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Original poster

rolling day-off and nursery

17 replies

BettyOoh · 21/04/2011 22:01

I'm going back to work full time (9-5, Mon-Fri) after my maternity leave and DD is going to nursery. DP works for royal mail and has a rolling day-off, so week 1 day off is Mon, week 2 is Tues, week 3 is Wed etc. As such I want DD to only go to nursery four days a week, and stay at home with DP on his day off (to save money and so she can be at home as much as possible.) The nursery I want her to go to has a problem with this, as do some others I've contacted, saying that I would have to pay for 5 days a week as they don't know when she'll be in and can't reserve a space for her, which could be used for another child. We could tell them months in advance exactly which days she'd be in (which I've told them) and she's probably going to be going there until school.
Has anyone else had experience of this? Have you found a way to get around it or have you ended up paying for days at nursery when your DC's aren't actually there? It just seems a bit harsh to me! thanks

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KatyMac · 21/04/2011 22:04

Think of it more like joining a gym, the facility is there for you to use 5 days a week. If you choose not to use it, you still have to pay.

In order to fill your 'space' they would need to find a child who needs 1 days care a week on a 5 week rolling rota; which to be fair is unlikely

onadietcokebreak · 21/04/2011 22:07

Standard practice I'm afraid.

BertieBotts · 21/04/2011 22:07

No, that's just the way nurseries work I'm afraid. It's really unlikely they will get another child in for the exact days your DD is off, no matter how far in advance you can tell them. So she's going to be taking up a space which you'll need to pay for.

It sounds like a childminder would suit better. I change DS' days around a lot because I'm at uni and need different times for studying, extra lectures, exams etc, and my CM never has a problem with it because she likes to work at under full capacity, in case of emergencies/clashes, and so she can give more attention to the children. Occasionally I've said "Could you do Tuesday afternoon?" and she's said no, but my core hours she keeps for DS and then things like exams and extra lectures I can let her know in advance - the study time is flexible so if she can't do one day, she will let me know another that she can. I only ever pay for the hours DS is there, she doesn't charge even if he is ill as long as I let her know.

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SarkyLady · 21/04/2011 22:08

You might find a flexible childminder prepared to come to some arrangement, but all nurseries that i know would charge 5 days. Your lo would cost them the same in terms of staffing costs as a fulltimer.

Original poster

BettyOoh · 21/04/2011 22:10

i see what you mean, but surely alot of part-time babies don't have someone else exactly filling their space when they're not there?

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SarkyLady · 21/04/2011 22:15

As long as they have fixed days the spaces can usually be filled. Or if numbers are low on particular days the staff rota can be adjusted sobthey have less staff in. For example ds2's nursery has far fewer staff in on Fridays as lots of part-timers have this as their day off.

SarkyLady · 21/04/2011 22:16

Can your Dh speak to his work? I'd guess there are other staff that would prefer more consistency in their working days.

Grabaspoon · 21/04/2011 22:17

Yes but the nursery can sell the spaces that are left ie
Monday they have 4babies in the morning and 2 in qthe afternoon means they know that when a new baby wants to join there is space for 2extras inthemorning and 4 in the afternoon

Think of it if a boss told you that they wanted you to work the same however not pay you or allow you reasonable time to fill your day with another income then you would expect they pay you for it.

Sirzy · 21/04/2011 22:19

I think it's only fair from the burserys pov otherwise they would have to keep one space free for your ds every day but you only pay for 4 so they lose out.

You have to pick the days and stick with those days so that they can work out numbers.

I can understand why that is a problem in your case but with the amount of children in a nursery it is the only way to work.

Original poster

BettyOoh · 21/04/2011 22:19

bumflaps i guess i'm going to have to pay an extra £120 at month [busad] ... i asked DP to ask at work but apparently the system was voted in by the majority so no changing, probably because it means people get a longish weekend every 6 weeks. stupid royal mail.

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stealthcat · 21/04/2011 22:22

Can your DH swap shifts with people, or does he have to work the shifts that he is given?

SarkyLady · 21/04/2011 22:24

Post in 'employment' to see if they can advise about your Dh speaking to his work. Seems like they are making things unnecessarily difficult for working parents.

BertieBotts · 21/04/2011 22:26

What about a childminder - is that an option? I fell in love with a nursery for DS but then realised he could still go there when he turned 3 as a pre-school place, and go to the childminder giving me more flexibility in the meantime.

Now he's nearing 3 I've decided I prefer another preschool better but there you go. I love my childminder, she's fab.

renlo · 21/04/2011 22:57

We had a similar situation, my husband works shifts with 2 days off each week but different days each week. Like you, we wanted to save on fees by having him look after dds on those days but nursery said no. In the end, dh made an application under flexible working at work, asking for one of those days to be the same day each week. They were reluctant but unfortunately for them I am very persistant, lol and his boss probably said yes to stop me providing yet more arguments/evidence why it could be accommodated. That's how we got around it, we never found one nursery even willing to entertain the idea and surprisingly few childminders.

gillybean2 · 22/04/2011 10:38

Child minder is likely to say the same i'm afraid. I know mine did when another parent had a similar thing as she had to keep the space open for her child. She was happy to do term time only for me, and she had other (older) children who she only had in the holidays.

Nursery's do fill up spaces for one or two days but usually the parent wants the same 1 or 2 days (if they work part time or have a regular gym/shopping day perhaps).

I think you have to look at it as your choice to have her at home with dh because of how his days off work and that you actually need 5 days of child care provision each week as potentially you will use any of those 5 days on any give week.
Some of those days I'm sure he will have her at home, some he may need to do things which it would be easier if she was at nursery for, and some days he'll possible take her in late and pick up early as he will only need a shorter time for a break/chores/boring stuff for toddlers (like taking car to garage).

Could he not work his day off and take off more time in the holidays? Or is the day off to make up for working on saturday so he has to have 2 days off a week or something? Nursery more likely to go with a term time only option as they can sover staff better and their staff generally like to take school hols off too generally (esp if they have older dc at school)

Employers have to be try and be flexible. There's no harm in asking if he can work his day off and take it as time off in lieu during the summer & easter hols for example and you taking xmas hols off. Or asking what the policy is for parents with young children who request a more regular day off. If people like a long weekend then perhaps he could always ask for a wednesday off?

Broodymomma · 22/04/2011 19:15

I am also a shift worker and have recently appiled under the flexible working for the same 2 days off per week for exactly this reason - took some persuading on my part but it was authorised. Always worth applying - the worst they can say is no.

Original poster

BettyOoh · 22/04/2011 21:44

thank you all for your ideas. i hadn't really thought about DP's right to flexible working, he isn't aware of anyone else having the same issue at work but i reckon some people must be. i think him having the same day off would really be the best option. i'm pretty sure they can only work their day off voluntarily and not to get days in lieu, which is shame, but i'll definitely ask him.

paying for one extra day a week 'just in case' would really add up and isn't something we can really afford.

i have looked into getting a childminder, but i've heard quite a few bad stories about them which has put me off, such as not knowing where they're taking your baby, or who is around them. and i live in quite a rough area so it's hard to find someone 'suitable' (arrgh that makes me sound horrible).
maybe i should just have a good rethink about it.

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