Is it normal for a nursery to charge for holidays even with advance warning?

[Rocinante]

I've just been given the contract for DD's nursery and it says that we're allowed 4 weeks holiday which will be charged at 50% usual fees if we give them at least a month's notice.

When I've used a nursery before we were allocated a certain number of days per year which could be classified as "holiday" so as long as we gave them enough warning, we wouldn't pay for them at all.

So what's normal? I would have thought that if you give them a month's notice it would be enough for them to sort out staffing rotas so they don't lose out financially. Charging 50% of fees seems a bit unfair, but I just don't know whether that's the norm or not .

This nursery has just opened up and we're one of the first to use it, so is it worth me querying their policy?

We don't get any discount if we take our dd on holiday so we still have to pay full price.

We would like a 50 per cent discount but it would still be worth you querying their policy if free holidays are the norm for your area.

My DDs nursery charge the same all the time, there is no discount for holidays at all.

The nursery will have exactly the same running costs regardless of whether you are there or not, so one who allows you free or reduced time off in holidays must be charging slightly more the rest of the year to make up for it.

Same. We pay for the place not the hours.

Oh so we're actually getting a good deal and I won't query it!!

This could possibly explain why the previous nursery ran into financial trouble and had to close....

DD goes to nursery every Tuesday and we pay for every Tuesday. Over the next 6 weeks she'll be away for 4 of them. We still have to pay.

I think you're "keeping her place" for want of a better way of putting it. I don't get discount for DD's holidays from nursery and pay the same amount every month (even when they're on holiday and the nursery is closed).

I think 50% off is a good deal. We get that and I really appreciate it. I know lots of people who have to pay all year round.

Have to pay full price for holidays here too... And we have to pay for bank holidays, even though nursery's closed, which annoys me as I often have to work bank holidays!

Agree with the others, my own nursery still has staff wages to pay, cant send them home without pay cos theyd leave! and of course rent rates gas electric insurance etc

DD doesn't go on a Monday but I have to say the bank hol thing would seriously piss me off. I totally understand that if I choose not send dd on her day then the nursery still needs to cover the costs of them being ready and willing to have her. But if the nursery is shut and not open to provide the service then I can't see how they can justify charging you.

We pay full rate all year round here too. Especially annoying as last year DSs only went on Mondays and we'd still have to pay for BHs!

Of course you pay for bank holidays - you get paid for them too

Our nursery does a special deal for teachers where you pay full price for 42 weeks and half for ten weeks (the longer school holidays). But everyone else pays for 52 weeks of the year full price.

We get a certain number of days a year that we can take as holiday.. mind you, ours are pretty flexible and as long as I give them enough notice I can change dates and take DS out when I like.

oh, and we def don't pay for BH's.

So supposing you have to work bank hol as a previous poster said? Plenty of people in our place do. You're paying for something you need but can't use.

Being only 16hrs I have been asked several times if on bank holiday weeks I can do a different day. But my nursery (although is great) is very inflexible and you cant swap days or sessions at all. It would be handy to swap say a Monday to a Wednesday when meetings come up, but I cant so would have to pay an additional £70 instead.

Clemette yes, but I then have to arrange alternative childcare if I'm working, so often end up paying twice. I know staff have to be paid etc, it's just something that riles me a bit sometimes...