This is why we charge for holidays/sickness

**berkschick** · 09-05-2008, 08:39 AM

I just thought I would post this as it might help the newbies when working out what to do about holidays and sickness.

This week M has been on hols her fees are £66.50

J has been poorly, his fees are £21.00

The twins are poorly, their fees are £58.00

I charge in full for both holidays and sickness so I have not lost any money but if I didnt, I would have lost £145.50

Through no fault of my own!

**mum22** · 09-05-2008, 09:01 AM

HI

I think this puts it in perspective - i had a bit of guilt trip re charging - but think i have come through that one now.

x
helen

**Polly2** · 09-05-2008, 09:15 AM

Absolutely right!

**miffy** · 09-05-2008, 09:25 AM

Think that was a good idea to post it Debbie - certainly puts it in perspective for those in any doubt what to do

After all we are running a business and still have bills to pay even when mindees do not come

Hope you've had a nice quiet week

miffy xx

**Banana** · 09-05-2008, 09:43 AM

This is why i wish I charged for bank holidays, I know that there arent that many but I lose out on £60 every bank holiday - thats £120 down this month alone. And who wants to be short of money at christmas... I wish I charged for xmas and boxing day!

Glad I do charge full fee for mindee sickness and holiday

x

**miffy** · 09-05-2008, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by Banana

This is why i wish I charged for bank holidays, I know that there arent that many but I lose out on £60 every bank holiday - thats £120 down this month alone. And who wants to be short of money at christmas... I wish I charged for xmas and boxing day!

Glad I do charge full fee for mindee sickness and holiday

x

I know you've mentioned this before lana but why don't you change it when you renew contracts?

miffy xx

**Banana** · 09-05-2008, 09:52 AM

Im going to leave it for now and bring in the changes in January, I am looking at lots of different things at the moment but the bank holiday is one I am defifnitely changing. Along with an hourly increase too.

x

**gailee** · 09-05-2008, 12:38 PM

HI all i charge for bank Holidays and i don't work them.Like everyone says its our business our rules! parents that work would get paid for bank hols or a day in lieu?? (i don't think that would work for us?) I even charge full day if it fulls on a week when schools are on holiday and the children come to me during holidays!! parent haven't mentioned anything thanks gail

**NikNak** · 09-05-2008, 01:59 PM

I am closed on bank holidays. I charge 50% of fee for all school and parents and my holidays. Do you think I should charge full fee or 50% of fee for the bank holidays? Any advice would be great thanks.x

**Chimps Childminding** · 09-05-2008, 10:31 PM

I dont really want to work Bank Holidays so don't feel I can charge, although like its been said in a month like this one where there are 2 of the blighters, you lose quite a bit of money!!!!!

Parents holidays I charge half for (nothing for mine)and sick I now charge full - i used to charge half, but one set of parents used to ring and say their children were sick when they fancied the odd day off, so they only had to pay half instead of full pay for occasional days!

**wendywu** · 09-05-2008, 11:37 PM

charge full for bank holidays, but you dont need to be on offer to work!

Think of it as payment for all the evenings and saturdays you spend doing training that you DONT get paid for. For all the extra hours you spend on top of a ten hour working day doing policies, re-writing policies, writing permission forms, printing resources off the internet, working out menus, printing off menus, printing photos, compiling newsletters, re-newing contracts, up dating emergency contact sheets, and so on and on and on and on and on.....can anyone see where i am going with this?

We are professionals and have to start thing of ourselves as such. I think we are due paid bank holidays. Think of all the unpaid time and effort you give to childminding.

**Pudding Girl** · 10-05-2008, 06:35 AM

Said it her before and sure I'll say it again!!

I have a real problem with people charging for Bank Hols and even Xmas when they have no intention of working, I feel this is completely wrong. BY all means charge if you are willing to accept the mindees in that day!

In the SCMA notes on pay and conditions booklet they really do frown upon people doing this on Bank Holidays.

We are Self Employed and cannot expect to get the same perks as an employed person. Would you pay a self employed plumber for his bank hols for instance? Think not.

Anyway, Berkschick, great post, hopefully people who feel uncomfortable about charging for mindee sickness/hols will change their minds!

**manjay** · 10-05-2008, 07:38 AM

I don't have a problem with charging for Bank Holidays. Parents are made very aware from the outset that this is the case. This is a quote from NCMA paperwork that was given to us on our ICP course.
"Do I have to pay my childminder holiday pay?
Childminders are self employed but unlike other self employed workers (plumbers, for instance) their income is restricted as they are limited by their registration in the number of children whom they care for. They are not free to take on extra work at busy times to earn more to cover their time off for holidays.
Why does my childminder ask me to pay for statutory public holidays?
Where the public holiday falls on a contracted day, the full fee is payable. Childminders, like other workers, are entitled to statutory holidays and would not normally be available to for work on those days. Childminders who are preared to work on public holidays would normally expect an enhanced fee. as mentioned above, childminders are restricted in the amount they may earn from childminding by registration restrictions and usually work for a low hourly rate"

