to think I can get by without childcare in August because work is quiet?

How much is being saved by one person not going on the family holiday…. With all the childcare saving, surely that would help towards it?

The problem is OP (and I am saying this as someone who runs a large team in a senior role) that someone's money is being wasted here and/or the business is being run badly. Multiple people in one team doing virtually nothing throughout August (yet still somehow not being made to take their holiday then as usually happens in businesses with lean periods) is hugely wasteful. It's hard for me to say more without knowing more about your industry, but one of the following things is happening:

• Taxpayers' money is being wasted
• Clients' money is being wasted
• Shareholders are not earning from your business as much as they could be and therefore at some point jobs will be at risk
• Other teams in your company are working harder than your team, and therefore your team will at some point be at risk
• You are all being a bit lazy when you could be working proactively rather than reactively and therefore whoever pays you (taxpayer or client), this will be noted at some point, and jobs will be at risk
• If you are client-facing, you will lose business to other companies that work harder

It's hard for me to say more without knowing what you do, but I agree with other posters who say that, frankly, reading this as someone in a senior role... it is a terrible advertisement for WFH and I am someone who really values flexible working. I don't believe any of my staff would or could do this FWIW, because we are so busy year-round and the performance gap would be noted.

Some people can't afford a full family holiday as prices are so high, so do whole family days out such as theme parks, museums etc instead. Maybe OP's family are in this position where they can't afford holiday clubs or a whole family holiday. And if both parents take annual leave at same time that leaves less to cover the 14 weeks of school holidays, we generally only take 1 week together all year, often May half term as that's a bit cheaper, and otherwise do alternate weeks childcare, with some holiday clubs

Whilst working and saving money, I personally feel the saving money is the motivation for being with them, not through actual choice of wanting to be with them, or you would’ve booked a weeks holiday with them, turned on your OOO, not checked emails for a week and enjoyed total time with them.

I worked as a supplier for public sector for many many years. Mainly central government and did account manage a very large local government council. n

Never again and now doing something completely different but the waste, the cottage industries and such like were shocking. Meetings about very little with a cast of 1000's and then further meetings with new people who just asked the same questions as the people who had attended the first meeting.

You only have to see not just this thread but many others claiming they work better from home, no one minds their kids in the background when taking calls. On one thread the poster claimed that they brought their 2 year old onto teams calls and everyone loved her.

And yet - companies are getting people back into the office. I wonder why if its working so well to have people at home!!! The trust has gone. People are seeing that they can save not just commuting costs but childcare expenses too.

@PropertyDi think unless the poster is bullshitting.

By the way, years ago I worked for a while very hard indeed in the public sector, and struggled to manage the workload with full time childcare. There is much political nonsense spoken about the sector. .

Not just entitled but particularly keen to avoid wasting time with simply spending time with her children.

I think the fact that the OP says she asked her boss last night and got an answer immediately makes me think this isnt quite what it seems.

People who are saying they do similar and whats the issue?

The issue is that its been SPOTTED by companies and they are now getting people back into the office en masse. This thread is bonkers btw! There are the OP, their boss and their bosses boss all effectively doing no/very little work. The OP isnt even covering for her boss. I dont believe any company would run like this and still in business.

Unless of course its public sector..

You're very challenging for someone who asked for opinions

Are you actually the dad trying to justify not taking time off in your portion of holiday childcare? Has your husband taken time off to do childcare while you're trying to do your portion without using leave? Does your husband also get a week off to himself separate to his childcare responsibilities over the summer?

Nothing wrong with it, but I find it incredibly odd that your holiday is alone, because you like it, but you’re DC may also like it if you joined them, even you may like it.

Its like I’ve had to deal with them for the summer (or part of, when they’re not away with DH), when you essentially get a week alone anyway, because you e got no work and your DH is away with the DC. Then you want another week alone, without them or work.

It just appears to me that you’ll look after your children if saving money on childcare but when it’s official holiday, you want to be alone…. because what’s wrong with that?

You do come across as entitled.

Your work.sounds great.

If your mamanger is happy with it.

I'd say crack on.

I guess thr only thing I'd be sad about would be not being able to go on a family holiday with the kids- I know they are going with their dad.

And I also sometimes take days off when the kids are at school. It's heavenly.

I do think you are taking the piss by not booki.g any leave during the time the kids are off school

Does your husband work? Why didn't you go with them? Pretty rubbish to not join in a family holiday surely?

Are you taking SOME holiday while the kids are off so you can all get a dedicated break together? We've just had a weeks staycation and it's been so brilliant for all of us, yes I'd love a week to myself and will try to organise a few days once schools are back but wouldn't you like to take the kids somewhere?