I've just been made redundant with no notice from employer - nursery has asked for full 2 months notice

[sarahandruby]

hi everyone. Due to the current financial situation, the bank I work for has gone in to administration. We were told today not to come into work as there are no jobs. We aren't expected to get paid for this months work or paid out our holidays. I've explained this to the nursery and if I'm not working I can't afford to pay the £75 per day fee. Unfortunately they won't budge on the 2 month notice period, not even under these unusual circumstances. Anybody have the same problem or any advice on how I can get them to see sense????? Any help would be appreciated. Sarah

Did you sign a contract agreeing to the 2 months notice? If so I expect there's not a lot you can do, unless they let you pay it off in installments. Am very sorry about your job but they have a business to run,wages to pay etc too.

God, you poor thing. Citizens advice may help you with advice on getting some redundancy (my aunt was made redundant under similar circumstances, and they helped her to get a small ammount of redundancy from the government). Gosh, what a worry this must be for you, I think they must have to let you pay in instalments, surely?

I think they are being very harsh, particularly if the nursery can fill the place. Can you ask if you can only pay until they fill the place? Otherwise can you see CAB about possible help with benefits/redundancy? I'm so sorry you have lost your job. It must be a horrible shock.

OMG £75 per day

really sorry to hear your news, what a shock for you. Echo what others have said re CAB

double check the contract, 2 months notice seems long, it is usually one month ime. so sorry to hear about your job.

Well, if you do have to keep up the contract for two months, at least that gives you time for job searching and interviews etc.

but if you were paying £75 a day nursery fees then you must have been earning (and saving) a lot of money?? Enough to tide you over now surely?

Maybe sarah was earning enough to pay that £75 a day but not enough to save from what was left of her disposable income gladders
Sorry to hear about your job. Assume you will be getting no redundancy money sarah ?

Thanks everyone for your support, yes I have definately checked and it is 2 months, I new that was going to bit me on the bum when I signed it. I have asked if 1 month notice is possible, this we can do at a push and am waiting to hear back. Guess I'm just lucky I'm not the main breadwinner like some of my other workmates.

fingers crossed things work out for you sarahandruby, hope you soon find new job

Yeah good news, nursery has come back and asked for just one months notice now. Such good news. Thanks for your support everyone.

OH thank god for that! Best of luck if you are looking for a new job

Glad they are being more reasonable. There was an article in Nursery World recently that sums up the current situation and I have cut and paste some of it below.

Glen Perrott, whose four HRH nurseries in Cambridgeshire are within commuting distance of London, said a mother and father of children at her Roundabout nursery in St Ives, Huntingdon, had both lost their jobs in the same week.

She said, 'We are trying actively to support people, because after all, they have supported us. This nursery is just three years old and these parents have been instrumental in its success. So when they hit hard times, we have to be supportive.'

She added, 'Nursery owners who think that money is the most important part of their business will fail in this current climate. You have got to show a human face.'

There is a scheme run by the dti (Dept. of trade and industry) whereby you can get some money from the government if a company goes bust and fails to pay it's employees. Like most such schemes though it's capped, so if you were a high earner the amount you would get would probably be nothing like what you are owed. It's better than nothing though! My DH used it a couple of years ago when he was in a similar situation - check out the dti website, it's a fairly straightforward claim procedure if I remember correctly.

Glad to hear the nursery are being reasonable

For other people who may be in this situation - I would simply explain the situation and say you can't pay. I doubt they'll take you to court and it's unreasonable anyway if they can fill the place, even part-time. You can agree to a contract but the terms have to be fair. Two months' notice seems a lot to me, Busy Bees for example says one month.

There's a lot of advice about unfair contract terms on the website of the Office of Fair Trading.

Really sorry to hear this....am glad that the nursery have compromised. Good luck if you are trying to find another job.

gladders - your comment really doesn't help matters and as the op had already said that she can't afford to pay the fee's then your comment was not necessary. In these situations, if you can't be supportive, then please don't post.

Typical Sky. Too cheap to pay the media request fee.

Maybe they haven't paid it cos they're going to discount it from my bill!

Sorry to hear your situation Sarah, hope you get something from the government thingy.