My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Covid

If schools aren’t back to normal sept?

177 replies

gingajewel · 04/06/2020 14:16

If schools aren’t back to normal September and you are back to work what are you planning to do? Also do you think the key worker provision will stay for September or do you think it will only available to the summer holidays?

OP posts:
Report
Qasd · 04/06/2020 14:43

Juggle working from home between me and my partner. Basically we each do some days in the office and some from home. This does require agreement but I think the advisable to work from home when you can will stay as advice making it harder for them to insist on five days in the office. I only work part time so will have to juggle home Ed around but think I will look to affording a tiptoe first the younger child as I think the learning list will be too great for an academic year, this would also take some of the pressure off.

If we did not have some work at home option we would be screwed though so sympathy for those without that option.

Report
Qasd · 04/06/2020 14:44

Sorry should say afford a tutor for the youngest (who will concentrate on English which is where he struggles)

Report
LockdownLou · 04/06/2020 14:47

I’m a keyworker so they might be back. I haven’t needed the provision as I’ve been WFH but back in September. If they don’t accommodate key workers, I will have to give up my job and become a SAHM, as with three kids in different year groups it wouldn’t be possible for me to work. The thought doesn’t bother me too much to be honest, we would be poorer, but we would break even on the bills and I can easily return to the sector.

There would be literally no money left in the pot though after bills, zero.

Report
MigGril · 04/06/2020 14:48

As I work in a school I'd be classed as a key worker and could send my youngest to school. But work have been very flexible and I think I'd be doing less hours/some stuff from home. Oldest could do home learning while DH works at home.

Report
FrenchSeal · 04/06/2020 14:55

There's going to be a major issue for lots of people if schools are not back to normal by September. I'm a senior manager and director of a medium-sized company. We've been very flexible so far with allowing employees to work from home or reduce their hours etc.

However, this is not sustainable if the business is to survive. So we're about to announce that from September 1st, all staff will be required to work their normal contracted hours and any extra as required by the needs of the business. We'll also no longer be allowing any staff to work from home.

At the end of the day, I suspect some staff may have to resign for childcare reasons.

Report
CaptainMerica · 04/06/2020 14:58

We know for certain that schools in Scotland won't be back to normal. We will be carrying on like we are now - working 6am to 8pm between us, splitting work and childcare time.

Report
Ylvamoon · 04/06/2020 15:02

I'd be screwed, the same as I am now.
DC will be feral animals with wild unbrushed hair spending all day in their pants. Their lunch will consist of jelly beans washed down with undiluted squash and their education will be delivered by cartoon characters with dubious language.
The only exercise they will get is sporadic fights over the remote control and I will be constantly shouting at them the only 2 words I can think of shut up.

Apart from these few minor glitches everything will be rosy.

Report
Hadenoughfornow · 04/06/2020 15:11

French are you doing this so the mothers leave and you don't have to pay any redundancy?

Pretty poor............

Report
DownWhichOfLate · 04/06/2020 15:13

Eh? French said it wasn’t sustainable for their company to survive.

Report
MrsBlondie · 04/06/2020 15:14

I'll be screwed and may have to quit. This means we our screwed as we cant pay our bills.

Report
SoloMummy · 04/06/2020 15:16

I think that if part-time education is the only option as I predict, then parents may well have to work around the allocation they receive.
Presumably, still with the caveats that if spaces are needed for key worker children these allocations are lost.

Report
OddBoots · 04/06/2020 15:20

I wonder if some companies and orgs who previously kept Mon-Fri daytime hours will become more flexible in their timing and allow shifts to accommodate. They too may still have to be keeping social distancing so fewer staff members in at a time might be helpful.

Report
historyrocks · 04/06/2020 15:24

I'm in Scotland. All students will be back on August 11, but I've been told that it will be 1.5 days per week at school and the rest done at home. It's going to be very, very difficult to keep going through months and months of this. My youngest is really struggling with it.

