Christmas charges...

[Little miss]

I'm interested to know who works what over the festive period and what days you charge for - for example : Christmas Day and Boxing Day are bank holidays which fall on week days - would you charge for these days if stated in your contract that you charge for all BH but are closed?
Interested to hear all views

[sprinkles]

I've been wondering this too....although I only have one family just now which are tto so I'm hoping I will get two weeks off over Xmas and new year. I won't be charging for the bank holiday days though as my fees policy states I don't work them so don't charge for them. Which days are actually bank holidays - is it just Xmas day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day?

[Ripeberry]

Unless you are prepared to work Xmas day and Boxing day then you can't charge for them. Would you honestly work on those days? I know lots of people work Boxing day but then it would be double time.
It's up to you, we make our own rules

[adedwards68]

[QUOTE="Ripeberry;1303592"]Unless you are prepared to work Xmas day and Boxing day then you can't charge for them. Would you honestly work on those days? I know lots of people work Boxing day but then it would be double time. It's up to you, we make our own rules [/QUOTE
My daughter works at next she loved to be paid double time on the Boxing Day sales!

Sent from my iPhone using Childminding Forum

[Little miss]

My contracts state I charge for bank holidays even though I am closed - my parents have signed these contracts - so surely you would expect that on Xmas day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day to be charged?

[supermumy]

I get paid fr all bank holidays but I've told them I don't work them never had a problem

[FussyElmo]

I will be closing on the 20th December and reopening the 6th January at no charge because I don't want any mindees here its family time

[Chimps Childminding]

I will be closing on the 20th December and reopening the 6th January at no charge because I don't want any mindees here its family time

This is what I'm doing this year!!! Was off sick last year, but the year before 2 parents said they needed me between Christmas and New Year (different days), so I worked, only to find that neither parent was actually at work I choose not to work BH's so don't charge for them either!!!

[charlottenash]

I will be closing on the 20th December and reopening the 6th January at no charge because I don't want any mindees here its family time

Same for me finish 21st reopen 6th jan

[ziggy]

I will be closing on the 20th December and reopening the 6th January at no charge because I don't want any mindees here its family time

Same here, I dont charge if i'm not open. To be honest I couldnt charge for days if i wasnt prepared to work.

[Daisy De]

I really struggle with this BH thing.

If you are prepared to work them then I can see you would charge normal if not used and an enhanced fee if they are, so I suppose that would include Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

I don't work any BHs, I don't want to, so I would find it impossible morally to charge parents, I can't justify it in my own mind let alone explain to a parent. The common argument about parents get paid so why shouldn't we, I do not understand as they are employed, we are self-employed and as such, in my eyes, give up some rights of employed people, being paid for BHs is one of them.

Just my opinion and, at the end of the day, we can all run our businesses as we like but my philosophy is when I'm open you pay, when I'm closed you don't

[Little miss]

Supermumy will you be charging for Xmas and Boxing Day but be closed then?

[supermumy]

Yes and all bank holiday Monday I have off too

Only time I don't charge is if I'm sick or my 4 weeks holiday

I've never had a parent argue about it and even had a few say we get paid why shouldn't you I do get lovely parents

[Mouse]

It depends what it says in your contracts.

Some people charge for all bank holidays, but don't work them. Others only charge if they're prepared to work them. That's what I do. My contracts say that if I'm available to work a bank holiday I charge for it - full fee if the child doesn't attend, double fee if they do. I'm not prepared to work Christmas, New year or Easter bank hols, so never charge for those.

If it says in your contracts that you charge for all bank holidays you're within your rights to charge in full for christmas day, boxing day and New Year. But what if you're taking the rest of the week off? Do you charge if a bank holiday falls within your annual holiday?

I'm finishing work on 19th Dec & starting back again on 6th Jan. I don't charge for any of that time.

[Mouse]

Yes and all bank holiday Monday I have off too

Only time I don't charge is if I'm sick or my 4 weeks holiday

I've never had a parent argue about it and even had a few say we get paid why shouldn't you I do get lovely parents

Out of interest, what if a bank holiday falls withing your 4 weeks holiday? That's why I don't charge for christmas, new year and easter bank holidays - because I always take those times as holiday.

[funemnx]

Years ago, I used to play chicken with the parents when Christmas was coming up and see who booked off first - obviously if they booked off first, I got paid for it. It got too stressful and I now book off the week of Christmas and go back on January 2nd. I used to hate working right up to 6.30 on Christmas Eve so parents could finish their shopping and wrapping. I don't charge for the BH because I don't want to work them

[rickysmiths]

I am prepared to work BH with notice and for a higher fee.

If the parents don't want to use a BH and it falls on a contracted day they pay normal fee and that is for all 8 BH.

If they want me to work they have to book the day in writing 4 weeks before.

Then Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day are charged at 3 x normal fee. All other BH are charged at 2 x fee.

This is all clearly written into my Contract and in my Fees Policy.

[supermumy]

Out of interest, what if a bank holiday falls withing your 4 weeks holiday? That's why I don't charge for christmas, new year and easter bank holidays - because I always take those times as holiday.

To be honest I've never took the whole 4weeks I take 2 weeks August for my holiday and don't really bother with rest unless something comes up and can give plenty of notice
My school kid is term time only and I only ever only take 1 full time child at a time and even than his only 3 days anyway so with my 4 kids it makes no difference to me when I'm working
My contacts states I don't charge if ill or on my holiday full pay for thier holiday sickness bank holidays

[cathtee]

I charge for normal bank holidays but not xmas day, boxing day or new years day, all my parents are fine with this I also don't charge
for when I'm away or sick but full pay if they are.

[Mrs Scrubbit]

I normally take a couple of weeks off over the xmas hols xx