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Creches closing for xmas

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  • 24-10-2008 9:31am
    #1
    Diceicle
    Registered Users Posts: 1,799 ✭✭✭


    Is it standard practice for a creche to close for 2 weeks at xmas and to still expect their standard weekly payment (€190) albeit upfront? It seems to me that the creche is providing a service, like a shop per se, and if a shop is closed it doesnt take in any money?? The fee structure itself doesnt lead me to believe that the €380 they're asking for xmas is warranted, if the creche put it forward that it was an annual or monthly sum to be payed then maybe I could see the point of paying for the xmas period however as its paid weekly it seems a little unfair to request this payment. What do you think?


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    #2
    JohnDigital
    Registered Users Posts: 513 ✭✭✭JohnDigital


    In my experience with 2 Crèche’s that we have used in the past it is standard practice to still have to pay for Christmas and all Bank Holiday's etc. The response from them is always the same, that the price is an annual one, but split into 12 equal payments for convenience for both parties.

    What we found was worse that that was a Crèche that we stopped using this year did not reopen until January 7th! (main reason we moved the Kids)


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    #3
    beth-lou
    Registered Users Posts: 729 ✭✭✭beth-lou


    The creche I used never closed for Christmas, just a few days. Although I have holidays over Christmas so my DD was never there for that period. I suppose it's the same as paying for when your kid is on holidays twice a year with you. Do your work holidays fall over Christmas? If not then it is a sting, but you must have known that the creche closed for Christmas. I do think it strange that it closes, but presumably they are paying staff wages etc over the holidays too. Maybe change your child to a creche that stays open over Christmas. Either way you will pay for every week of the year.


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    #4
    Dfens
    Closed Accounts Posts: 240 ✭✭Dfens


    Yes, we've have had to pay creches for the time they are closed over christmas (1 week).


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    #5
    marti101
    Closed Accounts Posts: 954 ✭✭✭marti101


    If you expect in your job to get paid for holidays why shouldnt they and its not if ot came out of the blue you knew all year.


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    #6
    beaushalloe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 419 ✭✭beaushalloe


    op two weeks is prob not the norm, however one week would be. and yes it is standard practice to charge for christmas, bank holidays, and holidays that you take other than when thecreche is closed. as the other poster mentioned staff of course have to be paid during any creche shutdown, and this money has to come from the customer. you are paying for a continued service i.e. holding the space for your child, much like finance on your car, you would hardly ask the finance company not to charge you for a week because you weren't using your car?


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    #7
    lostinnappies
    Closed Accounts Posts: 827 ✭✭✭lostinnappies


    my creche will only expect payment on the public holidays .. christmas, boxing day etc but wont ask for any other days they take off.


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    #8
    dools
    Closed Accounts Posts: 189 ✭✭dools


    Our creche in central Dublin closes for a week. They do not take payment for that week. Also, the owner has written to us to say that she is not raising the fees in january (as usual) due to the credit crunch and will hold off fee hikes until June. How decent is she?


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    #9
    LolaDub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,181 ✭✭✭LolaDub


    beaushalloe wrote: »
    op two weeks is prob not the norm, however one week would be. and yes it is standard practice to charge for christmas, bank holidays, and holidays that you take other than when thecreche is closed. as the other poster mentioned staff of course have to be paid during any creche shutdown, and this money has to come from the customer. you are paying for a continued service i.e. holding the space for your child, much like finance on your car, you would hardly ask the finance company not to charge you for a week because you weren't using your car?


