Time changes!

[hixstar]

I just wanted to get some advice from you if that's ok.

I have a family of 2 children who I mind for.

I was collecting them on a Wednesday morning at 7.30 and bringing them back for breakfast and taking one of them back to school afterwards for 9am. I need to accommodate another child on a Wednesday now and this would mean I cannot collect them on the Wednesday mornings as I would not make it back in time. I have asked the parents to drop them to me and they have told me this is not feasible for them and want me to now pick one of them up from nursery at 9 after the school drop off and not have the other child at all in the morning. This is fine for me to do timing wise but feel this is slightly unfair with regards to losing out on the 1.5 hours each they originally had as they now do not want to use my services from 7.30am and want me to adjust my future invoicing.

I just wanted to see what your thoughts are on this and what you would do?!

[blue bear]

It really depends how you sold your service in the first place if the 7-30 start was dependent on you picking them up and you agreed to that and never mentioned you wouldn't be willing to do it in the future if another mindee came along, then you are breaking the contract not them and you should be giving them the relevant notice as per your contract or paying them if you can't give that notice.

If however you had made it clear and it's on the contract that you were only doing the pick ups as a favour and would not continue with the pick ups if it interfered with future mindees then they should give you the relevant notice as per your contract to change hours.


Either way it's up to them if they want to change hours but equally it's upto you if you want to continue with the arrangement under the new terms.

[TAZ]

I would agree with Bluebear.

Was it the fact that you would collect from them that enabled them to go with you in the first place? (I had a childminder friend who, when she moved out of the local area, came to collect & drop off the children so that she did not loose them as mindees. It would not have been feasible for the family to take the children to her new home before doing their work commute)

[migimoo]

I'd imagine you could probably argue your case but only insist on payment for the 4 week notice period as they could count it as simply changing required hours?

[bunyip]

OP, I'm assuming you one of the following applies to the current arrangement (ie. you pick up the lo from their home):-

1. It is written in the contract.
2. You agreed verbally to do so.
3. It's being going on for a while, so it's reasonable to consider it to be what usually happens (or in contractual terms, it has become 'custom and practice.)

If one or more of that list applies, then the parents are probably entitled to claim that you are changing the contracted terms and they are entitled to 4 weeks' notice of any change, rather than the other way round I'm afraid.

However, I agree with what Taz says, that:

"If however you had made it clear and it's on the contract that you were only doing the pick ups as a favour and would not continue with the pick ups if it interfered with future mindees then they should give you the relevant notice as per your contract to change hours."

Hope you get it sorted ok.

[The Juggler]

was the pick up from the house contracted and did you make it clear it would have to stop if you took on another child?

Contractually, you need to give them 4 weeks notice before you stop the pick up (if you agreed to this) and they will then pay you normal fees for this period. To be fair to them, I think I'd give them 4 weeks notice anyway even if it wasn't contractual. They have now given you notice of a change of hours becuase of this, which also needs 4 weeks notice so all the old contracted hours stop at the same time and you start afresh with the new reduced hours.

they can't drop the hours immediately without the 4 weeks notice. You don't HAVE to agree to it but it would seem silly to lose business over an hour and half.