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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

FortniteBoysMum · 03/12/2021 22:45

Absolutely agree with confronting them. It's one thing taking it off but I would point out in effect you may be taking that as unpaid leave so the staff can have that day off. They are expecting you to loose pay and then pay them. If your child was off sick they expect you to pay because they are open. This day they will not have a space because they will not be open.

EsmeSusanOgg · 03/12/2021 22:50

Ours closes early Christmas and NYE, so we pay less for those two days.

Gooseberrypies · 03/12/2021 22:52

I don’t get paid if I have to take time including if that is because my childcare provider is unable or unwilling to provide the childcare agreed upon. I therefore cannot pay them as I do not have the money. What do they expect from people in situations like mine? I absolutely would not be shelling out full fees when they have chosen to close giving you no choice but to take time off work. It‘a not the same as pre-arranged and contractually agreed upon weeks off over Christmas.

aspirational · 03/12/2021 22:52

Are you happy with the nursery? Is your child happy there? Do you begrudge the staff this day off? Can you afford to pay for this one day extra so the staff feel valued after a difficult year?

So much fury and entitlement on this thread towards the people who look after your most precious possessions.

forinborin · 03/12/2021 22:58

@UnderBlanket

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

Same for when mine were going to the nursery, but just for one week. I understand the rationale - as parents would likely to be off work anyway, and it is not that different from parents taking a holiday at any other time. But, from the other perspective, it was ~£700 in fees for service not provided as a unilateral decision.

surreygirl1987 · 03/12/2021 23:20

Of course you shouldn't pay!! You were absolutely right to question it. It goes against your T&Cs, surely?

surreygirl1987 · 03/12/2021 23:25

So much fury and entitlement on this thread towards the people who look after your most precious possessions.

I really think you're missing the point. The fact that they would still have to pay wasn't made clear. That was wrong. And surely the owner of the nursery should foot the bill if they want to give their staff an extra paid day off? I actually make a loss by going to work each day (my nursery fees currently cost more than I earn, despite a high salary). If my nursery closed by choice so I couldn't go to work, and I had to pay anyway, I'd be furious. It's more than £150 per day in total for my two boys - that's a huge amount of money to just give away!

todayisnotagoodday · 03/12/2021 23:27

I had a time table where the nursery asked what hours we would be doing over christmas personally I wouldn't be putting my lo in Xmas Eve anyway so I would have to pay but yeah it's like paying for bank holidays and time off and sickness. It's abit cheeky but tbh it's what I would expect

surreygirl1987 · 03/12/2021 23:30

Yes but at least that is agreed in advance and everyone knows the terms and agrees to them? This wasn't.

aspirational · 03/12/2021 23:30

No I'm not missing the point, I understand this might be outside the normal contractual conditions. But I think it's worth looking at the big picture for a one off benefit for those looking after our kids.

tallduckandhandsome · 03/12/2021 23:32

YANBU. Email them saying you want a refund.

They’re probably telling anyone who complains that they’re the only one to complain.

Starcaller · 03/12/2021 23:34

Ours is closed for two weeks over Christmas (only time it closes all year) and we don't pay, but our fees are worked out on a per-term basis so the monthly payment is the same each month, it just takes into account the closed days. If that makes sense.

GeorgiaGirl52 · 03/12/2021 23:35

@UnderBlanket

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

Same here. Christmas Eve thru New Year's Day. Full fees.

