I dread Christmas as a nursery assistant – the cost of food is ridiculous

Nursery assistant and mum-of-two Hayley Doyle has said she feels ‘dread’ in the lead up to the Christmas period because of the spiralling cost of living crisis

A nursery assistant and mum-of-two has said she feels “dread” in the lead up to Christmas because of the spiralling cost of living crisis.

Hayley Doyle, 44, who lives in Leeds, said early years workers are struggling with dismal pay and inadequate funding of services.

Hayley, who earns just under £25,000, said staff are often forced to use money out of their own pockets to pay for wellies or coats for children in need, as well as gifts they can put into a raffle to fundraise for the nursery.

She criticised a 3.2% pay rise offer and said staff are “burnt out”, with the Government’s free childcare offer placing further pressure on the sector.

Asked how she feels in the lead up to the festive period, Hayley said “always dread”, continuing: “Everything’s gone up. It’s the cost of food. It’s absolutely ridiculous. There’s no real luxuries. Even like, it sounds desperate, selection boxes and things like that.

“I used to be able to buy them as little gifts but then I just knocked that on the head. It’s so expensive just to even get the selection boxes to send to the kids. A little treat is not a little treat anymore.”

She said some of her friends have already left the career, including for supermarket jobs which pay more, and she fears she will be forced to ditch her job of 11 years.

Hayley said she picked up the job to “give something back”, but added: “Over the past 11 years now, every little bit of me I’ve given back, they’ve taken 10 times more off, whether that be me buying resources or giving up time.”

She added: “We’re just slightly above minimum wage for the jobs that we’re doing. But my worry is that if it doesn’t continue to go up, and everything else is going up, whether it’s a job that’s going to be affordable to keep doing. Obviously, in the new year, we’ll have to look into different employment… It’s not enough to keep going.”

‘Almost 40% of school support and early years staff have Christmas food cost fears’

Almost 40% of school support and early years staff are worried about having enough money to feed their families this Christmaspolling shows.

More than half (55%) are also worried about having enough money to buy Christmas presents for their families, the mass survey of more than 4,600 workers found.

Some 39% said they are worried about having enough money to feed their family this Christmas. Many workers also feel obliged to bring things in for the children in their care, including 74% who have brought in treats, sweets or cakes and 37% who have brought in presents.

One worker told the survey: “It’s so hard when you know the children and the struggles they have at home with parents that are struggling with cost of living.

“I take treats in and share with the children and to encourage them to keep going…It’s hard to see kids feeling upset because they know they won’t have presents etc because they know there is no money for extras at home. I find that this then has a knock on effect with my family as my money is then stretched further.”

Some 27% of staff have also had to bring in clothing for kids, including raincoats from charity shops for children who come in without adequate winter clothes.

Meanwhile the lack of time off during term causes big issues for many. Half of those with primary age children have been unable to take time off to watch their own child’s nativity for at least three years. One worker said they had been docked an hour’s pay for attending a funeral.

Stacey Booth, GMB National Officer, said: “I think it’s fair to say most people will be horrified by the fact the people we rely on to look after and educate our children are so badly paid they are worried about feeding their own families at Christmas. It’s a tragic indictment of what we value as a society – and how for generations we’ve systematically undervalued the work done by women.

“From chronically low wages, to term time only pay, daily violence and abuse and to not being able to take any time off outside school holidays – school support staff face a litany of workplace problems. That’s why the School Staff Negotiating Body – set to be reintroduced by the Labour government in 2026 – is absolutely vital and must be delivered in full.”

GMB union surveyed more than 4,600 school support staff and early years workers in December.