Nursery World - Slave labour of love

I am the owner/manager of an 11-place day nursery and I would love to pay my hard-working staff what they are really worth. But the truth is I can't, because if I did I would go bankrupt and then there would be no jobs at all. After I have paid my staff, paid my overheads - rent, rates, insurance, loan, subscriptions, accountant, gas, telephone, registration fee and so on - and bought any equipment and materials we need, there is little or nothing left.

After I have paid my staff, paid my overheads - rent, rates, insurance, loan, subscriptions, accountant, gas, telephone, registration fee and so on - and bought any equipment and materials we need, there is little or nothing left.

The nursery has been open for just over a year. My husband does all the overtime he can for us to survive as a family, because I have had no wages since it opened in September last year.

I work from 6.30am to 6pm five days a week in the nursery and then do the paperwork at home. To be able to pay my staff any more than I do, either the Government will have to put money into private childcare facilities or I will have to charge my parents much more.

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