Holiday pay!

[Kitty B]

Hi. I've been childminding for many years but always been unsure about holiday pay. At present I take 2 weeks of per year and parents are charged half pay for those two weeks. If their holidays don't coincide then should I charge full pay for the week or two that they are off. I would really appreciate people's views on this matter.

[moggy]

You only take 2 weeks holiday a year??! Wow, that is not much. It is so little that charging half fees for you holiday is more than fair.

I charge half fees for my up-to-5 weeks a year. I charge full fees for whatever holiday/days-off the families want to take. I do not want to get into discussions about how many weeks off they have had or having to have notice of family's holidays and having to adapt my invoices and families changing their minds... if I am open then they pay full fees. Never had a problem or a complaint about it and makes my life easy. I like easy.

[JoRo163]

I take 5 weeks a year. I don't charge for my holiday, but if parents take time off while I'm available to work, they pay full fee.

[lollipop kid]

I take 5 weeks paid holiday at full fee, (plus the Public holidays if they fall on a parent's day). I give parents a list of dates for the year at the beginning of January (or end December the previous year). My holiday dates always coincide with the dates that the schools and nurseries local to me are on holiday.

I circulate the dates in advance, and the first dates I take off each year are some either side of Easter. This is in a bid to enable parents to co-ordinate their leave with mine. This method works well at my setting. Any holiday the parents take outwith my list of dates (when I am available for work) is charged at full fee.

I hope it helps.

The first year I worked, parents all took holiday at different dates (having joined at different times), and I found that I had to work 52 weeks in a row that year. I was shattered as I just didn't get a break. With my current system, this guarantees that I take a break so that I am always fresh for the children, whether I go away or not. (Most times I don't go anywhere - I just use the down-time to make improvements to my setting/get repairs or sprucing up done to my house, etc.)

L

[mumofone]

I really regret my decision on this, I don't charge for mind or theirs but wish now that I had said I would but I'm new and wanted customers through the door!! :-)

[Mouse]

I take 4 or 5 weeks holiday a year.

I don't charge for my time off but charge full fee for any time the child is off. Some parents book their holidays to coincide with mine, but most don't. I only look after pre-school aged children and most parents take holidays in term time when it's cheaper. I always take my holiday during the school holidays so it doesn't usually coincide with their plans.

[natlou82]

I also take between 4/5 weeks per year at no fee theirs are usually full fee, but I did decide not long ago to offer my full time clients up to 4 weeks unpaid. My reason for this is clear: my families all work their holidays around mine, which in turn means for the rest of the year I'm extremely busy. I wanted a better work / life balance so doing it this way works for me and I'm much happier - for instance next week I get to attend my DDs sports day child free which to me is a much bigger bonus than earning and struggling to watch her :-) I'm also not manic through the Summer hols which again is important to me :-). The bonus of being self employed is that you can decide what is right for you.

[loocyloo]

I take 5 weeks plus random days.
I don't charge parents if I am not available to work .... However... my fees include a half fee for holidays ( ie ... I charge £4/hr plus 21p/hr ( half fee × 5 wks ÷ 47 weeks )) I then save that extra each month!
If parents take time off when I am working/available, then I charge them full fee.
I really need my time off! I give my parents my holiday dates at the start of the year and most fit into them. Usually I have 2 weeks at Christmas, 2 weeks in august and a week at Easter.

[chris goodyear]

I make it easy - if I'm open it's full fee for whatever reason, if I'm closed then no charge.

[mumofone]

I think I'm gonna change my charges going forward!

[AliceK]

I take 5 weeks a year. I don't charge for my holiday, but if parents take time off while I'm available to work, they pay full fee.

Same here

xx

[amanda1309]

I take 6/7 weeks a year I don't charge when I'm off but it's full pay if parents take different times to me.
I hand out my dates in January x

[Kitty B]

Thanks guys! So it seems the general census is unpaid when we are off and full pay at any other time. It's made me think and also the fact that maybe 2 weeks a year isn't enough, at the end of the day that's only 10 days!

[lollipop kid]

Thanks guys! So it seems the general census is unpaid when we are off and full pay at any other time. It's made me think and also the fact that maybe 2 weeks a year isn't enough, at the end of the day that's only 10 days!

Kitty, just beware of this one. I hand my dates out at the beginning of January. My parents all co-ordinate their dates with mine.

Knowing my parents as I do, if I told them that I wouldn't charge for my holiday dates, but I would charge for theirs, then none would take holiday at different times to me, and all would expect me not to charge for my holidays (despite the fact that they too were on holiday at the same time. Would they tell me they were taking holiday at the same time as me? Why would they? No, knowing my parents, they'd just text me and say: "Have a lovely time" and that would be it).

Just flagging!

All the best,

L

[k1rstie]

I think I'm gonna change my charges going forward!

I think that would be a good idea for you.

[Simona]

Thanks guys! So it seems the general census is unpaid when we are off and full pay at any other time. It's made me think and also the fact that maybe 2 weeks a year isn't enough, at the end of the day that's only 10 days!

You are a small business and you can decide what works for you in terms of holiday...whether you charge full, half fee ot not at all.
The number of days you take ...again.. this is your choice...we are all different and it will depend on your family's needs too.

Do consider stating how many 'Days leave' you take rather than weeks...there is a very good reason behind this ....one being in case you want the 'odd day off'

Good luck in your decision...whatever you do it can always be changed and reviewed in your contract