pants!!

[rainbowsprite1]

so.. having worked on flexible hours in my local convenience store (owned by a big chain) for the last 5 years I have a new manager start who is determined to follow the corporate rule book. To give her some respect she is prepared to accept my non company hours that comprise a day and night split shift around school pick up time, because my colleague who does the hours I'm not there also likes the arrangement. However I was informed today that each shift I miss due to a child being ill will count as unauthorised absence & as soon as I have 4 shifts missed I will be subject to disciplinary proceedings from head office :( I have no other childcare arrangements due to a family member being seriously ill & I also have carer responsibilities :( the colleague I work with always wants extra hours & has always been delighted to cover shifts I'm not there. I am on minimum wage £6 hour & childcare with CM is £11 hour for 2 DD's. I can't afford a CM, I'd be better off sat on the couch :( I also live somewhere with no UK benefits.. I'm not expecting any easy answers, I think I just wanted to rant about the unfairness of losing my job as soon as the DD's get ill for the first time. To really piss me off my employers tout their family friendly policies in their ads... GGGRRRRRR

[hippyJules]

So sorry to hear that. It's usually the companies who give off this ''child friendly'' aura that are the worst! I once worked for a well known Day nursery and their policies were pretty much the same...you'd think being a nursery it'd be different...obviously the staff are going to get ill working with under fives...and then pass it to their own children. Grrrrr, it's very annoying, i get where you're coming from xx

[drinkyourmilk]

I think you have a statutory right for x no. Of carers days per year. Let me look.

[drinkyourmilk]

Ok I'm on my phone so can't link, but have a look at the gov.uk site. Under time off for dependants.
You can't take days at a time off, but you can take a day possibly two to deal with emergencies.
I think if you speak to your corporations HR department to check company policy, and get a back up plan in place incase your children are sick you should be ok.
Good luck