Working Mummies Support Group

[wysiwyg]

Just want to sense check something - things like childcare benefit are worked out based just on income right - they don't take into account the fact that your income may be higher because you are a contractor and therefore theoretically are being paid more to cover no leave entitlements etc???

I am trying to work out what to do post July - and DS is sick with hand foot and mouth - and has really brought home to me the issues with contracting - e.g. if I don't work I don't get paid but still have to pay for the childcare (As this week is short week due to Anzac looks like DH can take tomorrow and probably Wednesday off, and he already had Thur Fri off so not too problematic this week). So now I am trying to work out whether I would be better off being permanent (if I could get that) - overall income would be less but then would get some/more CCB plus get entitlements more security etc - or how much more I should try get if I do another contract - to make sure I am covered for these things.

On average how many days do you think you or your DH takes off a year due to child sickness? I reckon 5 between us per year so far (all with HFM!), but a friend said that seemed low?

I understand there are different ways of contracting - and at the moment really I am just like a PAYG through a contract house because that was quickest/easiest at the time - but maybe I should have done it differently.

[Cally]

Days of DD off sick - very dependent on the year. We had a year where it was nothing, but last year she had at one whole week off at a time, as well as a few other days. DD was at day care 5 days a week, but DH is a teacher so she had every holidays off which may have helped with reducing illness.

If you're being paid as a contractor, your income would be higher because of the no leave entitlements - but if you had days off for sickness where you're not getting paid (say 10 a year if you were FT), wouldn't the wage allow for that? So yes, your daily rate is higher, but works out to be the same over the year (unless you had no leave/sickness).

As for who looks after her when she's sick, it usually falls to me for the first day. As DH is a teacher, he has to give plenty of notice and can't walk out if she comes down with something in the middle of the day. If it's going to be more than one day, we try and alternate, with lots of emails in the afternoon discussing if we think she'll be right the next day.

[wysiwyg]

If you're being paid as a contractor, your income would be higher because of the no leave entitlements - but if you had days off for sickness where you're not getting paid (say 10 a year if you were FT), wouldn't the wage allow for that? So yes, your daily rate is higher, but works out to be the same over the year (unless you had no leave/sickness).

Yes the rate would work itself out somewhat at the end of the year if have the days off - is more the impact on cash-flow I am trying to work out, as that higher rate impacts the CCB level and as childcare is main expense - until we have some sort of buffer in place maybe permanent would work better.