holiday ! I know this has been done before

**mozarella** · 14-05-2009, 07:06 PM

but what do you do for holidays?

I was told in the course we are entitled to 4 weeks paid. So do you charge the full amount?

**Tatjana** · 14-05-2009, 07:10 PM

I haven't started minding yet so have no idea how it will go down with parents.

But what I have put in my fees & terms policy is that i'm closed for 2 weeks over Christmas and will charge full fees.

This is the only holiday i intend to charge for....well apart from BH's.

xx

**loocyloo** · 14-05-2009, 07:24 PM

i take about 4 weeks ( give or take a few days! ) holiday, and i don't charge. but, should a family take holiday whilst i am available, then they still pay full fees.

i have friends who charge half fees for their own and mindees holiday, but a few years ago, i had parents who decided to take a total of about 7 or 8 weeks holiday during termtime ! so if i had only charged half fees, i would have been earning less money, at a time when i couldn't go on holiday myself or do anything useful in the time, as i still had all the other children! this just confirmed to me that it made sense the way i do it!

i charge full fee for bank holidays, but only work if the parents pay a much higher hourly fee!

you just have to do what you feel comfortable with. xxx

**breezy** · 14-05-2009, 07:31 PM

i dont charge for my holidays

**wendywu** · 14-05-2009, 08:30 PM

I dont charge for my holidays but i do charge for Bank Holidays if it falls on their contracted days.

I think if you are starting from new i would try to get 52 weeks per year paid holidays. Sounds about fair all round

**nell57** · 14-05-2009, 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by loocyloo

i take about 4 weeks ( give or take a few days! ) holiday, and i don't charge. but, should a family take holiday whilst i am available, then they still pay full fees.

i have friends who charge half fees for their own and mindees holiday, but a few years ago, i had parents who decided to take a total of about 7 or 8 weeks holiday during termtime ! so if i had only charged half fees, i would have been earning less money, at a time when i couldn't go on holiday myself or do anything useful in the time, as i still had all the other children! this just confirmed to me that it made sense the way i do it!
i charge full fee for bank holidays, but only work if the parents pay a much higher hourly fee!

you just have to do what you feel comfortable with. xxx

This is exactly the same thing that happened to me when I first started minding.

Which is why I dont charge for my hols and full if they're off and i'm still available now, it suits me much better.

**wendywu** · 14-05-2009, 08:35 PM

Yes i am the same i get paid if they take time off and i am still working.

**Daftbat** · 14-05-2009, 08:37 PM

I take a broad view and i charge if i am available for work and don't charge if i am not.

**miffy** · 14-05-2009, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by wendywu

Yes i am the same i get paid if they take time off and i am still working.

Me too!

Miffy xx

**Toothfairy** · 14-05-2009, 08:59 PM

If I am ill or on holiday - I don't get paid
If mindees are ill or on holiday - I get paid full fees as I am still available to work.

**tobysanders** · 15-05-2009, 07:56 AM

Originally Posted by Toothfairy

If I am ill or on holiday - I don't get paid
If mindees are ill or on holiday - I get paid full fees as I am still available to work.

As a parent I am not comfortable that I have to cancel my holidays and also pay my child minder if my child is mildly ill - like has two loose stools. My childminder excludes him INCASE he is ill. I think it would be fairer if all sick days were 50% pay untill a Doctor confirms illness.

**sarah707** · 15-05-2009, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by tobysanders

As a parent I am not comfortable that I have to cancel my holidays and also pay my child minder if my child is mildly ill - like has two loose stools. My childminder excludes him INCASE he is ill. I think it would be fairer if all sick days were 50% pay untill a Doctor confirms illness.

There are 2 main problems here...

First off it is rare that a doctor can confirm illness without tests which they are reluctant to do because they are expensive and results often take a week to come back... we have to use our best judgement and yes of course we are sometimes wrong but we cannot take chances.

And if you have booked your childminder for a day's work, she is usually relying on that money to pay her bills and is entitled to be paid.