HowhardcanitB · 03/12/2021 23:35

I absolutely think you are within your rights to say something about it. It’s a matter or principle and it’s either something you can just choose to let go and accept (which is probably what I would do) or ask them for some way of making it up to you. You have written really nicely and sensitivity about them so I think you could write it in a way where you put your very valid argument across whilst also sincerely appreciating all the hard work they are doing caring for your kids. I think a good relationship with the staff is the most important thing, as you are going to be seeing them day in day out and you don’t want to have any friction between you. I definitely think you should be honest and say that although it was just a day, you’re really not in a position to have lost a day’s pay and paid them at the same time. Although do emphasise how much you think they did deserve a day off for how hard they work (if that’s what you think). Nursery staff at the nursery my daughter goes to earn a shameful amount. I don’t know how they can pay rent or a mortgage on their salaries and there is very little career progression. I feel quite sorry for them and ashamed of how in this day and age childcare is still so undervalued as a profession/skill. Looking after kids is relentless, and they aren’t just babysitting. During the pandemic nursery staff were expected to keep providing care to the children at unknown risk to themselves. That’s massive in my book. The whole profession should be applauded. They helped the country keep going, (as I expect many of us did too). And the protection that was afforded to teachers by the unions didn’t extend to nursery staff (I should add here that neither did it extend to teaching assistants or the many other at risk adults in schools!).
Anyway, back to the point! I’m guessing it’s a private nursery? They really should have made it clear they were still intending to charge for the day. At the very least you should kindly bring that to their attention. Surely as a private nursery they make a profit, even if it’s a small one? I’ve heard it’s hard for nurseries to make money, especially as they get paid next to nothing for government funded hours. But you’d think that there’s someone making a tidy profit out of all the low paid workers, and it’s that person whose pocket their day off should have come from! Perhaps you should just speak face to face with the manager, very non-defensively and see how they respond.

Starcaller · 03/12/2021 23:36

@roses2

Those of you who pay for closed periods. Are you sure you are paying 52 weeks per year of fees? My sons nursery worked out the number of days per year they were open and divided by 12 so we paid a set monthly fee so same fee in December as eg March.

Yes, this is what I was trying to say (badly). We pay for 50 weeks spread across 12 months to accommodate the two weeks off.

HelplesslyHoping · 04/12/2021 00:10

I've been looking around nurseries for DD recently and they've all (3) explained that they close for a week at Christmas and bank holidays, but we have to pay full price. And full price with 1 months notice for a holiday, if you give 6 months notice it's half price. I've worked in nurseries, I value nursery staff greatly but this is all down to management.

Greytminds · 04/12/2021 00:18

I’d definitely expect any nursery initiated closures that aren’t in the standard terms and conditions and/or an existing bank holiday to NOT be payable by the parents.

Typically, any bank holidays or days that a child misses are paid for by the parents though and that’s standard practice as far as I’m aware.

AwaAnBileYerHeid · 04/12/2021 00:28

Regardless of the right or wrong if it, I don't like how they are trying to guilt you into putting up and shutting up by claiming that you are the only one who had got a problem with it. That would get rid of any goodwill I was willing to show them.

I'd perhaps say that of course you don't mind staff having a day off however you will still need to pay for childcare on that day, so this effectively means that you are paying for childcare twice which you just can't afford.

Cherrytart23 · 04/12/2021 00:42

Tell the actually you do need the service on Christmas eve so if they can't provide it you will have to pay someone who can and therefore can't pay them for having a day off/treat. Price is ridiculous as it is without them expecting you to pay them for a day off.

ForgedInFire · 04/12/2021 00:54

So you are expected to "tip" the nursery for the cost of Christmas eve but that money won't actually go to the workers? I wouldn't be happy either

Kitkat151 · 04/12/2021 09:14

@aspirational

Are you happy with the nursery? Is your child happy there? Do you begrudge the staff this day off? Can you afford to pay for this one day extra so the staff feel valued after a difficult year?

So much fury and entitlement on this thread towards the people who look after your most precious possessions.

Misses the point completly 🙄

ShopoholicIn · 04/12/2021 09:40

Our nursery also is closed for a week from Xmas eve to new years, full fees payable. It's on the contract though so we were aware of it beforehand.

MissSmith80 · 04/12/2021 11:37

Our nursery charge for 50 weeks of the year (it's averaged out so we pay the same each month) on the understanding that they close for a few additional days over Christmas. It's in the terms and conditions and seems reasonable to me. I'd complain if I were in your situation OP as I too would have expected 'extra' days off to have been very clear if they were charging or not

Elbie79 · 04/12/2021 11:56

@Chasingaftermidnight

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!

Same!

Ilovegreentomatoes · 04/12/2021 12:14

Seriously even if you could send your child in xmas eve would you want to?
Most ppl are of xmas eve and would want to spend it with their children?

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