No childcare, No wages

[moaningminnie56]

My partner works away Monday-Friday so I'm practically a single parent.
Recently my little girl has become unwell and everyone she has had contact with has caught this bug.....apart from me. She hasn't been able to go to nursery due to this bug and both my mum and mother in law have caught it so they aren't fit to look after her, my sister helped with childcare yesterday but now has the bug.
Long story short I am having to ring in sick at work to look after little one. So when I don't go in I don't get paid and although my little one hasn't been in nursery I still have to pay. Plus my partner isn't bringing a wage home at the minute so we have literally no money.
I'm wondering how do single parents go back to work full time and what do they do when the child is ill

[bubbles092]

Are you telling work that you are ill or your little one? I would tell them that you cannot go in because you do not have any childcare as your DD is unwell. You should either be able to take it as holiday so that you still get paid, or parental leave (unpaid unless your contract says so, but it covers you rather than calling in sick and having it on your record/being pulled up on it)

[PerverseConverse]

As a single parent I can tell you that actually being a single parent is nothing at all like having a partner there on the weekends. It's offensive to those of us who are on our own to say you are practically a single parent.
However I'm sorry you're little one is ill and know how hard it is with no childcare. I echo what pp above said about holiday and parental leave. Why isn't your partner bringing home a wage if he's working away all week? Can he share the child care with you by taking holiday or parental leave himself?

[Quartz2208]

Hold on how come if he is working away all week he is not bringing in a wage

Other than that yes it sucks but you have to pay nursery and follow your work policies

[moaningminnie56]

Yes iv spoken to work sorry if I have caused any offence my partner is self employed and is currently working on a big job in London but won't get paid until the job is finished which is looking like another 3 weeks so we will have gone 3 months with no income from him. We are having to borrow money from family. I just feel it looks really bad on my job and as much as they say "it can't be helped" I know I'm being slagged off as soon as they put the phone down.

[NGC2017]

As a single mom, I wasn't offended but your comment as I get the situation you are in. If your partner isn't around during your work week, he isn't available full stop. I am very lucky I have a very flexible boss. I know its a problem and at times I am made aware that my situation isn't great, but I am given time off to look after my DS. A few weeks ago I was told I would no longer be paid as my DS has to have alot of medical appointments. That may seem n unfair but I understand why, they are regular. The following week he had another hospital appointment and then in the early hours of Friday morning had a major asthma attack and was very poorly in hospital. I informed my boss and said I totally understood it would be unpaid but he said no it would be sickness and paid. He has also been very accomadating with my work hours and has let me work around my son. I am exceptionally lucky though as I know alot of employers aren't so understanding.
It's also the one thing I struggled with childcare was having to pay when my son didn't attend. It didn't affect me as I was being paid still to cover it but it's alot to pay for them not being there