Employer resisting my request to cover childcare expenses for out-of-contracted-hours working

[LuluFM]

Hi all. I'm looking for a bit of advice regarding childcare expenses outside of contracted hours.

I work for a university and returned from ML about a year ago. I dropped to a 0.6FTE contract from full time. My role and responsibilities have not really changed (I've gained line management responsibilities) and I regularly work at the weekends and in the evenings, for which I am not paid. (At my level - Grade 7 on the university scale - we only have the option of TOIL, not to be paid overtime.)

Now, I am required to attend a meeting despite it being booked on a day that I don't work (this Friday). I've booked my little boy into nursery for an extra half day at the cost of £27.95. I've raised the issue of out-of-pocket childcare expenses a number of times with my manager, and I literally have had no response. I sent her an arsey email last Friday, to which she has responsed saying she was disappointed with my tone but hasn't confirmed or denied whether the department or university will cover my costs.

As I will not be paid overtime for attending the meeting I will literally be paying childcare expenses to work for free, if the university to not meet my childcare costs.

Am I within my rights to refuse to attend the meeting? (My manager, head of department and division director will all be there, along with other senior academic staff - so I will look like a right jobsworth/shirker working mum. But I've really had enough.)

Any advice gratefully received! xx

[manchestermummy]

Is swapping a day at nursery an option? I have done this in the past. I too work 0.6 at a university and like you am of sufficiently high a grade to not qualify for overtime, only TOIL (which now my dc are at school is useful sometimes).

If a swap is not possible I would very calmly tell your manager you cannot attend. If truly was absolutely crucial for you to attend the meeting could be rescheduled. This is the way it works in my dept.

Another option would be to send someone in your stead. I sometimes do this if I can't get childcare for a non-working day.

[SantasLittleMonkeyButler]

I think it depends on whether you were made aware at the point of reducing your hours, that your attendance at meetings would sometimes be required on your non-working days.

If so, this forms part of your job & childcare is yours to fund. If not, and you are doing this purely as a one-off favour to make things easier for everyone else, then offering to pay for childcare would be a nice gesture.

I'm not sure they have any obligation to do so however, your child = your childcare bill, I would have thought?

[SantasLittleMonkeyButler]

Oh, and unless there is other history we are unaware of, I certainly would not have sent a stroppy e-mail to my Manager about it!

Ask - yes. Demand - no. You catch more flies with honey & all that .

[flowery]

What does your contract say about working additional or different hours to usual?

Not sure sending your manager an "arsey email" was your best-ever move.

[ICantFindAFreeNickName]

is there the possibility of swapping a nursery day and the days you work that week.
From a career point of view, will it look bad if you don't go to the meeting and if so, could it end up costing a lot more than £27.95 in the long run - not fair I know.
As I view working part-time to be a bigger advantage to me than the companies I have worked for, I have always been prepared to be a bit flexible, even if it did cost me extra childcare costs. The up side is that my companies have reciprocated and have been flexible if I have needed to swap days for sports day, child illness etc.

[LuluFM]

Thanks for your advice folks. I sent the email after the issue being avoided - as opposed to answered - for a number of weeks. But you've all raised good points about flexibility and reciprocation.

Nursery won't do a swap (over-subscribed so little flexibility there) but I will take the TOIL one day next week and make the most of a little free time that I otherwise wouldn't have had.

Good to have some balanced views, thanks.

[flowery]

Your question was whether you would be within your rights to refuse to attend. If you answer my query about your contract wording on the subject we might be able to answer your question.

[YonicScrewdriver]

Not in HR but...

Paying for your childcare would be a taxable benefit. Your employer presumably doesn't pay other costs associated with you working on a non working day, such as travel to the office, because the TOIL "compensates" you for that. Childcare is the same, it's your business.

Whether you can decline to go is another question.

[YoullLikeItNotaLot]

Some employers are better than others.

I've had to travel to London twice a month for last six months. Of course work paid my train fare - it was for their benefit, I had no inclination to go to London and certainly wouldn't have done so at my own expense.

If you are telling them that something they are asking you to do outside of your normal hours which is going to cost you money, the same principal should apply.

Of course, your immediate manager by just be a dick who is incapable of looking for flexible solutions. Do you get that sense? If so, is there someone who is capable of taking a more rounded look at the situation?

[YoullLikeItNotaLot]

Urgh, principle, not principal.

[Viviennemary]

I don't think you have the right to childcare expenses. I'd offer to take the child with you to the meeting. They'll probably say don't bother. Ask your Union for their advice. Or could your child go into the University creche.

[TedGlen]

I raised a similar issue with my Union recently (I'm a teacher). The response was that part timers cannot be required to attend meetings etc if they are on a non working day. If the employee agrees to attend on a non working day, they should be paid for the hours worked. This would hopefully cover your childcare costs. Apparently this counts for all part time workers, not just teachers, but I suppose it depends if your 0.6 is fixed days. Hope this helps.