Guest Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Hello, This is my first post and i am sorry to say that it is a whingy one!! (and a bit long) I am the manager of a private day nursery which is part of a chain. The owners of the nursery have decided to change our contracts. I have looked into it and apparantly, with negotiation, this is legal. Please can anyone in similar employment to me share what their contracts demand on the following topics: Do you have paid lunch breaks? How long are the breaks? How long are you required to give as notice should you decide to leave?? Are there any restrictions on when you must or cannot take your holiday? Do you get paid for overtime?? (By this i mean when you are at nursery covering the ratio, if for instance someone is off sick - not paperwork taken home). How much (if any) discount is given for your own childcare? Can i also ask how people who claim the GLF are allocated money to support their salaries. For example: are you given it as a top-up so for instance if you would normally recieve £20,000 and were being allocated £2500 you would recieve £22500, therefore benefitting you? Or do you still get £20,000 but the company uses the allocated £2500 to help them pay you? I would be very grateful for your feedback. I was either on a very good deal before, or i am now being offered a poor one. Sorry there are so many questions!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andreamay Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 sorry cant help as I dont work in a nursery however wanted to say welcome we dont have the GLF yet but I would expect my expenses and paying for the time I was at uni as the TF i personally wouldnt expect more money til i was qualified however I might be being daft (we are a charity run pre-school) Andrea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Hi Not there yet but start full day care in september so can answer for then. Do you have paid lunch breaks? No (not worked anywhere that pays lunch break.) How long are the breaks? 10 min morning and afternoon and hour for lunch. How long are you required to give as notice should you decide to leave?? 1 month Are there any restrictions on when you must or cannot take your holiday? Not really but if we had more than one person off we would need to restrict the holidays. Do you get paid for overtime?? (By this i mean when you are at nursery covering the ratio, if for instance someone is off sick - not paperwork taken home). Yes How much (if any) discount is given for your own childcare? If the person is working the same day half price. In some circumstances would not charge at all. Can i also ask how people who claim the GLF are allocated money to support their salaries. For example: are you given it as a top-up so for instance if you would normally recieve £20,000 and were being allocated £2500 you would recieve £22500, therefore benefitting you? Or do you still get £20,000 but the company uses the allocated £2500 to help them pay you? Sorry not come across this one yet but I think because of the limited time they give the money I would need to think about sustaining the salary. So possibly use the money to help us pay you and not top up your salary. Hope that helps a bit but as I said it could change if it doesn't work in practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wolfie Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Hi Lola80 and welcome to the forum! The only thing I'm contributing on at the moment is the lunch break question - my understanding is that there should be a 30 minute paid lunch break- my OH says that the time period has recently gone up to 45 minutes but I haven't heard that anywhere else! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Do you have paid lunch breaks? yes How long are the breaks? 20 mins How long are you required to give as notice should you decide to leave?? one month Are there any restrictions on when you must or cannot take your holiday? yes no more then one person off at once and half your hols in the first six months Do you get paid for overtime?? (By this i mean when you are at nursery covering the ratio, if for instance someone is off sick - not paperwork taken home). yes How much (if any) discount is given for your own childcare? None hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Hi Paid lunch breaks - no lunch breaks are 1 hour long 1 month notice period only allow 2 people on holiday at any 1 time (tho this is a Manager's discretion) we get paid for any extra hours, staff meetings and work done at home, as Manager I dont get paid extra hours but have time off in lieu 10% discount off childcare Haven't used the GLF yet but my understanding is the extra money is to top up the graduate's salary Hope this helps If you dont agree with new contracts I believe that you can write a note to b kept on your record that you dont actually agree with the changes, which have to be done in consultation. I'd speak with ACAS or CAB if I where you oh and document every converstion you have ref the new contracts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Welcome to the Forum, Lola80! I work in pre-school so I can't help much - but as you say, employers pretty much have the power to do almost anything provided they follow the procedures... that said, they still have to meet their legal obligations, and they can't impose conditions on you that are illegal. Hope the others' responses help. Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 (edited) Hello, I have looked into it and apparantly, with negotiation, this is legal. they do need to have our agreement (or you can record your disagreement, they also need to give you the amount of notice they would have to give you if they were terminating your contract ...if you should have a months notice they need to tell you of the changes a month before the changes take effect if you are in a union call them for advice if not then ACAS like someone has mentioned already) Do you have paid lunch breaks? no lunch is unpaid How long are the breaks? 