My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum.

Nurseries

Charged for the Royal Wedding Bank Holiday

18 replies

LincolnMum · 08/04/2011 09:25

My nursery has basically charged me for the RW Bank holiday on 29th April as they have decided to open. I feel that this is purely a commercial decision and not one based on parental demand (after all the schools are closed). I have complained about this but my concerns have been dismissed. Are you aware of any other nurseries which are open? Do you have any idea of what else I can do, as I feel this is a con basically for parents to essentially pay for the staff's day at work with no children. The chain is the Old Station Nursery. Look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas how I can fight this
Many thanks

OP posts:
Report
Sidge · 08/04/2011 09:32

If they are open for business as usual then they are entitled to charge for the service - just because you choose not to use it doesn't mean they shouldn't charge.

I would guess they have parents that need to work and have asked if the nursery will be open, hence their decision to open? Not everyone will be getting the day off. Many shops will be open and health workers, police, paramedics, utilities engineers etc will be working and may need childcare.

Report
RitaMorgan · 08/04/2011 09:34

Are they normally open on bank holidays?

Report
shesparkles · 08/04/2011 09:34

My work (public sector) is business as usual on that day so if I used it, I'd need nursery provision.

Report
howy123 · 08/04/2011 09:36

My work place have not given me the RWBH but the nursery is shut which I am not happy with. It means I have to take a day from my annual leave. Can't please everyone I guess.

Report
elphabadefiesgravity · 08/04/2011 09:39

I think its fair enough. Workplaces are not obliged to give the day off and private nurseries often open when normal schools are closed.

Report
nurseryvoice · 08/04/2011 14:11

I wondered what to do on this 'imposed' public holiday too.

First I was just going to stay open because I didnt think anyone would be interested in the wedding and would still go to work. Also I still have staff to pay regardless if we are open or not.

It was a business decision to make and I have decided after asking my parents if they actually wanted me to open (they didnt apart from 1) to close.

This government imposed extra holiday has caused me to incurr costs that I cannot recover.

So no real answers there I suppose it depends on the individual nursery and if they are prepared to suffer financial loss, which in the long run affects the quality of the service provided.

Report
Pancakeflipper · 08/04/2011 14:14

Ahhhh that explains why our village nursery announced it was closed that day. Then announced last week it was going to be open....

Ahhhh the little scamps worked out they'd have adjust the invoices and lose money... Ahhhh

Report
purepurple · 09/04/2011 16:05

Our nursery will be closed and we will get an extra day's pay. The nursery doesn't charge for bank holidays so will be out of pocket.
But, the nursery down the road is open as normal and is planning a fun day.
I know a lot of people that will be working. I doubt very much that the nursery will not be full of children on that day.

Report
rathlin · 09/04/2011 23:05

Our nursery is closed on all bank holidays but we still have to pay for them regardless.

Report
MarinaIvy · 19/04/2011 18:07

Our nursery charges for bank holidays, but isn't open on them. Is this unreasonable? 'Cos we don't like it, that's for sure...

Report
Gloabl · 19/04/2011 20:28

My sons nursery had said that they will open for the Royal Wedding bank holiday, as it is a special banks holiday and not a normal one so it will open and charge parents.

However you need to book in for that day and also if you do not turn up you will be fined!!

I am withholding the payment for that day and waiting for them to take me to court.

The contract I have from them says they are closed for bank holidays and no fee's are payable, as does their web site.

They have only decided to open as it will cost them too much money; from what I have heard only 9 children will be attending on that day.

Report
mrsmerryberry · 20/04/2011 16:57

My lo's nursery does not consult parents at all. If there is a national BH then they are shut.

In terms of the fees they still have to be paid, as the nursery staff still expect to be paid for the BH, as most of us do whether we work or not on a BH, so this is how they justify to parents that payment for BH's has to be paid when they are not open.

It is an inconvienence and an expense, but I know that I would not like my pay stopped for a BH day when the business is shut, so why should nursery staff not receive payment for a BH?

The ideal solution to this is not to have any BH's at all, then we would not have this problem.

Report
ivykaty44 · 20/04/2011 16:59

Do they open for every bank holiday?

I could never find a nursery open on BH which was a real pain as I was expected to work BH and always ran in to trouble with them closing.

Report
DandyGilver · 05/05/2011 21:18

My nursery took the Royal Wedding bank holiday but refused to give us a refund for it.

In my view if they decided to shut the nursery should have borne the cost of paying staff. I shouldn't have to pay for a service that I don't receive and take a days Annual Leave on top of that.

Normal Bank holidays will be factored into the fee structure but this just drove me nuts.

Report
princesbold · 10/05/2011 17:26

I would suggest your nursery is only interested in your money, time to find one that cares about you and your family as well as it's own staff. Poor quality practice !

Report
ChunkyMonkeyMother · 24/05/2011 06:32

This is one of the bains of my life at the moment! My DS's nursery was shut for 9 days over Christmas and then Friday and Monday every bank holiday - with 2 in a row recently I've ended up paying well in excess of £200 for days that he CANT actually attend due to closures - their answer? "Your contract stated that all bank holidays would be charged for even though we are closed" - Very annoyed, when you first look for a nursery, you want somewhere you feel comfortable with (We looked around 10 in total) you don't really read all of the small print about days off here and days off there! I definitely feel your frustration!

Report
inmysparetime · 14/06/2011 07:51

My nursery was closed for RW but charges for all bank holidays, as staff are paid for them. As a nursery nurse working part time Mondays and Fridays I am happy as I got paid for 17 days off in a rowWink.

Report
ohnelly · 29/06/2011 19:53

It's ridiculous how they can charge if they are not even open! A colleague of mine had to work bank holiday (bakery), couldn't take her son to nursey as they were closed. And she had to arrange other childcare and still pay them! How is that fair?

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.