working from home 1 day per week - pay?

[scottishmummyofone]

I work full time and I would like to work 1 day per week from home. I'm not sure whether I could still get the same salary - we have debts and I couldn't afford to do it otherwise. Are employers allowed to cut your salary if you home work?

My colleague did this 2 years back and says she had to go onto a part time salary. She says HR dont look favourably on home working. But surely if I am still working, getting all my daily tasks done (which is mainly computer and telephone work) then I should still get my normal wage?

Can I please have some advice? thanks

[choufleur]

I don't see why they would cut your salary, unless you're actually doing less hours.

I actually get more done when i'm working at home as the phone isn't constantly ringingg.

[flowerybeanbag]

Your salary shouldn't be based on where you are working, but the hours you are doing, so as long as you are doing your normal hours, you should be fine. So for example, if you normally do 8 hours a day, then as long as you and your employer are happy that you will be doing the same from home, obviously with childcare in place for that time, your pay should be exactly the same.

HR's opinion of home working is not normally relevant by the way! If your manager supports home working and is happy to allow it, some random person in HR not liking it is unlikely to make much of a difference, trust me! Saying HR doesn't like something is normally manager code for 'I don't like it but it's easier to blame someone else...'

There are logistical issues with home working that can be a pain, things like health and safety, computer and telephone equipment and that kind of thing, so that may be something that needs overcoming.

Have you had any discussions with your line manager yet about whether/how this would work?

[scottishmummyofone]

Hi, I haven't spoken to my manager yet but hope to do so tomorrow.

The reason I want to work from home is because childcare is an issue at the moment due to debts - so would this create problems with pay? I plan to keep my phone on me at all times and check my laptop for emails whilst dd plays. I will do the majority of work whilst she naps and in the evenings whilst she's in bed.

My hours are normally 9-5 but if I worked those 9 hours throughout the whole day would that be the same?

What do you think?

[flowerybeanbag]

I think you will probably need to rethink. I certainly wouldn't approve any request someone made to work from home if they were going to be looking after a child at the same time with no childcare in place for any of the day.

You would only be available to answer the phone at the times your dd happens to be asleep, ie not through the normal working day, and I also think even if your employer is prepared to allow you to do this, it's unrealistic to think that you would physically get 9 hours of work done in a day when you are also looking after your dd.

[mankyscotslass]

FB is right, you would need to have childcare in place on the day you wfh.

[Rocky12]

I work for a large employer who really does embrace the working at home option. I have been doing it for years although I go out to visit clients about 50% of the time. However, some of my colleagues do see home working as a option whereby they do not need childcare on that day. On numerous occasions children either answer the phone or are crying in the background. Home working is not an opportunity to save on childminding fees. It has got so bad that the company is probably going to issue a dicate on this....

Having said that childcare fees are shocking and to make matters worse the childcare vouchers are being phased out which will make things even worse for working parents.