We have to follow the HPA information as stated here and we cannot take risks that other children will be ill or that we will come down with the infection and have to close ...

http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile.../1194947358374

If I am ill and close I am inconveniencing 6 families!

Plus of course if a child is ill then he needs to be with his parents and money should not be an issue.

I hope this clarifies the childminder's position

**sue** · 15-05-2009, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by sarah707

There are 2 main problems here...

First off it is rare that a doctor can confirm illness without tests which they are reluctant to do because they are expensive and results often take a week to come back... we have to use our best judgement and yes of course we are sometimes wrong but we cannot take chances.

And if you have booked your childminder for a day's work, she is usually relying on that money to pay her bills and is entitled to be paid.

We have to follow the HPA information as stated here and we cannot take risks that other children will be ill or that we will come down with the infection and have to close ...

http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile.../1194947358374

If I am ill and close I am inconveniencing 6 families!

Plus of course if a child is ill then he needs to be with his parents and money should not be an issue.

I hope this clarifies the childminder's position

yes l think it does

couldn,t put it better myself

**michellethegooner** · 15-05-2009, 10:24 PM

i charge full fee for their holidays none for mine same with sickness, full for child/parent sickness none for me/my family

**mumof1** · 15-05-2009, 10:47 PM

I havent started yet but my sister who is a childminder charges half pay for sickness and holidays and full pay for bank holidays. And at the end of the day if the child is sick, the childminder should get paid full or half pay.

Childminders have bills to pay aswell

**The Juggler** · 16-05-2009, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by tobysanders

As a parent I am not comfortable that I have to cancel my holidays and also pay my child minder if my child is mildly ill - like has two loose stools. My childminder excludes him INCASE he is ill. I think it would be fairer if all sick days were 50% pay untill a Doctor confirms illness.

I have considered doing half fee for sickness but if you have a child who is sick often then that could have a huge impact on income.

I do know childminders who ask for children to be collected or not brought for all sorts of dubious reasons and take lots of sick days themselves. However, at the same time I know most minders will put up with colds and temperatures to be flexible to parents (as otherwise the children would never be there) including children on antibiotics where they are not infectious when strictly speaking they should be at home with parents.

However, with any possibility of contagious infection then there is no choice for us as childminders in line with both regulations and consideration of other children. I understand how frustrating it is as a parent with work commitments but, if we as childminders get sick after catching illness form a child then we will inconvenience maybe 6 working families.

**kellywestie** · 17-05-2009, 12:51 PM

Hi,

I close for 2 weeks over Christmas and New Year and don't charge.

I also have 4 weeks holiday for both me and the mindees as half fees with 4 weeks notice. Any holidays the mindees take over and above this is charged at full fees.

I also have full fees if they are off sick but don't charge if I am off sick. I also don't charge if I need a day off but I do charge full fees for Bank Holidays which I don't work! (as I see it, everyone else in paid employment gets paid for Bank Holidays, so why are we any different)

All the parents that I have are fine with this as I tell them about it from the beginning and make sure they understand what they are signing for before they sign the contract.

I don't think there is a right or wrong way, just what you and your mindees parents are happy with. If you are fair with the parents I'm sure you'll be fine. Lots of people find the money side of things the hardest thing to talk to potential parents about because they really want/need the business but hopefully if you can sort it at the beginning you wont have problems later.

**mushpea** · 17-05-2009, 01:58 PM

I charge parents half fee for 4weeks holiday per year that they take as long as they give me 4 weeks notice of those hols
i dont charge for my holidys because as far as im concerned i charge parents for the space they use and if the space isnt there ie im away or ill then i dont charge
i also dont charge for bank holidays as i am not prepared to work them as this is my family time.

**Squiby** · 17-05-2009, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by mozarella

but what do you do for holidays?

I was told in the course we are entitled to 4 weeks paid. So do you charge the full amount?

completely OT but are you teh same Mozarella that uses hitched?

In answer to your question I charge 4 weeks at full pay for me and give the parent s 4 weeks at half pay. Anything above mine is unpaid and anything above theirs is full fee. They have to take theirs at different time to me to get it half fee or else it effectively is making my paid holiday at half fee.