Our sickness and holiday policy states that parents pay for days taken as sickness or for holiday, this is standard across the childcare sector. This situation has no precedence.
Anyone who feels it is unreasonable to charge for a forced closure has never had to think about the prospect of no income coming in at all, or how long that might last. What do I say to my employee, bank, electricity company, supermarket...........? Sorry I can't pay you because I have had to close my business down! Self employed people already do not get paid for sickness and holidays, or even claim unemployment benefit. I don't charge for my sickness or holidays. I have taken 1 day off sick in 23 years, I work the other times I am sick, even worked the next day after being up all night when each one of my parents died. Our parents have all been very supportive.
As for the childminder who self isolated, it is her business she can operate it how she wants. What she did not do is plan and make a policy and then ask all parents to agree to the new policy, as you would do with any changes to a contract. It is communication that is the key.
I am hoping we don't have to close but we have to plan for our business in case we do. If the mortgage, electricity, oil, etc is not paid, there may not be a business to come back to. I really feel for self employed people who will lose their businesses over this.
I have not got an insurance for closure, I have never needed one in 23 years, I have also heard some won't pay out as it is an act of god.
