Reached the end of my rope

Morning Everyone.

This may be a long post and im sorry.
I have tow issues that are driving me mad first of all one of my parents came to me before easter and said
she needed to drop of her child at 8 rather than 10 and she would be collected earlier as a result.
Her weekly fee wasn't increased because of the fact she was going to go earlier. I seem to be doing alot more hours for no more money. On friday she only paid half of my weekly
fee into my bank account when she came to get her child she told me that May was a financially nasty month for her and that my payments maybe affected but all would be back to normal by the end of the month. I just could not believe it and as I was dealing with another parent at the time she got away with it.
Secondly my assistant she is coming in late, when she first started all the paperwork was being done she now works 37 hours a week on the minimum wage is costing me £1000 per month and im not getting anything for it we are so far behind on paperwork its not even funny and i just dont know what to do or how to handle it.
Everyone is walking all over me and it needs to stop just dont know where to start.

Susie.:(

:( Sounds like it's time to do a full review of your practise/setting and send out letters stating all changes you need to happen. I had to do this a couple of years ago now. I reviewed everyones hours and rates, and explained that this was how it was going to be, but I fully understood if parents wanted to give notice. I actually went from paying from hours attended to paying for contracted hours, so their bills all rose quite a lot. I explained that if I carried on as was then I would need to close as my business was not viable. I was very surprised when all paretns very happily complied and resigned their updated contracts immediately.
I found just writing it all down, matter of fact style, was the best way forward for me. It left no room for parents to question or walk all over me (my current parents wouldn't but back then they were shocking).
It's probably the best way forward with your assistant too. Whilst reviewing terms of your service review terms of her employment. Just call it a routine review of setting.

I really do feel for you. Everything seems to be pile up so quickly in this business. Hope you can get it sorted for yourself xxx

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Originally Posted by windles

Morning Everyone.

This may be a long post and im sorry.
I have tow issues that are driving me mad first of all one of my parents came to me before easter and said
she needed to drop of her child at 8 rather than 10 and she would be collected earlier as a result.
Her weekly fee wasn't increased because of the fact she was going to go earlier. I seem to be doing alot more hours for no more money. On friday she only paid half of my weekly
fee into my bank account when she came to get her child she told me that May was a financially nasty month for her and that my payments maybe affected but all would be back to normal by the end of the month. I just could not believe it and as I was dealing with another parent at the time she got away with it.
Secondly my assistant she is coming in late, when she first started all the paperwork was being done she now works 37 hours a week on the minimum wage is costing me £1000 per month and im not getting anything for it we are so far behind on paperwork its not even funny and i just dont know what to do or how to handle it.
Everyone is walking all over me and it needs to stop just dont know where to start.

Susie.:(

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Have you considered doing a performance appraisal on your assistant?
Regardless of the time she has been employed by you it needs to address her role and responsibilities if she is not complying to her contract.

Appraisals look at the strengths and weaknesses and where performance can be improved, training provided and also support

Give it a go
This may help you decide and adapt to your setting

Performance appraisal - what is human resource ?

Good luck!

Would you make more money if you didn't employ anyone else?

£1000 a month seems an awful lot to pay an assistant? You might be better going alone...

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Originally Posted by mumofone

£1000 a month seems an awful lot to pay an assistant? You might be better going alone...

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Sounds like the assistant is employed by the childminder so they have to be paid min wage.

Right time for you tell the parent they either pay for the extra hours they are using or they are to be collected on time. If they dont collect on time have you got a late pick fee?

As for the parent not paying you the rght money you need to tell her straight when you expect it to be paid by - again Im unsure what you have in your contracts regarding late payment.

As for your assistant you need to do an appraissal asap. Explain to her that standards have dropped on all sides and that they have to be raised for the improvement of your setting.

Its hard dealing sometimes with difficult situations but once you do it people will start to respect you again. Just think when you are discussing that we will all be right behind you :thumbsup:

My assistant is employed so I have to pay minimum wage,which I wouldnt mind paying if everything was up to date.
I told the mum in question that I needed to do a review and asked her to confirm her weekly hours, she text last night and said she needed me for 38 hours a week
and she also realised that she has not been paying enough money.

Thanks everyone.

Susie.

All assistants are employees...unless cms work with a co-minder...then it is totally different and it works on a different level even for HMRC.

We now have the National Living Wage at £7.20 ph (there is no minimum wage anymore as the Chancellor renamed it)...multiply that by 37 hours and it is £ 266.40 per week ....so well over £1000 per month.

No matter how much you pay your employee should be able to comply with the Terms of her contract and carry out required responsibilities including any paperwork that you have both agreed to share
If she is falling behind in her responsibilities she needs to be able to explain why and what the problem is.

You really need to appraise your employee or review her contract...both have a right and a duty to have that done
Parents' payment must also be reviewed...no parents should be left unclear on what they must pay, how and when.....those are the basics of running a sustainable business.

Morning all.

After months of stressing out over my assiatnt and constantly changing my mind I have decided to cut my assistant hours
from 37 to 16 hours per week.
I have had one child leave and another change her hours so instead of stressing and trying to fill spaces to cover her wages im just going to
drop her hours. I feel really bad and have spent most of the night worrying over it. This morning my assisatnt walks in over half an hour late and then tells me when she has done
the school run she is going to pop into her mums and drop off her overnight bag.She has booked half a days holiday today and is only working until 12pm.
I have just realised that this decision is long over due Im also going to tell her that if i loose anymore children I will have to lay her off completely and i will just go back to working
on my own.


Susie.

Hours cut, or no hours cut your assistant needs her bum kicked. You need a sit down meeting with her about the problems. Doesn't have to be horrible. Just explain how her lateness and disappearing to do as she pleases is causing your problems. And how u need to get on top of the paperwork. Its you that gets it in the neck if Ofsted dont see what they need to see at i spection. Once the problems have been discussed you'll have every reason to take action if things dont improve

You are spot on with that she pretty much ignored on for the day when I told her on Friday. Can only imagine what she is going to be like tommorrow but enough is enough
its my business my name on the certificate if she dosent like it then tough.

Sue.