30 minutes if working less then 7 hours another 10 minute break if working 8+ How long are you required to give as notice should you decide to leave?? all staff are required to give a minimum of one month a per contract but as the manager i have been asked if possible to give a term Are there any restrictions on when you must or cannot take your holiday? when we had 42 & 52 week contracts staff with a 42 week contract could not take holiday during term time staff with a 52 week holiday could book holiday at any time but only 1 at a time once everyone was dropped to a 42 week contract noone could book time off but to stay open during the holidays some staff worked every holiday, they were given discretionary time off again one at a time.....for the last two years we have only closed for the Christmas break thats the only time off i have had Do you get paid for overtime?? (By this i mean when you are at nursery covering the ratio, if for instance someone is off sick - not paperwork taken home). if i ask a member of staff to come in to cover absence they get paid (if someone is off they are not getting paid so it evens out...i was supposed to take time off in lieu but was never able to. How much (if any) discount is given for your own childcare? 25% but if the staff member is in covering absence they are not charged Can i also ask how people who claim the GLF are allocated money to support their salaries. For example: are you given it as a top-up so for instance if you would normally recieve £20,000 and were being allocated £2500 you would recieve £22500, therefore benefitting you? Or do you still get £20,000 but the company uses the allocated £2500 to help them pay you? £20,000 would be wonderful!!!! my employers used the money they got from the transformation fund to lower the wages bill i didn't get a penny extra, if they get anything from the GLF they will do the same (i'll get the same and they will use the money to help pay me) hope that helps i tried to be clever an do my answers in blue............it didn't work sorry! Edited July 27, 2008 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 (edited) hope that helpsi tried to be clever an do my answers in blue............it didn't work sorry! Well it did sort of, Freda: you can see where the question finishes and your answers begin - well done! I've been going through the GLF paperwork and one of the stipulations in our Borough is that the graduate's salary MUST be increased... we have a six monthly auditing for to fill in and we have to prove the wages have increased. It doesn't say by how much, just that the increase must be real. Which is great for people like me who own the group they work for: I can easily show a modest increase in my wages and spend the rest on enhancing general staff salaries, or investing in CPD sessions as well. However I recognise that for employed graduates it might not be so popular. Is it worth a discreet enquiry to your local authority? It seems very unfair that the money is being used to subsidise rather than increase the graduate's salary - after all it is designed to help groups meet some of the costs associated with growing their own or hiring in a graduate. Maz Edited July 27, 2008 by HappyMaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Hi Do you have paid lunch breaks? No, i have never worked at a nursery that pays lunch breaks How long are the breaks? 36 mins ( silly i know) How long are you required to give as notice should you decide to leave?? 1 month Are there any restrictions on when you must or cannot take your holiday? We close for 4 weeks in the year so i do prefer holiday to be taken then, however as long as bank staff can cover i m flexible. Do you get paid for overtime?? (By this i mean when you are at nursery covering the ratio, if for instance someone is off sick - not paperwork taken home). As a manager i don t but i do take time owing, my staff choose to either be paid or have time owing i pay for any extra work even paper work taken home. We don t get paid enough as it is all extra s count. How much (if any) discount is given for your own childcare? 10% however not been in that situation yet Hope this helps Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anju Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Do you have paid lunch breaks? hasn't arisen sp far as sessional but plan to give 20 mins paid with 10 mins unpaid so 30 minute break in total during a 6 hour shift. hiya How long are you required to give as notice should you decide to leave?? 1 month Are there any restrictions on when you must or cannot take your holiday? can only take holiday out of term time - staff only paid for 42 weeks per year. Do you get paid for overtime?? (By this i mean when you are at nursery covering the ratio, if for instance someone is off sick - not paperwork taken home). my staff do and staff who are off sick don't (unless SSP kicks in) and I try and take time off in lieu if applicable How much (if any) discount is given for your own childcare? none although it hasn't arisen anyway Anju Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 Thanks everyone. This has been really useful. Lola Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Hello,This is my first post and i am sorry to say that it is a whingy one!! (and a bit long) I am the manager of a private day nursery which is part of a chain. The owners of the nursery have decided to change our contracts. I have looked into it and apparantly, with negotiation, this is legal. Please can anyone in similar employment to me share what their contracts demand on the following topics: Do you have paid lunch breaks? How long are the breaks? How long are you required to give as notice should you decide to leave?? Are there any restrictions on when you must or cannot take your holiday? Do you get paid for overtime?? (By this i mean when you are at nursery covering the ratio, if for instance someone is off sick - not paperwork taken home). How much (if any) discount is given for your own childcare? Can i also ask how people who claim the GLF are allocated money to support their salaries. For example: are you given it as a top-up so for instance if you would normally recieve £20,000 and were being allocated £2500 you would recieve £22500, therefore benefitting you? Or do you still get £20,000 but the company uses the allocated £2500 to help them pay you? I would be very grateful for your feedback. I was either on a very good deal before, or i am now being offered a poor one. Sorry there are so many questions!!! I am getting the glf and mine is paid in 3 bonuses I discussed this with my committeee and decided it was better this way because then I will not miss it when I do qualify and go back to normal wage. You can ask to be paid that way or to have it added on to your wages but it is a top up and the companey have to pay it as extra either way. I hope this is of some help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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