Holiday care late opening, compensation or not?

[HolidayClubComp]

It wasn’t the fault of the staff; they got stuck in traffic – there are a lot of roadworks around the area right now so even if they set off at say 7am with the intention to open for wraparound at 8am they may well have got caught in the never ending temporary lights. There were parents waiting when they opened at 9.30am – there was 25 children waiting by this point, so around 15 parents made late potentially – 9.30am is also usually the last entry time. I guess they got there about 9.15 but needed to set up.

The staff opening the club said all parents would be compensated in some way but I also get it, they’re generally brilliant, take my SN DC and make so many accommodations for them.

WIBU to just ask them to give me half a day or a days childcare in lieu so I can make up my hours and not be out of pocket? Or should I be expecting more?

For context club costs £30 a day and then £5 for morning wraparound so I’ve lost the £5 plus I was 2 and a half hours late for work so lost money there if I can’t make it up. I’m a single parent with no help in the week so rely on this club 3 times a week during holidays, DC loves going though so it’s worth the money.

I am rarely late to work unarranged like that (only 2nd time in 2.5 years) so I will be forgiven by my manager but it will be unpaid unless I make the hours up.

Just on my lunch so debating this internally.

club opens 1.5 hrs late, I guess they'd give you the £5 for the morning wraparound but that's it.

You can only reasonably expect them to give you the exact time back that you lost. So the 1 1/2 hours plus the £5 for wraparound.
Are you thinking that they should give you half a day, or even a whole day back? In that case, YABVU.

And couldn't you have worked through your lunch?

You know what kind of work OP does, do you? And that she has a 2.5 hour lunch break?

@saraclara

The OP got into work late and then had a lunch break at 12pm or thereabouts. I'd have thought that working through would be a logical solution to not being paid for the time missed

Couldnt you work through lunch as a start?

So they opened 90 minutes late and you want a days free care?

They will pay you back the wrap around charge. It is crap but they won't compensate your lost earnings.

If you were delayed 1.5 hours surely you would be 1.5 hours late not 2.5 hours?

If your workplace closes for lunch- for example in factories when the machines stop, or in an office that closes, there’s often no opportunity to work through lunch, or in a job where you need to operate under dual control etc.
I sometimes think some fellow posters have led very sheltered lives assuming about other people’s lives and work.

I wouldn't expect a day or even half a day if they were 1.5 hrs later opening.

Where does the extra hour come from? Surely the journey wouldn't be an hour longer at 9:30 vs 8am?

It depends entirely on your job, surely? Working through my lunch break as a teacher (which I did anyway) wouldn't have helped at all to make up for the 2.5 hours of no teacher in the morning's lessons.

Doesn't seem likely that OP is a teacher, so mine is just an example. But there are plenty of other, where working through lunch is either impossible or not helpful.

Working through lunch isn't always that easy. You legally have to take 20 minutes lunch and therefore they'll take 20 minutes off the time I work even if I choose not to take it. I wouldn't take the whole hour if I was late in, but in some jobs it wouldn't make sense to work through lunch.

Exactly. Carers, nurses....there are so many jobs where this would be an issue not easily resolved by working through a lunch break.

Sheltered life, sure. I don't even get paid for my breaks!

The OP started her lunch before 12, which to my mind wasn't strictly necessary as she started late.
If she happens to work somewhere that grinds to a halt at lunchtime, then I take it all back!

Also did you actually wait until the opening OP? Your post sounds a bit wishy washy 'There were parents waiting when they opened at 9.30am' and 'I guess they got there about 9.15'.

I'd probably expect a pro-rata refund. So £5 for the wraparound time (1 hour?) and then £3.50 for the 30 minutes (assuming 9 - 5:30). Maybe rounded up to £10 for goodwill.

Expecting a whole half day or day is disproportionate.

My maths is probably wrong at usual, don't @ me

Expecting more? How grabby are you. It’s life- traffic happens.

I'd expect a refund for the 1.5 hour they were closed.

But actually if it was out of their control and they are usually very good and reliable, I'd tell them not to worry about it.

I don't think you should ask for something. I'd guess about half or more of the temporary traffic lights would not have been needed if the works had been carried out beyond 8-4 Monday to Friday. Let your local councillors know the impact, local authorities are often as bad as anyone else for street works causing avoidable traffic delays. Would have been much worse in term time.

WIBU to just ask them to give me half a day or a days childcare in lieu so I can make up my hours and not be out of pocket? Or should I be expecting more?

YANBU, if you need to work the hours to receive pay, then asking for some time in lieu (1.5 hours) so you can work seems fair. (How would that work in practise? Will you drop DS in an extra morning?)

However, as they make so many accomodations for DS, maybe it would make more sense to make up the time in the evening/weekend and just accept their offered recompense?

Hi everyone, sorry for leaving I did say I was on my lunch break and I did have to get back to work.

Lunch break is enforced, 11.45-12.05 computers shut down unless you're on a call and won't come on again until then.

At pickup tonight I mentioned about being late for work, holiday club leader said sorry again and that I'm welcome to send DC for an extra morning or afternoon for free once they've processed the voucher through the website.

I'm happy with that as I can then make up the hours!