To tell them to F*** off and quit before the Christmas break?

[icyblast]

I’ve been working full time at a nursery for 3 years now, and honestly, it’s been terrible. I’m not sure how I’ve managed to stick around this long. I think I just got too comfortable. The kids are lovely, and I genuinely enjoy that part of my job. But the management / owners? That’s a different story. It’s a chain of nurseries, and all they care about is profit. The staff are treated like shit, paid peanuts, and they act like they’re untouchable / above employment law. I could share so many stories, but I won’t bother. However, this latest incident has pushed me and a few others over the edge.

To keep it short, the owners like to donate to charity (which isn’t a bad thing), but they’re not good people, and no one sees what happens behind the scenes. They’ve organised a charity event for tomorrow that lasts 3 hours and threatened us with disciplinary action if we don’t show up. We all work Monday to Friday (that’s what our contracts say) and won’t be paid for our time tomorrow. Plus, it’s the last weekend before Christmas, so naturally, most of us have plans or are going away. They only told us on Tuesday that we were expected to attend. One of my colleagues only started 2 weeks ago (already had plans for the weekend), and while our manager let her off, she basically got a warning and was told not to let it happen again. Seriously? It’s her day off! Why shouldn’t she be able to make plans?

The thing is, if they had just asked us nicely to help out, most of us would have agreed. But they’ve given us no choice and threatened to sack us if we don’t go! Then we have to act like it’s a wonderful company and put on smiles and act happy for the parents and kids. We’re going just to avoid the hassle, but most of us are now looking for new jobs.

I talked to my partner about this, and he told me to just leave. I don’t have another job lined up yet, but I’m fully qualified and have over 10 years of experience in child care. I’m not trying to be cocky, but there are so many care jobs available right now that I doubt I’d have a hard time finding something better. AIBU to hand my notice in on Christmas Eve and enjoy my time off?

I hope you didn’t go OP.
If you have any fall out you just take them to an employment tribunal, they wouldn’t have a leg to stand on. It’s this sort of behaviour by employers which needs calling out and it will continue to happen until you and your colleagues do just that.

Did you go??

All you just leave and go somewhere else. Try eteach or similar, plenty of these jobs around. Leave them to fester in their own pile.

although just to say working for a school is very similar. Teachers get a slightly better advantage over support staff,

Well, they are in the wrong here, not you. What despicable employers. In all honesty, what could they do if none of you turned up - sack you all? (Then where would they be?) With such short notice and such an attitude by them, they deserve to be left in the lurch - shame on them. I do hope you listen to your DP. There are other child care posts out there. They do not deserve your loyalty.

You need to leave the nursery , l do notice that nurseries do have a big turnover of staff. Over worked and underpaid. With your experience you could do a certificate in education for child care and teach in a college. Sometimes colleges employ you aslong as you study at the same time. Better pay and conditions. Good luck whatever you decide

If you can survive financially for a couple of months then yeah do it!

Do it.... It's illegal what they are doing but you deserve better

I know that the time is past now, but I hope that you didn't go and just sit back to see what happens. If they sack you, you can take them to a tribunal, your contract doesn't include this work and THEY are giving to charity, not you.

You need to check exactly what your contract says before you do anything. I would not under estimate how hard it could be without a reference albeit think employers are no longer allowed to give bad ones. Not sure how it is in the Care industry but they could well hold it up and you could end up months out of work whilst cleared again for a new job. For one day, I would bite my tongue and then move on at your pace not theirs.

This.
My daughter worked at a nursery like this. It made her ill with anxiety.
Eventually someone reported then and they got into a lot of trouble with Ofsted.

Do we work for the same nursery chain?! I honestly think we do! Nothing pisses me off quite like the emails I receive telling me saturday we have to be working and it’s MANDATORY! Always in capitals, in a threatening manner. I’ve only been at mine 8 weeks and I’m handing my notice in in the new year. I’m sick of been snapped at and spoken down to. I love my babies and I’m going to miss them so much but my mental health is declining by the day. It’s just toxic. Toxic management and toxic room leaders

Don’t go. Tell them you’re ill - flu, Nirovirus, etc. New Year - new job!! Plan to leave asap. This is a wake-up call and the start of a lovely new job with employers who value you! I left a job where I was unhappy and undervalued and a year later I was earning almost double the salary in a similar role elsewhere. Sometimes it’s a scary leap, but there’s always a point when you think, “Enough”. Sounds like this is it. Sending you all the best for Christmas and the New Year. Xx

Hand in your notice as soon as. I honeslty dont know why nursery managers/owners think they are better than anyone else. They love having that power over people. Get out while you can and tell them to stick their job up their arses. They would be nothing without the staff actually doing the hard graft. You wont ever be thanked for it by them.

If we ask our staff to do additional hours it’s either paid or they get time off in lieu. Even if it’s a charity event my staff don’t work weekends and I would ask for volunteers - give them much more than 4 days notice and either pay them or give them time off. To expect you to do this for free in your own time in such a bullying manner is disgraceful. They can’t discipline you if it’s not a working day and you haven’t agreed and they are not compensating you. They sound awful.

Give proper notice so they can’t criticise you for walking out; behaving professionally matters when you work in childcare.

I would leave. I won't be treated like shit in the workplace. Absolutely leave and you will find another job. You might find other employers in your sector have heard about your company and how they treat staff and not be surprised you have left at all.

I would just not go. You’ve been there three years, they can’t just sack you.
When you get called out on it, tell them that as it was unpaid, you weren’t going to attend.

Report them to HMRC.
They can't demand that you show but not pay you. You probably all get minimum wage? Unpaid hours will take you below minimum wage. HMRC will have a field day.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pay-and-work-rights-complaints

Hopefully you can collectively agree to not show up tomorrow.

Wtf???

I really hope you didn’t go.

Advice | Acas

Leave.
if you want to take it further or need advice use ACAS, they are very good, we have used them.
You should be on minimum wage for your age, and this can be clawed back through ACAS which was free when we used it.

No pay, no stay. Don't 'go sick'. Tell them this is not part of your contracted hours (please God tell me you have a contract) & you are not available. Your colleagues should do the same. I don't see how they can sack you. Staggering piss taking.

Send a concern to CQC

Your D definitely did the right thing and that takes courage.

YANBU. I’ve worked in nurseries and experienced some awful, bullying managers. It seems to be a common theme in all female environments.