Report
Rosehip10 · 04/06/2020 15:36

@FrenchSeal Directors of companies like yours should hang their heads in shame.

Report
OneJump · 04/06/2020 15:38

Why can't they work from home @FrenchSeal?

Report
OneJump · 04/06/2020 15:39

What do you think the sex split on the resignations is likely to be?

Report
Footywife · 04/06/2020 15:39

@FrenchSeal. I 100% agree with you. At our workplace we're all back in except one person who keeps using her children as an excuse. We're key workers so she can get a school place but refuses to use it. It's really difficult for those who work closely with her to work properly with her being away from the workplace. Our employer is very supportive....but how is it fair on everyone else who has to come in?

Report
BuffaloCauliflower · 04/06/2020 15:42

@FrenchSeal

There's going to be a major issue for lots of people if schools are not back to normal by September. I'm a senior manager and director of a medium-sized company. We've been very flexible so far with allowing employees to work from home or reduce their hours etc.

However, this is not sustainable if the business is to survive. So we're about to announce that from September 1st, all staff will be required to work their normal contracted hours and any extra as required by the needs of the business. We'll also no longer be allowing any staff to work from home.

At the end of the day, I suspect some staff may have to resign for childcare reasons.

@FrenchSeal what is the business case for not allowing any work from home? How much productivity has actually been lost from staff working reduced hours?
Report
MarcelineMissouri · 04/06/2020 15:43

@Rosehip10 why on earth should she hang her head in shame? For 6 months they will have allowed home working when she clearly says it’s not sustainable for the business to survive that way. So they’ve done the best they can. It is unfortunate but many businesses cannot operate properly with people not physically at work. They will have tried for months to help. It isn’t the fault of the business and they can only do what they can. It’s not like they’ve not tried is it?!

Report
Wishforanishwishdiash · 04/06/2020 15:47

I may have to seriously reduce my hours with a poor prospect of clawing them back. My industry will take a corona-hit, and increasing hours won't be an option for a long time. Our family will have much less disposable income.

Or, I hire a super-flexible nanny who can deal with the changing circumstances. This will cost more than reducing my hours - but maybe a better choice long term?

My husband makes more than me, so the family economics are simple and ragingly unfair. He is a bit older and did not take three maternity leaves, rarely left work early to take a kid to swim lessons, and so has had a smoother path through promotion. The structural inequalities make me weep.

Everyone is bleating on about children's mental health. This is going to be devastating for women. Hello 1955, would you like my doctorate back?

Report
listsandbudgets · 04/06/2020 15:49

@Ylvamoon that made me smile.. as long as the pants are changed occasionally then you're doing all you can and the lunch plans sound lovely.

If this continues into September,I fear that for many people the decision as to whether to leave their job will be taken out of their hands as the economy crumbles away Sad Angry

Report
FrippEnos · 04/06/2020 15:50

@FrenchSeal

You were a solicitor pretty much working normally from home in another thread.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Carolebaskins · 04/06/2020 15:50

I have been told by our school that even the years eligible to go back are now on a waiting list and when I said I would need a keyworker place from September I was told again they have to go on the waiting list for that too!

Report
Saladmakesmesad · 04/06/2020 15:51

Companies like @FrenchSeal ‘s won’t survive anyway because with more employers embracing homeworking, future employees will vote with their feet. The workforce WILL remember the employees that clung blindly to their needless presenteeism.

Report
FrenchSeal · 04/06/2020 15:51

Home working is not sustainable for our business as we are a creative company- we need staff to collaborate with each other, share ideas and talk to clients.

Zoom is not a replacement for meeting face to face and discussing strategy and plans.

I appreciate that some people prefer working from home, but our productivity has nosedived over the last few months. Trying to work while supervising DC is simply not feasible (although I realise why it has been necessary). We've also had numerous clients complaining about babies and DC interrupting our virtual meetings and conference calls with them.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.