Nursery charging for days they’re closed??

[tigger2022]

DS started nursery in March and goes Mondays-Thursdays. In 99% areas I love the nursery. But what seems really unfair is that if a bank holiday falls on a Monday (which they usually do) then I have to pay for a full day of nursery even though it’s shut. What’s worse is at work because I’m on flexible hours I have to take holiday for bank holidays. So in May I paid the nursery nearly £200 for 3 bank holiday days where I had to take an unpaid day off work to look after my son at home myself. It feels so unfair but when I complained they said every nursery is like this. Is that true??? Why can’t they spread out the cost of days they’re closed within the pricing itself so Monday parents don’t get penalised?? I feel like I’m being swindled.

Standard but very annoying

This is standard. They still have to pay their bills.

Yes it’s true, it’s why I chose Monday as my day not to work when condescending my hours into the rest of the week! Ours also close got about 4/5 staff training days a year too but they rotate those so it’s not the same parents getting screwed. The bank holidays are obviously not moveable though and they still have all the costs and wages to pay out.

This is totally standard, but I've found some nurseries take more bank holidays than others. The one we used was only actually closed about 6 days the whole year, they didn't take every bank holiday off thankfully!

I just wish they would spread out the cost into the price so that everyone has to pay it!

why should everyone have to pay it? i take my dd to nursery on wednesday for this reason, she was going to go mondays but i’m not paying for bank hols

Yes, it’s very annoying. It’s why I haven’t worked Mondays in years! Be aware they may have extra closure dates over Christmas too that you’re charged for.

But why should I have to pay for bank holidays either? Say we all have to pay 2p more for fees, that would be so much better than the Monday parents having to pay something like £600 a year for days we also have to pay to arrange actual childcare on.

This is standard for a lot of nurseries. DS attended full time, so we paid for all the bank holidays. However I'm struggling to understand why you think parents who choose not to use Mondays should also pay for the Monday bank holiday closures. You presumably chose to use nursery Mon-Thur rather than, say, Tues-Fri? So you had an equal opportunity to avoid them...

Agree!

You get paid for bank holidays right? So why shouldn't their staff?

Don't like it? Don't have a Monday on your contract.

That's fine but I don't see why the people who don't have Mondays shouldn't pay pro rata

Because you want the nursery session on mondays! I never use nurseries on mondays or fridays because of bank holidays, the nursery is closed xmas weel which we still pay for obviously. They still have staff that need paying

Why??

I only had the option to have Friday as my non-working day so I can’t choose not to send him on Mondays.

Are you offering to pay me my salary to stay home and play with DS on Mondays? Cool.

I'd be refusing to pay!! My DD's nursery never charged for any of that. Move her to a school nursery, they're so, so much better anyway

Mine never did but they were the exception. It would feel much better if the incorporated those into the fees over the year thought. Even though you'd still be paying for it, it wouldn't sting so much!

I completely understand that they still have wages and stuff… but it’s so unfair! And it means the burden of paying it falls on the parents who are already paying extortionate fees for full-time (DS is in 4x 10 hour days so that’s effectively full time!) but people whose kid only does a cheap, cheeky Wednesday afternoon get off scot free

You think the solution to struggling with bank holidays is to move to a school nursery? A school nursery which will be closed on bank holidays ....and all the school holidays. I fear that may make the OP's situation worse, no?

When my son did 4 days nursery let me swap his day as they knew I could only get family help one day a week.
now he’s in 5 days. Nursery charges on a monthly basis but because i get help from UC it’s split over 51 weeks/12 so I pay a fixed amount each month. Makes it easier to budget.

It’s really frustrating to be charged for when nursery is closed. You pay for a service and they’re not giving it so why should you pay?

Move her to a school nursery, they're so, so much better anyway

Well, unless you need childcare outside of term time and for longer than school hours... (And also bullshit, but I thought I'd go for something specific!)

Our nursery doesn't charge for them. The cost of staff is somehow incorporated into the fees for everyone.
If they charged I would have avoided Mondays and presumably lots of other people would too.
On the other extreem I did see one nursery that even charges when they are shut over Christmas week. Needless to say I didn't pick that one

It’s really annoying (and money I can’t afford to waste)… things like bank holidays should be considered cost of doing business & factored into the price

I hope this nursery doesn’t charge for Christmas too 😭 the only kids in on Mondays are the full-time kids (DS is technically full time since he does a 40h week but over 4 days!) so people who are already paying the most have to take the burden 😭