amanda xx

**cuddlybunny38** · 10-05-2008, 07:44 AM

What i am doing is charging full fee for bank holiday and if they want me to work it I charge double fee. The only 2 bank holidays I do not charge for are xmas day and boxing day as I am not prepered to work so wont charge as I do not want to be caught out. Reason being is my sister has a freind with a minder and the minder charged for theses 2 days this xmas gone so the friend took her kids to the lady on both these days. The women minder refused to have them so the friend said well I am not paying you if you dont work, so I dont want to be stuck like this so have decided that I wont charge as I dont want to work ( as some people do shifts and do work these days this is what the friend did cared for elderly people so had to work) I will charge for all others but as parents dont want to pay double money you end up most of the time not working them any way, didnt work the last one. Sharon

**hello kitty** · 10-05-2008, 07:55 AM

I agree with cuddly bunny - I charge for bank hols but do not work them except for xmas day and boxing day - I feel it is a bit mean to charge for these two as I really have no intention of working then. For the other bh's I go through this when the parent signs the contract saying I will charge but will not work these days, there is no misunderstanding then.

**sue32** · 10-05-2008, 09:41 AM

After minding for over 18 years, I have change my charges for different reasons, the last one was about 6 years ago when instead of putting my fees up I told parents that I required payment for 52 weeks a year and full pay up to 2 weeks sick. I did not have any problem getting the money and at the moment I am full with a waiting list. If a parent fill that you give a good service then they will pay you. In the 18 years I have been minding I have always been full.

**Pudding Girl** · 10-05-2008, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by manjay

I don't have a problem with charging for Bank Holidays. Parents are made very aware from the outset that this is the case. This is a quote from NCMA paperwork that was given to us on our ICP course.
"Do I have to pay my childminder holiday pay?
Childminders are self employed but unlike other self employed workers (plumbers, for instance) their income is restricted as they are limited by their registration in the number of children whom they care for. They are not free to take on extra work at busy times to earn more to cover their time off for holidays.
Why does my childminder ask me to pay for statutory public holidays?
Where the public holiday falls on a contracted day, the full fee is payable. Childminders, like other workers, are entitled to statutory holidays and would not normally be available to for work on those days. Childminders who are preared to work on public holidays would normally expect an enhanced fee. as mentioned above, childminders are restricted in the amount they may earn from childminding by registration restrictions and usually work for a low hourly rate"

amanda xx

Here is the SCMA's stance on it.. had to go and dig out the book what a faff lol!

Childminders are entitled to take public holidays. If taken a childminder would therefore be unavailable for work on those days and may need to negotiate, as with childminder holidays. When a public holiday does not fall on a contracted day it may not be reasonable to charge a fee.

Many problems could be avoiding if childminders were to consider not charging when they are not availble on a public holiday and instead set a realistic rate when they are providing a service.

in other words, set your fees to take this into consideration.

**berkschick** · 10-05-2008, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by berkschick

I just thought I would post this as it might help the newbies when working out what to do about holidays and sickness.

This week M has been on hols her fees are £66.50

J has been poorly, his fees are £21.00

The twins are poorly, their fees are £58.00

I charge in full for both holidays and sickness so I have not lost any money but if I didnt, I would have lost £145.50

Through no fault of my own!

I forgot Monday was a bank hols. I charge in full for these too. So that was an extra £34.50 I would have lost making it a total of £180 in just one week lost!!!!!!!

I dont have an issue charging parents for bank hols. I will work for double fee otherwise I charge the normal daily rate to the children who would of attended on those days. It is written into each contract that I require payment for Xmas day, Boxing day and New years day but I will not work them. I was full within 6 weeks of being registered and now have a waiting list, nobody questioned it at all. The nurserys charge full fee for all bank hols, 52 weeks a year and do not open for any bank hols or xmas etc.

**Heaven Scent** · 10-05-2008, 11:28 AM

I am going with the NCMA model on this as it is what I was advised to do on my ICP course so I charge for Bank Hols but do not work them unless it is convenient and then I charge double so that is how it works and to date I have not been asked to work them.

I also charge full for their hols and sickness and nothing for mine that way I feel no one looses out as they still get paid for all Bank hols and will usually get double if they have to work them or time off in lieu and they will be paid for their hols and sickness. On the other hand they will either have to find someone else to look after their children or take time off work if I am sick or on holiday.

**Alibali** · 10-05-2008, 11:52 AM

This may be controversial, but I'm sure most of our parents get paid for their bank holidays but don't have to work them

. I have no problem in taking bank holidays off at full fee and neither do any of my parents, any that do have to work will get an enhanced fee or a day off in lieu, so they won't be out of pocket at all. We are doing them a favour really as it will be easier for them to budget as fees will always be the same

Aren't we so kind.

Ali x