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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To question nursery bill?

93 replies

kmwmh5 · 03/12/2021 19:21

Hi all
Just after opinions on whether I am being unreasonable... Our nursery contacted us a few months ago and said that they would like to close on Christmas Eve to give staff the day off after a difficult year. Me and my partner replied immediately to say we were happy with this and arranged to take the time off work to accommodate. It recently came to ljght that despite the closure we were still being expected to pay full price for both of our children for Christmas Eve. Whilst I completely understand that staff have worked very hard this year, and support them having Christmas Eve off, am I unreasonable to be surprised that we are still being charged full price for both children? This isn't a small sum of money and when I queried with them, the response was that we were the only people who have questioned it and that staff have worked without complaint all year.
I'm very grateful to the nursery staff and have nothing but praise for them, but my partner works in an industry that has been impacted by the pandemic and we aren't in a financial position to pay for childcare we aren't receiving as well as taking time off work. I feel we have been put in a tricky situation and that the implication is that we are being ungrateful for questioning the bill. Appreciate your thoughts!

OP posts:
Santahatesbraisedcabbage · 03/12/2021 19:22

Surely just say you assume that paid day will carry forward to cover the first day back?

Original poster
kmwmh5 · 03/12/2021 19:25

No it won't be carried forward to first day back. It will charged as a normal day

OP posts:
Asi1 · 03/12/2021 19:26

Your not been unreasonable. Staff should have a day off but not at the financial expense of the parents. And you were absolutely right to question it. Most people find childcare costs difficult nevermind when its money for services not received.

The nursery should give you back your money and if they really cared about their staff having a day off then they wouldn't have a problem losing money. It seems they are only happy to grant the day provided they still get their money and you lose yours.

UnderBlanket · 03/12/2021 19:29

Our nursery shuts for 2 weeks over Christmas. Full fees still payable Angry

LunarEclipseWinterSolstice · 03/12/2021 19:29

I work in a nursery. We are closing the Christmas week this year as a "treat", which we don't normally do. The parents are still paying in full, but we are not getting paid bar Christmas day, boxing day and new years day 😒

VladmirsPoutine · 03/12/2021 19:30

@UnderBlanket

Our nursery shuts for 2 weeks over Christmas. Full fees still payable Angry
Wow! Is this common practice?
qualitygirl · 03/12/2021 19:33

This thread makes me so happy that I only ever paid for childcare that I actually used!! If my dc were sick I didn't pay...if I collected them early I didn't pay...if I canceled last minute I didn't pay!

Ozanj · 03/12/2021 19:33

I am a nursery manager. Christmas Eve is not a bank holiday and as such any ‘paid for’ closures unrelated to issues such as covid etc should have been agreed in advance. As it wasn’t you are well within your rights to complain. Nurseries can’t just randomly decide to take days off and expect parents to pay.

chloechloe · 03/12/2021 19:33

I’m not in the UK but here nurseries have 30 closure days per year which we have to pay for! Admitttedly it’s not as pricey as the UK though.

GivenchyDahhling · 03/12/2021 19:34

Ours is closing early Christmas Eve, but we won’t be sending DS that day anyway as we are both off of work. They’ll still charge full price though including the extra we pay as a late on Fridays. However, not complaining as was delighted to find this nursery doesn’t charge for the closure between Christmas and New Year, my previous nursery did - so on balance I’m happy.

KitKat1985 · 03/12/2021 19:34

That sounds pretty shitty to me. Our nursery only used to charge for the days that they actually went in.

Ozanj · 03/12/2021 19:34

Yes you usually do have to pay for 2 weeks holiday - it’s factored into a nursery’s pricing structure.

Xox0 · 03/12/2021 19:35

The nursery my son is at is closing for 2 weeks over christmas, no fees charged but we do have the option of putting child into a sister nursery if needed

Bunnycat101 · 03/12/2021 19:35

When our nursery has shut for Christmas Eve we’ve not been charged. The owners shouldn’t be charging if they’re not providing the service. I’m happy to suck up the costs of bank holidays but they shouldn’t be making a gesture at your expense. I’m shocked by the poster saying parents are charged and staff not paid. I’d be furious if I knew that had happened at mine.

Temple29 · 03/12/2021 19:39

I think that’s very unfair and would complain too. My DS goes to nursery 3 mornings a week and I won’t pay anything for the 2 weeks they are closed over Christmas.

Original poster
kmwmh5 · 03/12/2021 19:40

We were asked in advance but i don't think it was made clear that the full fee would be payable. Perhaps I was being naive and assumed we were just being advised so we could make alternative childcare arrangements. I don't think it was clear that the full fee would be charged. A reduced fee would be okay and would happy with this as a gesture of good will, but full fee seems excessive. A lot of money with two!

OP posts:
Tereseta · 03/12/2021 19:42

I'm really shocked at people having to pay on closure days. We only paid when our lo attended.

cansu · 03/12/2021 19:46

Unbelievable from nursery. The nursery is a business and it makes money for the owners. If they want to reward their staff with an extra day's holiday that is great. They asked you about the convenience of this, they should not be asking you to pay for this. I would be calling this bullshit out. You are accepting the lack of childcare not to foot the bill.

PrtScn · 03/12/2021 19:48

@UnderBlanket

Our nursery shuts for 2 weeks over Christmas. Full fees still payable Angry
Same. They are closed Christmas Eve until the New Year and we still have to pay. Likewise they are closed Bank Holidays and we still have to pay. If we take him out on holiday we have to give them at least a months notice and pay half fees. Can’t wait until he starts school!
Chasingaftermidnight · 03/12/2021 19:50

Yeah ours closes on Christmas Eve and between Christmas and New Year and full fees are still payable (and they’re payable for bank holidays too). I actually thought that was fairly standard because it was the case at the other two nurseries I looked at in our town but I can see from this thread that it’s not!

Chasingaftermidnight · 03/12/2021 19:51

If we take him out on holiday we have to give them at least a months notice and pay half fees.

Wow - that’s pretty good - we have to pay full fees for our holidays too!

AnneElliott · 03/12/2021 19:53

YANBU - cheeky for the nursery to want parents to pay and not provide the service! If the wonders went to renewed the staff then they should be doing that - always easy to spend other people money and make yourself look generous!

LunarEclipseWinterSolstice · 03/12/2021 19:53

@Bunnycat101

When our nursery has shut for Christmas Eve we’ve not been charged. The owners shouldn’t be charging if they’re not providing the service. I’m happy to suck up the costs of bank holidays but they shouldn’t be making a gesture at your expense. I’m shocked by the poster saying parents are charged and staff not paid. I’d be furious if I knew that had happened at mine.
That was me, and yes it's shocking. You'd be surprised at what goes on at nurseries. In my last nursery, they closed their doors a few days before the government announced the national lockdown. Parents were still charged for the rest of March and staff got nothing until their 80% of minimum wage furlough kicked in later.
Kitkat151 · 03/12/2021 19:56

Some really shocking posts here....l my GDs go to council nursery and have done from 6 months....no way would my DD have to pay for a day they were closed....but they are not out to make a profit ( rip of people)

Rumplestrumpet · 03/12/2021 20:03

Our nursery closes for a week between Christmas and New year and we still pay full fees. We also pay for bank holidays although of course the nursery is closed. No reduction in fees when we're away either. This is all pretty standard where we are and given the waiting list for the nursery (18months+) no one complains.

Many nurseries also close for 1-2 weeks in August and you still have to pay the fees so I felt quite lucky that this one doesn't.

That said, in your case I think they're being a bit cheeky as they weren't clear about it. But if they're open every other day bar bank holidays then I'd be quite grateful if I were you!