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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

gggrrr childcare

85 replies

MrsBucketxx · 11/02/2014 07:44

Aibu to think nurseries and cm's seem to be the only profession, that takes money regardless if they have done any work that day.

Sick children yup you pay
Holidays yup you pay
They take a holiday you have to find childcare and pay again
You want a holiday you pay
Children at nursery when you use a cm you pay.

It seems to be the same across the board. Aibu to think this is wrong.

I am self employed and this would never hapoen in my own line of work

OP posts:

OwlinaTree · 11/02/2014 07:46

You are paying for their space. They can't take another child instead.

Forago · 11/02/2014 07:46

Same here. I think it's probably fair enough if your child is ill as it short notives and they've made preparations, ratios, food etc. but I think charging for their holidays is a bit much (my cm doesn't, nursery does :()

OrangeFizz99 · 11/02/2014 07:47

The staff get nothing as it is. Nursery on a pay as you go basis and they'd probably be below the minimum wage!

grabaspoon · 11/02/2014 07:48

I am a nanny I expect to be paid even when not needed as any employee does. Just because my boss goes on holiday, wants to spend the day with their sick child doesn't mean I should miss out on my salary. I also expect 5.6 weeks holiday as standard with employment terms - which my boss also gets!

Can you imagine if you were all ready living quite close to the bread line managing bills etc and your company just shut up shop for 2 weeks without paying you or they called you at short notice to say you can have the day off and be unpaid for it....

Yes it may seem unfair but on the other side you'd be kicking up a stink if it was you being employed.

StealthPolarBear · 11/02/2014 07:50

My cm doesnt charge for sick childten or holidays. I think she is mad!

Goldmandra · 11/02/2014 07:52

I have only ever charged for the days that I am available to care for the child and are covered by a contract.

I wouldn't charge if I was ill or on holiday and I know lots of other childminders who do the same.

Some take the p* and some keep their overall rate lower by charging to cover their own holidays.

Forago · 11/02/2014 07:52

Grab this is what happens to me as a self employed person. orange completely take your point about nursery wages, the nursery should still pay them over Xmas etc in my opinion (I they are salaried) but not charge parents for days when they cannot send their children there.

CoffeeTea103 · 11/02/2014 07:53

I think it's fair. You're not paying someone to hold a spot for you if and when you need it, it's their means of income. If you feel it's unfair then you can just do it yourself?

insancerre · 11/02/2014 07:54

I work in a nursery, and therefore am not self-employed.
I have a contract, which states that I get paid every month, for a set number of hours.
In order to honour that contract the nursery has to charge parents in the same way.
You book a place ( and therefore staff), you have to pay regardless of whether you use it or not.
Or I could just not eat one month if you prefer, so you can have your holiday abroad and save on the nursery fees.

TheGreatHunt · 11/02/2014 07:54

When you're off sick, you are unable to perform a function. The customer loses out through no fault of their own. so why should they pay.

When your child is off sick, your cm loses out as they cannot fill the place so they still charge.

When the cm is off sick I would expect them to not charge you.

So you're seeing it from the wrong angle.

Joysmum · 11/02/2014 07:57

Off course it's fair and their are lots of professions that are the same. You are paying to be able to use that persons time, it's up to you if you don't.

oliviaoctopus · 11/02/2014 07:57

You do realise how many parents try it on and say their child is sick to get out of paying dont you? And how many parents dont ever pay? And how hard it is to get that money back? I wouldnt be a nursery owner for anything in the world. So hard to make money and stressful

Lagoonablue · 11/02/2014 07:57

Tabu. It is a low paid job anyway without stopping payment for your holidays!

Mrsindecision · 11/02/2014 07:58

Yabu - I'm sure most of the working parents (employed rather than self employed) using a nursery are entitled to paid holiday from their employers - what's the difference?

funkybuddah · 11/02/2014 08:16

Umm I get paid when I'm sick and when I'm on holiday. I've not done any work in those cases.

What a bizarre statement in the OP

WooWooOwl · 11/02/2014 08:22

YABU.

I think whether CMs should charge for their own holidays is debatable, but plenty of people get holiday and sick pay, so CMs charging it really isn't that outrageous.

It is wrong to think that they shouldn't be paid for when they are available to work but their client is not using them for days like when the charges are ill or when the family wants to go on holiday.

Childcare isn't an industry like many that charges over the odds, most nurseries and CMs are on very tight margins, it's not like they are routinely earning enough for multiple Caribbean holidays at the expense of sick children.

These are people that care for the most precious thing in your life, why would you want them to be treated like donkeys?

Imnotmadeofeyes · 11/02/2014 08:24

ideally wonders if zero hours contracts will seep into the child care sector

Not that I agree with it, but it's becoming the norm in a fair few industries, logically it follows that sectors that provide a service to enable employment may have to follow in some areas to stay viable.

Personally I'd like to see some very strict and clear restrictions put on zero hours employment, but that means nothing in the face of reality.

Original poster

MrsBucketxx · 11/02/2014 08:26

Lots of salaried jobs dont get sick pay. 20 day's holiday is only paid cause its the law in many cases.

This attitude across the board really stifles the economy imo.

I cant see how people in child care see it as a low salary when nurseries charge 40 pound a day and my cm is 34. I struggled to get a place so most arw full where I live. Even with three children its 26k a year. Not a low salary.

OP posts:

Original poster

MrsBucketxx · 11/02/2014 08:28

Sorry holiday is only paid cause they have to I mean

OP posts:

oliviaoctopus · 11/02/2014 08:28

Im a nursery deputt manager mrsbucket and Im on 6.51 an hour. There is no job out there with more responsibility for a lower wage.

Sarah2506 · 11/02/2014 08:30

Totally fine with paying for nursery when on holiday. I get I'm paying for a space. What hacks me off is they ask for as much notice as possible so that they can sell the space to someone else! So they get two lots of 61 quid for my missed day!

Original poster

MrsBucketxx · 11/02/2014 08:30

Ok im confused then even with my basic maths. Wheres all the extra cash going if its not on staff.

OP posts:

KingRollo · 11/02/2014 08:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

oliviaoctopus · 11/02/2014 08:34

There is no extra cash in most nurseries. The last two I have worked in have made less than 10k a year profit. They are quite big as well

PeazlyPops · 11/02/2014 08:40

Ok im confused then even with my basic maths. Wheres all the extra cash going if its not on staff.

Food, equipment, utility bills, maintenance?

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