Creche closed for funeral

Pat McGhee

Hi, just hoping to get some feedback on this.

The father of the owner where my LO goes to creche passed away, (not unexpectedly) and staff contacted us to say they will be closed tomorrow as a mark of respect. Has anyone else had a similar experience and if so, were they obliged to pay the creche? Now I'm not insensitive to the man's death, but he has nothing to do with his daughter's place of business and I am having to pay someone else to look after my child tomorrow, money that, quite frankly, I can ill afford.

I already pay for them for holidays, sick days (when she picked up the illness in creche), xmas hols etc....

Thanks a mill

ZeroImpurities

Ah jaysis.

eviltwin

It's annoying, I can understand a small business closing where everyone in the business would be going to the funeral ie they are family but if its a larger business its not really necessary. Keeping the business open doesn't disrespect the dead. Nothing you can do about it though.

Gandhi

A creche is not a cafe or a sweetshop. If you can't depend on it, it is useless. Closing a creche for a day at short notice is massively disruptive to your customers. While I'd feel bad for the owner's loss, I'd be looking for a new creche the very next day.

ch750536

Really people? Is money so much more important than each other?

zefer

ch750536 wrote: »

Really people? Is money so much more important than each other?

It's not about that, the OP already said they aren't ignorant of the fact that someone died

The creche give the OP 1 day's notice, so they have to either try take a days holiday (at cost to themselves) or pay someone else to mind baby (which in such short notice isnt easy to do and again at a cost to OP)

Creches as the OP says charge whether your child goes every day or misses a day or if you go on holidays etc, so they defo should either refund you for the day they aren't opening on such short notice or they shouldn't let all staff go to funeral.
Do you know any other parents to talk to about it? I'd imagine you aren't the only one not too happy about it
You defo should not have to pay OP.

Skybox

Why do you pay them for holidays/xmas holidays, etc? Surely you should only have to pay them when the child is in the creche?

mamakitten

Skybox wrote: »

Why do you pay them for holidays/xmas holidays, etc? Surely you should only have to pay them when the child is in the creche?

Creches have staff costs, overheads etc even when your child isnt there. Do you think the already low paid staff should get nothing over Christmas or summer holidays? its standard practice to pay at least some holidays during the year.

Re creche closing, I would be sympathetic but I don't think they should have closed, parents are relying on them for childcare and its not easy to find alternative care at a days notice.

zefer

Skybox wrote: »

Why do you pay them for holidays/xmas holidays, etc? Surely you should only have to pay them when the child is in the creche?

Unfortunately not, the majority of creches (any ones I've talked to) all get paid whether child is in or not. Their reasoning is usually to do with they have to pay their staff whether your johnny is on holidays or not

Neyite

Skybox wrote: »

Why do you pay them for holidays/xmas holidays, etc? Surely you should only have to pay them when the child is in the creche?

No, you pay for a full time place or part time place. Thats usually the pricing structure. If you take your child out for a holiday, you pay the creche. Ditto Christmas, unless the creche themselves are shut. You are paying to hold the slot for your child open.

MarkR

For an instance like that, particularly where you had out of pocket expenses (different childminder) then I would be expecting a 20% discount on the week.

Pat McGhee

zefer wrote: »

Do you know any other parents to talk to about it? I'd imagine you aren't the only one not too happy about it
You defo should not have to pay OP.

Unfortunately I don't know them outside of the creche, and I didn't really get a chance to talk to anyone this morning. I should mention that I got the call yesterday so technically they gave 2 days notice, but that's not the point.

It's a small business, but not family run. Having lost a parent myself, I certainly sympathise but when my dad passed, my job didn't shut up shop, nor did they expect clients to pay for my absence.

I know it might not seem like a lot of money, but it is to me and I have more going out than coming in this month so I really don't need the added expense.

Skybox wrote: »

Why do you pay them for holidays/xmas holidays, etc? Surely you should only have to pay them when the child is in the creche?

I pay for 51 weeks in a year - 1 week is "free" for holidays but outside of that the money secures the child's placement in the creche. If I don't pay them while on holidays, they're within their rights to "sell" her place to another child.

Neyite

ch750536 wrote: »

Really people? Is money so much more important than each other?

When compared to the peaceful death of someone I never met, yes, I will consider the lost days wages in addition to the potential creche fees that incur that day.

