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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think nursery should owe me a day for Boxing Day when they're closed!

152 replies

purplebaubles · 30/11/2013 19:53

DD attends nursery just two days a week - Thursday and a Friday.

Just been informed that they are closed on the Thursday (Boxing Day) - no problem. So I said, I'd send her Monday and Friday that week instead.

I've been told it's tough and we'll just lose the day but still have to pay for it?!

I work term time only, so don't get paid in the holidays.

AIBU to think that they should owe me a day, given I'm paying for it?

I might add, normally (i.e not Christmas week!) they're dead flexible if I need to change days.

OP posts:
TheOriginalSteamingNit · 30/11/2013 19:54

YABU. Boxing day has been on that day for ages.

CaptainSweatPants · 30/11/2013 19:54

Yabu

They're a business

Do you know how little nursery workers get paid?!

SidandAndyssextoy · 30/11/2013 19:55

Boxing Day is a bank holiday so you would expect them to be shut, surely?

Our nursery closes for two sodding weeks, and we pay for all of it. We are mugs.

Original poster
purplebaubles · 30/11/2013 19:56

I'm aware of that!! Grin

I just feel a little aggrieved that we're paying £45 for when they're closed! Surely we should either a. get a discount or b. get the day owed??

If my usual days were Monday and Friday I'd still be able to send her that week and I wouldn't be out of pocket would I!

OP posts:
DoingItForMyself · 30/11/2013 19:56

My dd used to go to nursery on Mondays and I got charged for every bank holiday. Not so noticeable if your child attends every day and you're paying a weekly/monthly rate, but when they only do one or two days it is a pain.

However, this is one day and if they were actually open you wouldn't send your child anyway I assume?

Original poster
purplebaubles · 30/11/2013 19:56

Captain Do you know how little I get paid?!!! two days a week nursery takes my entire monthly salary.

OP posts:
polgar · 30/11/2013 19:56

I think the nursery should abide by whatever the contract you signed with them says. Which I suspect is on their side.

AHardDaysWrite · 30/11/2013 19:57

I send my two on Monday and Friday. I still have to pay for all the bank holiday Mondays, even though nursery is closed. It's just the way it is. They still have to pay their staff!

LynetteScavo · 30/11/2013 19:58

I thought boxing day was a bank holiday.

Do they ususally expect parents to pay for bank holidays?

SarahBumBarer · 30/11/2013 19:58

If your usual day was a Monday you would lose August bank holiday the two may bank holidays, Easter Monday and on occassion Christmas Day and MYD as well and I might think you had a bit more of a valid complaint.

BohemianGirl · 30/11/2013 19:58

You shouldnt have to pay for bank holidays.

I would be asking if they are paying the workers for the day though.

Original poster
purplebaubles · 30/11/2013 20:01

Oh and I might add I love my nursery, think the staff are fab (and yes, agree they're massively underpaid, so no way having a dig at nursery staff at all) . Just when it's a couple of days, it's very noticeable when you're paying for days that you don't get.

If she was full time, I probably wouldn't notice as Doing says.

OP posts:
CaptainSweatPants · 30/11/2013 20:01

Do you know how little I get paid?!!! two days a week nursery takes my entire monthly salary

Use a childminder then !!

MrsMangoBiscuit · 30/11/2013 20:01

Really, you all pay for the days your nurseries are closed? Wow. Ours is closed Christmas week, but we don't pay for it. If DD doesn't go because we're away, or she's ill, we pay for it, and that's fair. It's not up to them in those circumstances, and they can't fill her spot for one odd day, so they'd be out of pocket. However, if they are choosing to close for a day, be it Boxing day, a bank holiday, or Thursday week, that's their call, and I would find it highly unfair for them to expect me to pay for a service they weren't planning to provide.

phantomnamechanger · 30/11/2013 20:04

I cant believe you are all expected to pay for a service they are not providing on bank holidays! I only ever paid for the days my kids were due to be there - any illness/time off etc obviously I paid for those days but not days they were closed to be a polling station or bank holidays etc etc.

Original poster
purplebaubles · 30/11/2013 20:05

captain It's a fab nursery, DD is settled there and I trust the staff implicitely. We did look at about 10 or so childminders, but really didn't feel comfortable with any of them. The two days I need, she is there long days and she's only little, still a baby. I have to know that she's safe and secure where she is.

Mrs This is my point really! Regardless of them paying the staff, yes they're running a business, and I'm happy to pay - why can't they just give me another day back that month??

OP posts:
AHardDaysWrite · 30/11/2013 20:06

I just assumed everyone paid for bank holidays! If you don't, how do they pay their staff for those days?

MrsRajeshKoothrappali · 30/11/2013 20:06

YANBU

They either provide the service and you pay or don't provide the service and you don't pay.

They can't have their cake and eat it

AHardDaysWrite · 30/11/2013 20:07

Op they can't give you another day as they may be full to capacity on those days. They have staff-children ratios to maintain so they can't necessarily just squeeze another baby in.

flaire · 30/11/2013 20:07

Does the nursery pay the staff for the Bank Holidays?

polgar · 30/11/2013 20:08

I just assumed everyone paid for bank holidays! If you don't, how do they pay their staff for those days?

By charging more on the other days. Which makes with debate a bit of a nonsense.

If paying for bank holidays is a problem because you send your children on on days on which a larger proportion of bank holidays fall, then you need to choose a nursery with policies that suit your needs. It's a bit rich to sign a contract with a nursery and then moan about them sticking to it.

phantomnamechanger · 30/11/2013 20:11

they should factor in the bank holiday pay for their staff when they work out what their fees need to be.

staff costs = £x a year, days open = Y per year, no of kids in =Z per day so we need to charge £w per child per day to meet all our costs for staff/bills/equipment/insurance etc

Original poster
purplebaubles · 30/11/2013 20:12

Quite happy to pay the full monthly amount - I just want my 8 days for it! Can't I do say 3 days the week after, that way I wouldn't lose my day.

Bank Holidays don't come around that often, so surely they can just move things around a bit?

They're not full to capacity. On one of the days she attends, there are 10 babies in. Most other days there are only 5 or 6.

As I said, normally they're dead flexible about me changing a day here or there, so why be funny when it's a bank holiday week?

OP posts:
moldingsunbeams · 30/11/2013 20:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TalkieToaster · 30/11/2013 20:15

We don't pay for days that nursery is closed, but the amount we owe is the same each month as they average out the costs over the full year. They get no end of complaints from parents when they close for almost two weeks in December.

YANBU for being upset that you've been charged for a day where they are closed, but YABU expecting them to slot in your child on another day instead. As someone else upthread says, they have ratios.

In your shoes I would be asking them exactly why they are charging you for a service when they can't provide it because they're closed.