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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to expect money back or a day in return

12 replies

weepootleflump · 08/02/2007 22:10

since dd's nursery closed today due to a shortage of staff? (due to snow)

I've no intention of bringing it up with them, but since dd only goes in 1 day a week, I feel they could at least offer me another day in return.

She also missed out on her day last week as we were away visiting family, so I will now have paid £140 fees this month for her to attend 2 days.

OP posts:

pinkbubble · 08/02/2007 22:13

Surely they wont charge for today as its their fault it as closed. IMO they have aright to charge when you take time off- do they have any holiday policies ie time that you can take off when you have given sufficient warning without having to pay!

Original poster

weepootleflump · 08/02/2007 22:25

No pinkbubble, you pay all year round - no holidays.

At first I thought I'd surely get the money back, until I saw a note they'd given me when I collected dd, saying thank you for being so understanding...

I just thought if I was going to be refunded they'd have said that when I collected dd.

OP posts:

pinkbubble · 08/02/2007 22:29

I honestly think that this is wrong, when my DDs were at Nursery and the snow hit hard and the Nursery said they were shut then we did not pay anything. Also they were allowed 2wks off ayear even though they shut during school holidays as long as we gave 2wks notice.

Original poster

weepootleflump · 08/02/2007 22:34

I'll wait and see if they mention the closure next week, if not I'll try to find the courage to mention it.

Regards the holidays, I believe they only charge for 50 weeks per year but it's all incorporated into the monthly price.

OP posts:

madamez · 08/02/2007 22:40

Thing is, weepootle, would you think it fair for the nursery staff to be docked a day's pay due to the snow? Appreciate how annoying this is but they're not just doing it out of malice.
FWIW my DS' nursery don't do refunds either but are usually amenable to adding a day if we had to miss one ie changing his day from Tuesday to Wednesday cos we had a family event..

Soapbox · 08/02/2007 22:43

They are in breach of contract - which is to provide you with child care.

So you should get a free day.

Nothing you can do about last week - they were available to offer you childcare but you chose not to attend.

kickassangel · 08/02/2007 22:54

actually, madamez, my employer told us that we would be docked a day's pay if we didn't turn up & our school was open. if you're under contract to turn up for work, then you're meant to turn up for work unless it is TRULY unavoidable,e.g.you're ill, had a car crash.
so they could refund money!

madamez · 08/02/2007 23:05

I'm kind of interested in the legality of this (from all sides). If a heavy snowfall, for instance, means there is no public transport between where you live, and where you work, is it reasonable of your employer to expect you to walk, say, 3 miles in heavy snow? How about 15 miles? and then to have to walk back at the end of your working day. It's a bit like the how-ill-do-you-have-to-be argument, isn't it: on the one hand, if you stay at home with a nasty, streaming, feverish cold, you're a lightweight and a skiver; if you go to work you then infect everyone else...

Nursery staff earn f** all and nurseries (unless they are heavily subsidized and/or part of a large nursery chain) are not the most profit-generating of businesses. Because childcare in general is still seen as something that women do, and probably should do out of the love of it. I bet the average media marketing middle manager doesn't get docked a day's pay for missing work cos of the snow.

I'm not, by the way, knocking the OP, cause I felt just as grumpy when DS nursery closed for a day because of a power cut. Just a few general thoughts.

Soapbox · 08/02/2007 23:26

They are two separate issues - what the nursery policy is in respect of its employees and what its contractural obligations are to its customers.

I think the nurery should swallow the cost, i.e. give the parents their money back or an extra day of care and still pay the nursery staff - provided they have made a reasonable effort to get to work. I wouldn't pay for anyone who lived less than 2 miles away, or who could have travelled on public transport or who has a car if the roads were passable.

Darbs76 · 15/02/2020 13:51

My kids are secondary age now but we never got any money off as they said they have to pay the staff still, yet I have to take a days leave for snow.

katy1213 · 15/02/2020 13:55

Why do you need to 'pluck up courage?' You have paid for a service that they haven't provided. How they sort it out with their staff is their problem.

Witchend · 15/02/2020 14:09

Zombie thread. Said children will now be at secondary school.

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