Nursery early closing NYE!

[OneCoralFinch]

Just venting. DH has taken DC to nursery today, we’re both working as normal. Nursery is usually open till 6, DH finishes 5:30, me at 6. Nursery worker casually drops into the conversation at drop off that they’re hoping to close at 4 today. No warning or communication about this at all from the nursery in the lead up to NYE. So now DH has to see if there’s a way of finishing 2 hours early to pick up DS. Not easy as loads of colleagues are taking holidays, my colleagues too so we’re thin on the ground. I get the nursery wanting to get away earlier but surely they need to give proper notice of their plans and not just leave it till the bloody morning to tell parents? They asked us to let them know before Christmas which days we were sending the kids in so they could work out staffing numbers but never mentioned anything about closing earlier

She was fishing.

Hoping to close at 4 isn’t closing at 4. The nursery worker just wants to get off early. If this was an official change to the hours you would have had notice weeks ago.

I wouldn’t put myself out to change my plans.

Our nursery is closed from Christmas Eve until 2 January but we’re still paying in full this month - so I think you’ve done well that they’re even open!

Seriously though - they can hope to close but they also have to provide you with the agreed childcare so I wouldn’t sweat it - just say that you have to come at normal time.

I’m working today and I fully intend to be finished by 4pm - but appreciate not everyone has that flexibility available to them.

I worked in nurseries for years. They are hoping to close at 4, but they obviously won't if children can not be picked up any earlier. They should have sent a letter out before Christmas explaining this.

Very true.
But also true that most nurseries are closed.

@DowntonCrabbie Ours did but being one that stays open would be a big selling point for a lot of new clients. You'd be a bit put out to only find out on the day.

And refund all their customers 2 hours of fees.

very cheeky when you are paying (a lot i pressure)

OP hasn't found out on the day. Nobody has said they are closing at 4 and kid has to be picked up by then. OP can collect at 6.

Ours closes between Xmas and new year however it is normal for them to close at 4pm on Xmas eve. They should've given you advance notice although by the sounds of it they're only hoping to close at 4 if they can get everyone gone.

No idea. Like I said, they would only close early if they can. It's not compulsory just nice if staff can get away early. I worked till 6pm on NYE and I wasn't bothered because I don't celebrate it. We had 2 kids left in the entire building the rest were picked up well before 4pm.

They aren’t closing at 4 though. Unless you ignore all your communication from the nursery you would have been told weeks ago and reminded constantly.
The nursery worker was potentially just having a conversation or maybe she was ‘fishing’ to see what time your DH would be collecting. Some people don’t work all day on NYE or Christmas Eve and some do.

In my past life we had to stay till 6pm in the nursery for just one child. He slept for most of it so we cleaned, it wasn’t a big deal.

If they asked before Christmas about days and didn't mention closing early then, I wouldn't jump through hoops to collect early. I'm all for nursery closing early on Christmas eve and new years eve...but with notice! It's probably a 'we would like to close early but will stay open if needed' situation.

Our nursery also asked at the start of Dec for attendance over Christmas and new year weeks but stipulated they were planning to close early (I think it was like 2pm) on Christmas eve but not NYE. It was more of a if you are finished early and can pick up please could you. But if you are working and need childcare we will still be open for you. Everyone picked up by at 2pm I think (I drove pasted on my way home and it was just closing)

Another one not sure why OP has scrambled to try and get her DH to finish early when it isn't required. They didn't say they were closing early and you have no obligation to collect early. Fuss about nothing.

Are they hoping to pressure all the parents to collect at 4 but still keep the two hours pay from 4-6?!

That’s what I’d be clarifying in my phone call to the manager! ‘I might be able to collect at 4 if it’s an emergency staffing issue but can you confirm I won’t be charged 4-6pm?’

If they are just hoping you’ll collect early at the last minute, and still pay, then that’s really unreasonable!

Do you actually pay for it, or do you pay for 51 weeks of the year in equal monthly instalments?

It isn't really fair to say this as it puts pressure on parents at the last minute. No one wants to think their child will be sitting for two hours alone with a member of staff with their coat on clock watching. They should have been more upfront about this before Xmas. They should have asked patents who was and was not able to do this to create a proper an and so that everyone knew what was happening in advance.

They don't need to refund 2 hours of fees if they're just saying they'll close at 4 if all children are picked up by then. They wouldn't usually refund you if you pick up your child early. If they say they are closing then they could be different but fees are generally spread across the year at the outset anyway.

While I can see why your nursery is open, I’m impressed that it is - they’re all closed here. DS doesn’t go back until the 6th 😵‍💫

Theyre hoping to go home early. They’ll probably put all the kids together with music on when a lot of them have left but they’re not actually closing and you don’t need to change arrangements. They’re just mentioning it in the hope that people who can pick up early, will.

They aren’t hoping to pressure anyone. If a lot of the children start getting collected early they will send the staff home early.
It’s the same as why they ask parents in advance if their children will be attending over the Christmas period (if they open) so they can adjust the amount of staff they need during that time.
There’s honestly no need to “call the manager”

@ They may at some but by no means all, not at 2 of the 3 we used.

I suppose I'm not the best person to ask. One of our child's nurseries indulged in constant CFery towards the end. I am so very happy my children are now at school. I will say this though. I know of no other profession where you could drop hints to clients you want to clock off early, expect them to pay anyway, and still have a job at the end of the day.

Well, by saying what she did this morning, the OP now feels pressured to pick up early.

This.

Sorry I'm working til 5.30pm. We will pick up as usual.

It wouldn't put any pressure on me. I'm quite capable of seeing it as a nice to have for the nursery that I'm in no way obligated to facilitate. It's only pressuring you if you let it.

Days such as today are typically ones where barely any children come in unless the parents really have no choice and most go early. It can mean one child is the only one left which is upsetting for the child as they have nobody to play with. It may well be the scenario for your child today if they are hinting that most children will be gone by four but it doesn't mean they are closing at four.