee more than two weeks.
Childminder’s holiday: no fee.


Do you think this is fair? Someone has suggested I am being overly generous offering half fee holidays if term time only, half fee for child's holiday and none for mine.

[scottishlass]

I am not yet registered but was thinking of doing full fee for child's holidays unless taken at same time as mine and then would be no fee. Also no fee for my holidays. I was thinking for term time contracts of charging £1.50 extra per hour so they pay a higher rate but no retainer.

[wendywu]

I do no fee when i am away or ill and full fee all other times as i am available to work.

You are running a business and i think you are doing yourself a disservice here.

[silvermist]

I do no fee if im ill or on my hols.
Full fee if child is ill and half fees if child/family are on holiday xx

[greenfields]

I do no fee when i am away or ill and full fee all other times as i am available to work.

You are running a business and i think you are doing yourself a disservice here.

Do you charge half fee during school holidays for teachers etc who do not want child are then?

[Zumba-mum]

I have one minde who comes only once awk term time, what i decided to do was charge them a higher rate £4.5hr but no fee in the holidays, i charge full fee if they go away in term time and for illness, no fee for my holiday or illness. HTH

[greenfields]

I end up asking parents, who work at schools, if they are going to use me for the following school holiday. This can be a pain at times because parents tend to have to think about it meaning invoices can be late.

[The Juggler]

if I was offering no fee for my holidays I'd charge full fee for parents or if half fee for parents then half fee for mine. but it's personal to you hon.

I offer term time only with no fee for school hols so you are making back that way - it's up to you.

[greenfields]

if I was offering no fee for my holidays I'd charge full fee for parents or if half fee for parents then half fee for mine. but it's personal to you hon.

I offer term time only with no fee for school hols so you are making back that way - it's up to you.

It's still a bit early in the morning, trying to get my grad around this now... So you charge for holidays usually but school holidays are not charged for school staff?

[wendywu]

I charge half fee in holidays for teaches children.

[manjay]

I do no fee when i am away or ill and full fee all other times as i am available to work.

Same for me. I did start off with only charging half fee for the first 2 weeks of the child's holiday but that soon changed

For term time only I would normally charge half fees for the holidays but tbh I look at each case individually. Sometimes I prefer not to have some of the older children during school hols as this can affect the dynamics of the group so I would probably not charge in that instance. I currently only have one TTO and it is a teacher in our local village school. She is one of my best marketing tools so I don't charge her through the school hols

You have to do what you feel comfortable with but it can be quite hard to change once it is set up.

[FussyElmo]

Im TTO only and I dont charge when Im off BUT its my choice to do so and 2 sets of parents would use me in the holidays if I opened. I dont feel I can charge half fee when its me who is not available

If I worked in the school holidays and the parents didnt want to use me then its half fee

[rickysmiths]

Term time only: half fee if not using service during school holidays.

No fee bank holiday (I do not work bank holidays).

Child’s holiday: half fee up to two weeks, full fee more than two weeks.
Childminder’s holiday: no fee.


Do you think this is fair? Someone has suggested I am being overly generous offering half fee holidays if term time only, half fee for child's holiday and none for mine.

Why? They have the option to go on holiday when you do and therefore pay no fees. I always charge my parents full fee if they choose to go away when I am working. I would go bankrupt if I charged them a reduced fee for 2 weeks a year. I would effectively loose 3.5 weeks money then if I didn't charge for my holidays either I would loose 8.5 weeks so in effect I would be working for free for 2 months a year?????

[tinyp164]

I agree!
I have been open 6mths now and I'm already feeling the downfalls of being 'nice'! I allow 3weeks free for both me and parents, double fee on bank hols (as one parent required), then child sick days are full fee...however, one parent thinks as she isn't using her 3 weeks free she is entitled to using sick days as free! This is not acceptible and I had to have words...ggrrr! Its so true you are running a business and now because of me being 'nice' I'm not getting paid for any of xmas (all using as hols) or when the children go on holiday (one family went for 2 weeks and I lost a lot as siblings are full time). As soon as my contracts are up for renewal I am putting my fees to be able to benefit me.
Please dont fall into the trap I did! x

[jackie 7]

I charge 1/2 rate for my holidays and bank holidays, full if parents take holiday outside mine, I try to give 4-5 months notice. If i am too sick to work no charge but if child sick full. Nurseries charge most of the year.parents paid 52 weeks.

[Saaliha]

I put in the contract

No fee if i m off
Full fee all other times as i m available to work
Now parent asking to negotiate it, they havent signed the contract yet
They r saying fee can be negotiated if they give early notice for a month leave.
But honestly i m not interested at ll to negotiate the charges as i have to hold up the place for them

Am i sound bit cheeky??

Any advice is more welcome

[mum24]

I charge half fee when child on holiday, full fees at all other times.
I have one child term time only, and negotiated with mum 6 weeks half fees, to keep a place open. She occasionally takes one or two days of these and pays me the second half at the end of the holidays when I tot them up. she doesnt pay anything for the other weeks. But I am now specifiying which weeks are the half pay ones, and which weeks I am not available because of recent 'arguements' re availability.
I think we just need to think through one or two scenarios, of possible outcomes of our agreements, then decide if we can go with it.
I have one mum at the moment, who has been with me years, on child no. 2 now, but because I have been lax in letting her arrive late and then collect late - making up the time, she does this all the time now and expects to be able to switch days and hours as she likes, and I am feeling very used....my fault I know for allowing it to start, but will think again in future.

[notts]

I charge full fee for parent/child holiday/sickness and no fee for childminder holiday/sickness

[notts]

I dont' think there is anything to negotiate. They are your fees, end of.

[JueQ]

I don't charge when I'm not available (holidays, sickness etc) I have full time contracts whereby parents pay full rate for 50 weeks of the year regardless of sickness or holidays. I give 2 weeks holiday without charge. For my term time only, they pay full rate during term time and half rate during the holidays which is to keep their place open for the following term. I will mind the children in the hols if I can but am not legally entitled to with how I've worded my contracts.