Can the nrsery make me pick up my child within an hour?

[DogsTail]

I undesratnd they are a private company so can dictate how they operate but is it actually legal to do thi. I'm a single self-employed parent with a DC in a nursery. DC had a temp two days ago and I was told to do the pick-up within an hour. Previously it was not a problem bar one occasion. This time I couldn't physically be there within an hour, which is what I told the manager, who just went silet.

Is that actually legal? How am I supposed to work and pay their extortionate fees (i'm in London) but then risk losing work because of having to drop everything to run a pick up DC. Of course I was going to go there as soon as I could but not withinh such a rigid time frame. There is no one else that can pick up DC in such situ, if there was a real emergency, there is DC's father who lives 2 hours away and a friend of mine who they have on emergency list. What do single parents with no support network, no family, are supposed to do?

It's difficult but I think the nursery is reasonable to ask you to pick up a sick child ASAP. Sadly children get sick a lot, and it can make work difficult.

It might be more tactful of them to say be here asap rather than within an hour though. How long is the journey from work to nursery?

It depends. I have an office at home but then I travel a lot across London. I will speak to them again on Monday and to the head office too.

I used to work in a day nursery, and sadly when parents were asked to come "as soon as possible" more often than not they'd just come at the usual time, occasionally even 6pm (or later in a couple of cases), and one staff member is usually taken up looking after a poorly child for most of the day.
It is a bit of a harsh rule, but I can see why they have it. If they let one or two parents over the hour, others will use the rule break to take the mick.

Oh, btw I am the OP. just buggered the name change before as I posted this in Chat due to no responses previously.

Yes, I understand that but DC was happily playing about as I came in. No separate room/ staff member as most children in the room had the same snot/ cough/ virus.

Was it in the terms and conditions that you agreed to when you entered into the contact with the nursery? If so, then I'm afraid yabu. If not, then yanbu.

I imagine that if they cater for parents who commute into London it's pretty unrealistic for them to require pick up within an hour, as opposed to simply "as soon as possible". When I've had to collect DS due to illness i've simply told nursery that I'll be there as soon as I can. It's usually closer to 2 hours by the time I've left work and travelled back from London though (south east commuter belt).

They might want you there within an hour but really, what are they going to do if you simply can't get there that quickly? I wouldn't worry about it unless they start making noises about it.

Now it seems it doesn't say 'within 1 hour' in the t&cs, just immediately.

That's just nonsensical, nobody could pick their child up "immediately" unless they were nursery staff! I would read that as ASAP, as long as you make every effort to get there as quickly as you can, there's nothing more they can ask of you, surely!

I've had to pick up dd2 today, she has a temp and seemingly nothing else wrong with her. I work half an hour from nursery but I can't drop everything immediately when I get The Call, I'll need to work from home for the next couple of days so I needed to make sure I had everything I need to take with me, hand over to colleagues etc etc. I think I got there just over an hour after being asked to collect her. Nursery were fine with it.

I don't think it's a legal issue as such, but I can see how annoying it is to have to care for an unwell child who needs one on one attention, I appreciate that your child was well enough to muddle along however I would imagine that they have to treat all children the same once a parent has been notified of an illness. At dd2's nursery parents are asked to collect within an hour, however if I let them know that I will be a bit longer than that then they're fine with it as they know I'm doing my best to get there.

I think the issue here is the lack of flexibility of the nursery and possibly the attitude of the manager. I wouldn't take it any further unless they bring it up or a similar thing happens again, unless of course it's happened before.

I work 60 miles away from nursery, H works 10 minutes away so if we ever get the call, H will go to nursery. Not a problem. However, there have been times when he has been unable to go, and I've then had to get there - its never been within the hour. I've left immediately but depending on traffic, it can be 1.5hours. I think its part and parcel of you knowing nursery, and them knowing your situation. They knew I'd have left immediately, but it'd be some time before I got to nursery - and there was one occasion when my DS had fallen, split his lip anf needed to go to A&E. They comforted him, had 1 to 1 care with him until I got there - couldn't have been kinder. No issue.