Thats not counting the inconvenience to the employer if the OP cant go in due to childcare failures. What about client meetings cancelled? Important deadlines missed? Money for the company lost? Disciplinary meetings or warnings due to absenteeisim? Loss of promotional prospects because you are seen as a flake who's childcare is patchy?

In most cases the monthly bill to a creche is well in excess of a persons mortgage or rent payment. Surely for that amount you should get reliability of service?

uck51js9zml2yt

If I was expected to pay for the creche closure I'd be going somewhere else.
Definitely wouldn't be paying for them closing for a funeral.
While I paid for my son being in montessori whether he was there or not I never paid where they chose to close or for term breaks etc.
Had to pay a month to keep his place while my wife went home with the kids for the summer.

I'd be deducing the cost of 1day from next month. I think that's as much as you could expect.
I really don't understand why you're paying for the times they close for holidays.
The out should be aggregated over the year to cover costs of holiday closures

mikom

ch750536 wrote: »

Really people? Is money so much more important than each other?

Say that to the creche when you are late with next months fees and see how you get on.........

mapaca

OP, when your child started in the crèche did you get a copy of their terms and conditions of service? Might be worth having a look to see if there is any procedure in place to allow for the crèche having to close at short notice. I'm sure they're well aware that they will have put people out by closing for the day.

pwurple

You shouldn't have to pay it, but crikey bringing it up is going to be very awkward. If you wait a while, maybe there will be a letter home about a deduction from next months fee for it?

Yer Aul One

pwurple wrote: »

If you wait a while, maybe there will be a letter home about a deduction from next months fee for it?

Would seriously doubt it, without some parents kicking up a fuss.

GarIT

The creche should be arranging and paying for your alternate childcare unless they have given you a weeks notice.

They wont, but they should. I'd be moving creche.

ZeroImpurities

If my father died, I would not keep business as usual. It is accepted that you close your business out of respect for the dead.

GarIT

ZeroImpurities wrote: »

If my father died, I would not keep business as usual. It is accepted that you close your business out of respect for the dead.

Not by me it isn't. What is this respect? The man isn't going to die if the creche is open he can't be offended either. There are other staff, they can and should still be working.

eviltwin

ZeroImpurities wrote: »

If my father died, I would not keep business as usual. It is accepted that you close your business out of respect for the dead.

The OP doesn't expect the owner to be there I'm sure, it's not a family business so presumably the rest of the staff are related to the dead man, you can't seriously expect everyone to take the day off. Most companies I know wouldn't close on account of the death of a staff members parent, that is no way to run a business.

ZeroImpurities

eviltwin wrote: »

The OP doesn't expect the owner to be there I'm sure, it's not a family business so presumably the rest of the staff are related to the dead man, you can't seriously expect everyone to take the day off. Most companies I know wouldn't close on account of the death of a staff members parent, that is no way to run a business.

I worked in one small business where their father died. The business was closed for 3 days. Simple as that.

shruikan2553

ZeroImpurities wrote: »

I worked in one small business where their father died. The business was closed for 3 days. Simple as that.

Did the business charge the customers for the days they couldnt use the place?

Yer Aul One

ZeroImpurities wrote: »

I worked in one small business where their father died. The business was closed for 3 days. Simple as that.

Rural town?

ZeroImpurities

shruikan2553 wrote: »

Did the business charge the customers for the days they couldnt use the place?

If anyone had taken issue with it, they would have been advised to find a different service provider. No-one took issue.

ZeroImpurities

Yer Aul One wrote: »

Rural town?

'Rural' and 'town' are strange bedfellows.

Yer Aul One

ZeroImpurities wrote: »

If anyone had taken issue with it, they would have been advised to find a different service provider. No-one took issue.

This lad...

GarIT

OP, they agreed to provide you with a service and cancelled at short notice, if they don't cover themselves in the T&Cs you would be entitled to your out of pocket expenses as a result of not performing the service they agreed to, you could get this in the small claims court.

m'lady

ZeroImpurities wrote: »

If anyone had taken issue with it, they would have been advised to find a different service provider. No-one took issue.

That's not really answering the question?

I think it's ridiculous, there will be many parents trying to organise alternative arrangements, and no doubt may find it impossible at this stage. There is absolutely no reason that the staff couldn't cover tomorrow. Whatever about a shop/ pub etc closing, a crèche closing is absurd!

nc19

ZeroImpurities wrote: »

'Rural' and 'town' are strange bedfellows.

Longford Town is a town and having been there for 45mins a few years ago I can confirm 2 things; It is rural and 45mins there is 45mins too long