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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be pissed off that I'm being charged for the snow days

179 replies

DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 20/03/2018 10:18

Children's nursery closed for the 2 snow days a couple of weeks ago and nursery have made the decision to charge for those days.

I feel really pissed off as I had to take unpaid leave + make time back in lieu.

I have two under three so it's not bloody cheap either!!

Apart from this I couldn't be happier with them. It's a wonderful nursery. They're worth every penny we pay them but I'm really naffed off they charged for this!

I'm being unreasonable, aren't I?

OP posts:
Ubercornsdiscoball · 20/03/2018 12:24

Excellent reply @flobella

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 20/03/2018 12:25

YANBU. They were closed.

Yura · 20/03/2018 12:27

Most nurseries and pre schools operate on a tight budget. Its often charge or close (or raise fees a lot). they can't afford to not charge, but have to close as they can't afford the risk of injury either.

Original poster
DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 20/03/2018 12:34

Sorry to abandon thread.. got caught up in actual work!!

I know IABU and the staff are worth every penny, they truly are!

But I had to work time in lieu and take half a day unpaid! I guess I'm directing my pissed offness at the wrong people!

I took half a day unpaid because it was impossible to make up two full days.

DH asked them this morning and the manager said the bill was correct.

OP posts:
Original poster
DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 20/03/2018 12:35

It's not covered in the contract.

DH says they're worth the money but I just can't see past an extra £160 for no childcare right now!!

OP posts:
Original poster
DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 20/03/2018 12:40

Very divided responses.

The nursery is a tiny, independent nursery - it's basically a shed in a field and the staff have been wonderful. My two children go there full time and I trust them completely with their care. They're so loving.

I don't want to piss them off for the sake of £160.

I work for a big company who couldn't give a shit about the weekend working I've had to do to make up time because our place of work was shut!

OP posts:
UpSideDownBrain · 20/03/2018 12:42

Have you checked with the nursery staff if they were paid for the snow days? If they were - you should pay.
If they weren't - the nursery is making a tidy profit from this and I would complain.

artichokehearts · 20/03/2018 12:42

My children are at private school and we don't get refunds for snow days .

celesti · 20/03/2018 12:43

If it's not covered in the contract then I think it's tough as far as the nursery is concerned. They didn't provide the service - you shouldn't have to pay for it.

extinctspecies · 20/03/2018 12:46

DS is at a private school which had to shut for 2 days due to the snow.

Should I expect a refund on the fees for those 2 days, by the same logic?

WazzitCalled · 20/03/2018 12:55

If it’s not covered in the contract then you shouldn’t pay. I would write and explain that you don’t want to pay it. Why on earth should you be burdened with their costs. That’s ridiculous.

Original poster
DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 20/03/2018 12:57

@flobella as I said, I bloody love that nursery. I do nursery visits in a professional capacity and haven't once been remotely tempted by another setting.

I've said they're worth every penny.

I probably feel a bit pissed off that I had no option but to take unpaid leave and do make up clinics on Saturdays.

@Creambun2 when was I ever looking down on the nursery staff? Did you mean to be so rude?

OP posts:
AnnieAnoniMouse · 20/03/2018 12:57

There must be something in your contract that covers days they’re not open - even if it doesn’t specifically mention snow.

If not, then they can’t charge you for a service they didn’t provide, if they haven’t stipulated conditions under which this can happen. Otherwise they could charge you for whatever days they’d like to.

Original poster
DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 20/03/2018 13:01

There's nothing in the contract about unexpected closures.

It's a small independent nursery and the manager/owner is wonderful but a bit batty so I'm not surprised the contract doesn't cover everything!

I honestly don't want to rock the boat, I just want to stew in my own misplaced annoyance!

OP posts:
ArcheryAnnie · 20/03/2018 13:03

Can you talk to them, maybe come to a compromise of half pay? I can see why you don't want to pay anything at all (since the decision to close was theirs, not yours) but a halfway point might be worthwhile to keep the goodwill, while not completely doing you out of a big wodge of cash.

flobella · 20/03/2018 13:06

@DefinatelyNotAPooTroll I totally understand your frustration but I have to agree with you, that it probably isn't worth kicking up a fuss for £160. Contractually, it sounds like you are probably within your rights to not pay it but as we all know, life isn't always so black and white and in the big scheme of things, a brilliant working relationship with the nursery staff overall several years is probably worth more to you than a refund on two days' fees.