    You can ask the insurance for a refund of a period you're not using you car for though. Stores etc won't require you to pay for their staff holidays why should creches? I get the annual fee reason but i think two weeks is taking the p!ss tbh


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    #10
    TargetWidow
    Registered Users Posts: 559 ✭✭✭TargetWidow


    My creche is closed for two weeks but luckily one of the staff there has fallen in love with my little one and offered to take her in her own home for any days that are difficult for us to manage. I thought I was getting 4.5 days for Christmas but it turns out I'm only off half day Christmas eve, Christmas Day and Stephens day. The louses at An Post expect us to open up on the Saturday after Christmas for the usual half day.:( At least she can come to work with me that day and a few of the other quiet days that we should really be closed!:D


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    #11
    High&Low
    Closed Accounts Posts: 323 ✭✭High&Low


    LolaDub wrote: »
    You can ask the insurance for a refund of a period you're not using you car for though. Stores etc won't require you to pay for their staff holidays why should creches? I get the annual fee reason but i think two weeks is taking the p!ss tbh

    How do you think shops pay for their staff holidays? They pay for them out of what they charge you every week when you purchase something, the difference is you pay a small percentage more throughout the year! Would you prefer if the creche charged you 5% more every week throughout the year and gave you a free two weeks at christmas? Same difference.

    My experience with creches is that they close from the 23rd December and reopen on the 2nd January. This year might be a bit different as the 2nd of January is a Friday.


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    #12
    kelle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,243 ✭✭✭kelle


    OP, I'm in the same position. I have to work throughout the Christmas, but luckily my husband is off. If he wasn't I'd have to pay somebody else to mind them while also paying the creche!!! My fees are e300 per week, so it'll be very difficult to hand over e600 and know my kids won't be minded.


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    #13
    fixiepixie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4 ✭fixiepixie


    i work in a creche and we are getting the 23rd fo dec to 2nd of jan off.i dont see y we shouldnt get it off we damn well deserve it!!everyone else gets paid for their xmas hols for example if you work in a shop the customers buy products therefore pay the staffs wages which is the same as the parents pay ours!i dont see how anyone could have a problem wit dat. you'll be gettin paid for ur xmas hols


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    #14
    LolaDub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,181 ✭✭✭LolaDub


    fixiepixie wrote: »
    i work in a creche and we are getting the 23rd fo dec to 2nd of jan off.i dont see y we shouldnt get it off we damn well deserve it!!everyone else gets paid for their xmas hols for example if you work in a shop the customers buy products therefore pay the staffs wages which is the same as the parents pay ours!i dont see how anyone could have a problem wit dat. you'll be gettin paid for ur xmas hols

    Erm no i won't :confused:

    I either work those days to be paid(except 25th and 26th), don't work them and don't get paid or they come out of my annual leave.

    Nobody is disputing that creche staff are entitled to holidays however like any other company, it is the company who is responsible for the payment of holidays not the customer. What if the esb charged you for 2 weeks electricity you didn't use to pay their staffs holidays? The same with your analogy, you buy a product and use it therefore filtering money back into a business for profit and expenses.


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    #15
    beth-lou
    Registered Users Posts: 729 ✭✭✭beth-lou


    I'm guessing that the days off over Christmas will be taken out of the girls who work in the creches annual leave too. Some creches do open over Christmas. If youhave a job where you have to work over Christmas then these are the creches you should use and not the ones that close.

    A creche is a business. You are made aware of the holidays when you enroll your child. If you don't like them, or they don't suit your schedule then don't put your child there. The fee you pay is for the year. I'm sure they could increase it over the other 50 weeks of the year if you'd prefer to cover those 2 weeks. Either way, you pay for 52 weeks. Luckily the creche I used only closed for a few days over Christmas, and my holidays fall over Christmas too.


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    #16
    loyatemu
    Registered Users Posts: 14,942 ✭✭✭✭loyatemu


    LolaDub wrote: »
    Nobody is disputing that creche staff are entitled to holidays however like any other company, it is the company who is responsible for the payment of holidays not the customer.

    where do you think the company would get that money from? From you, thats where - they'd just up the prices for the rest of the year.


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    #17
    Nevyn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 43,045 ✭✭✭✭Nevyn


    loyatemu wrote: »
    where do you think the company would get that money from? From you, thats where - they'd just up the prices for the rest of the year.

    Maybe they should that way parents would not feel they are handing over money for nothing at what is for many the most expensive time of the year.


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