Paying for Childcare on a bank holiday

Neilgarrett59

Co-op childcare have a contractual term that means that parents with Children in nursery on a bank holiday have to pay for that day, even when their is no childcare provision. This means customers who have their child in nursery on Mondays and Friday are disadvantaged because they have to pay for childcare they are not receiving and then potentially pay for childcare elsewhere in addition.

I asked what the rationale was for this decision. They said that the cost of running the nursery continues on bank holidays. E.g. A mortgage or rent I presume, but that principle could be applied to the weekend where nobody is charged. They appear to be paying their nursery staff for bank holidays in time off and Salary, not just time, or paying them increased rates to work.

I can only think that their overall day rate is averaged out including bank holiday income. Other nurserys do they same thing but most some open, thus giving you the option to take the child out, but to still pay as they need to cover salaries of staff actually working on that day.

Clearly this is unfair as parents who pay for Mondays will have to pay x6 £65 = £375 extra, but is this legal?

ThumbRemote

Yes, it's legal, and not that uncommon either.

You say that "customers who have their child in nursery on Mondays and Friday are disadvantaged" - which is true. However the flip side is that if they split the cost among everyone, customers who didn't have their child in nursery on Mondays and Fridays would be subsidising the staff wages for bank holidays, thus disadvantaging them. And perhaps more importantly, it could make their overall daily rate go up, losing them business.

If you are, on the whole, happy with the service you receive from the nursery, just accept it.

unholyangel

ThumbRemote wrote: »

Yes, it's legal, and not that uncommon either.

You say that "customers who have their child in nursery on Mondays and Friday are disadvantaged" - which is true. However the flip side is that if they split the cost among everyone, customers who didn't have their child in nursery on Mondays and Fridays would be subsidising the staff wages for bank holidays, thus disadvantaging them. And perhaps more importantly, it could make their overall daily rate go up, losing them business.

If you are, on the whole, happy with the service you receive from the nursery, just accept it.

If they split the bank holiday pay equally over the days they are open in the year then no, those parents aren't disadvantaged because they'd be paying the same rate as every other parent and no one would be getting the benefit of the service on bank holidays.

Nearly all of their running costs (for holiday pay, rent, heating etc) will be built into their pricing structure over the days they are open regardless of which days its used/charged for - theres no reason they shouldn't/couldn't do this with bank holidays.

Yes its legal so far (as in hasn't been challenged in court). But its one area parents should perhaps be pushing for change.

ComicGeek

Pretty common, it's the same at my son's nursery. It was made very clear to us before we signed up that we would have to pay for the bank holidays - more spaces available on a Monday as a result at the nursery. However, Monday was the better day for us so we were ok with this.


Perhaps if Labour get into power and create more Bank Holidays they will pick other days than Monday! A Wednesday would be good, our son doesn't go to nursery on Wednesday...

flea72

I always viewed it, that seeing as my employer paid me on bank holidays, then i needed to pay the childcare provider on bank holidays too

If youre that worried about having to pay for a service on 4 days of the year, that you dont receive, then just send your child tuesday-thursday (but youll be caught out by the xmas and new year b/h every few years)

Neilgarrett59

In general employment staff are paid for working bank holidays either at a differing higher rate, as part of their overall salary calculation, or the bank holiday is paid for in time off. In these circumstances the staff are being paid in time off and in money, rather than one or the other, when they are not actually working.

As a customer I am paying for a service which is itemised by prices for specific days on bank holiday dates for childcare when there is no childcare service available.

Childcare provision where I live is so sparse that I could only get Monday and Tuesday at this nursery despite 18 months of waiting on 13 nursery waiting lists. There are no other days available and the nursery is 30 minutes travel from home. Choice has been limited unfortunately.

For clarity the cost is double £375 = £750 because alternative childminding needs to be arranged.

powerful_Rogue

Neilgarrett59 wrote: »

In general employment staff are paid for working bank holidays either at a differing higher rate, as part of their overall salary calculation, or the bank holiday is paid for in time off. In these circumstances the staff are being paid in time off and in money, rather than one or the other, when they are not actually working.

As a customer I am paying for a service which is itemised by prices for specific days on bank holiday dates for childcare when there is no childcare service available.

Childcare provision where I live is so sparse that I could only get Monday and Tuesday at this nursery despite 18 months of waiting on 13 nursery waiting lists. There are no other days available and the nursery is 30 minutes travel from home. Choice has been limited unfortunately.

For clarity the cost is double £375 = £750 because alternative childminding needs to be arranged.

I'm presuming you was made aware of this when you signed up to the childcare?

Caz3121

Neilgarrett59 wrote: »

For clarity the cost is double £375 = £750 because alternative childminding needs to be arranged.

I assume you work on Bank Holidays? do you not receive enhanced pay for this? (double time and day in lieu I thought was common)

flea72

Neilgarrett59 wrote: »

For clarity the cost is double £375 = £750 because alternative childminding needs to be arranged.

If you can easily find alternative childcare on bank holidays then why not use that provider permanently, that way you wouldn't be paying double. If you currently pay £75 a day for childcare, then i would be looking at other options, such as an au pair/nanny as then i could arrange hours to suit myself

flea72

Caz3121 wrote: »

I assume you work on Bank Holidays? do you not receive enhanced pay for this? (double time and day in lieu I thought was common)

Many places dont give enhanced pay nowadays, but you do get the time back

ThumbRemote

Neilgarrett59 wrote: »

In general employment staff are paid for working bank holidays either at a differing higher rate, as part of their overall salary calculation, or the bank holiday is paid for in time off. In these circumstances the staff are being paid in time off and in money, rather than one or the other, when they are not actually working.

As a customer I am paying for a service which is itemised by prices for specific days on bank holiday dates for childcare when there is no childcare service available.

Childcare provision where I live is so sparse that I could only get Monday and Tuesday at this nursery despite 18 months of waiting on 13 nursery waiting lists. There are no other days available and the nursery is 30 minutes travel from home. Choice has been limited unfortunately.

For clarity the cost is double £375 = £750 because alternative childminding needs to be arranged.

Would you be happier if they gave you the bank holidays free and put the daily price up by £3?