I don't know if it is any consolation but you may just want to keep it in the back of your mind - for example, if there is ever a time when you need to ask them to be flexible for you, you could bring this up as an example of how you have been prepared to take the rough with the smooth and would be grateful for them doing the same in these circumstances, if you see what I mean? For example, I've not queried the snow day money and I've been keen to help out in the past with different things like events they have run, or talking to Ofsted as part of their inspection when they needed parents to volunteer. As a result, I'm well aware that there are times when they have overlooked things like my husband being caught in traffic and late to pick up (which they could technically charge us extra for but haven't). I quite like there's a bit of goodwill on both sides as it does come in handy!

It is expensive though so it is natural to be frustrated about it. And your employers sound awful. I don't think it serves a company well to treat their employees so badly - I know from my own experience that I work harder (and more flexibly) for bosses who I can tell care about me than those who clearly don't.

Dungeondragon15 · 20/03/2018 13:08

I think it is totally unreasonable. No other business would charge if they weren't open and available for business and the only reason that nurseries or childminders get away with this sort of thing is because people can't easily vote with their feet- if their child is settled they are understandably reluctant to move them. Whether or not it is the contract is not relevant as it is an unreasonable term and therefore would not be enforceable if they were taken to court (which noone will do because for the above reason).

Original poster
DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 20/03/2018 13:08

DH talked to them this morning in a "is this right that we're paying for the snow days... oh ok then, fair enough" type of way.

When I said that's a bit shitty he said "think about it, they do so much for the kids, it's worth it"

So I think that's the end of negotiating a discount.

I'll sit in a corner and be pissed off for a day then get over it.

I'll probably be over it at pick up when I see how happy and loved my babies are there and realise £160 is nothing for that!

OP posts:
mollied · 20/03/2018 13:08

If it was their choice to close they have to deal with the consequences of paying their staff its not up to you to pay for something when the staff weren't even working anyway

ArcheryAnnie · 20/03/2018 13:22

I think if you are going to pay the full £160, pay it with good grace, but note on the payment that it was their decision, not yours, and it's cost you holiday time.

appleblossomtree · 20/03/2018 13:24

My nursery didn't change. It really put them up in my estimations.

flobella · 20/03/2018 13:30

@Dungeondragon15

"No other business would charge if they weren't open and available for business" - not strictly true. There are lots of businesses who still charged for services - the gym a previous poster mentioned is one example, as are hundreds of independent schools who do not refund school fees. There are probably countless others. Your tone suggests that you think childcare workers are unscrupulous and profiteering, which is bizarre as there is actually very little profit in childcare, probably much lower than you might think.

The comments seem to be focusing on "choice" - in my case, there was no real choice. The local authority snow plough kept trying to clear the roads and crashing. On the road where my son's nursery is, locals were coming out to help dig out trapped motorists. I'm not sure the decision to close could genuinely be described as a choice, as such. It's not like they chose to close early so they could get away early for their summer holidays or because they wanted to catch up on their Christmas shopping. The issue of "choice" is debatable here... What would the alternative have been for me?

In a slightly comparable example, I told my dog walker not to travel over to walk my dogs as the roads were so bad in our village. If she includes the dates on my monthly invoice I will still pay and I won't question it. If she doesn't include the dates then to be honest, I may just transfer a bit of extra money anyway. It's obviously much cheaper than childcare but the basic principle of not wanting to put a valued person in my life at risk for the sake of two days services still applies. If she had written off her car or injured herself, yes I might have got an extra dog walk in initially but she would then be off work for ages while recovering or getting the van fixed which would have been a bigger inconvenience to me anyway. It wouldn't have paid me to be pedantic about it in the long run, nor would I have wanted to treat a person who helps me massively in my day to day life and provides an excellent service as a business commodity. We're not talking about corporate fat cats here, in most cases we are talking about small-scale operations that are run by genuinely nice, dedicated human beings who provide the best service they can in the circumstances.

Original poster
DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 20/03/2018 13:32

Yeah, I might fling it down on the lobby floor in £5 notes, screaming "av ya fookin snow day money ya bastards"

I am, of course, joking Grin

Only because it gets transferred directly from my government childcare account! GrinGrin

OP posts:
Original poster
DefinatelyNotAPooTroll · 20/03/2018 13:35

... we are talking about small-scale operations that are run by genuinely nice, dedicated human beings who provide the best service they can in the circumstances.

This is very true.

OP posts:
GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 20/03/2018 13:42

I had a similar situation and challenged the payment. I would say, unless the contract says otherwise, the basic rule is:

If they offer the service but you decide not to you use it, you pay.
If they fail to offer the service, you do not pay.

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