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

Why would people be jealous?

I have this kind of flexibility because I’m transparent about it. But OP is risking her job by doing it without that transparency. And worse than that, whenever people try crap like this and get caught it makes it less likely to be agreed for the people who are aboveboard.

a good business does not expect people to be operating at one hundred percent capacity every single week of the year

No, thats what annual leave is for, its not that you get 2 or 3 quiet months then another 6 weeks of leave plus bank hols on top

I am stunned that you aren't expected to:

• fill the time with training
• catch up on admin
• take the iniative to plan process improvements

I'm also stunned your employer will tolerate so much unproductive time. Ive worked in industries with an August lull and typically its been arranged with a rota to ensure skeleton staff for "manning the phones" but mandated leave for everyone else. Otherwise you have people taking leave at other times of year when they could be working.

Be careful op. Underemployed staff are always exposed.

I’d be really disappointed if one of my team did this

I work in an industry where there are quieter months, and those are the times where we encourage catching up on training, reviewing documentation such as process maps, process notes and obviously annual leave. There’s never absolutely nothing to do, as whatever industry you’re in there’s always room to improve processes

To openly do that, then take time off when work picks back up is taking the piss - and no matter how much you think it’ll go unnoticed; it won’t

The only unreasonable thing is saying you will get a break in September. Everyone knows you don’t get a break until your kids are grown up 😂

I say do it OP, well risk it, you seem confident it’ll be fine, and you know the situation better than any of us do. If it doesn’t work out as planned, then you just don’t do it again next year.

Any PPs telling you not to do it or berating you, are just jealous you’ve got this option IMO

It obviously depends on what the expectations are for your job. Is the extent of your job picking up calls / emails? Or is there an expectation that you’d be ‘getting on’ with stuff if you have time?

This is why employers are insisting people come back to the office full time - thanks a lot 🙄

i think it’s ok. But normally maybe work a few days and break some up with annual leave for days out, also play dates etc if you can even better for you.

i don’t know why you did not take your annual leave in the August holidays and not in September? . Is it because others are off and your not allowed.

you don’t need to entertain 8 and 10 all day so you can still work!

Well, that's nice for you, but if August is so quiet I don't understand why you don't take your annual leave then and spend it with them legit, instead of doing it on your employer's money.

No I didn't miss that at all.

But you clearly missed the point.

She is being paid for a full day of work. But working for about 1 hour a day.

Taking the piss.

Why didn’t you book annual leave for when the children are off school, why wait until they’re back in school, especially as you have no childcare??

I've done fuck all at work for the past three weeks. Everyone is off from from work. My team lead, my manager, my managers manager. I just sent an email with some documents I made to 10 clients. Got 7 out of office messages. We are not allowed to publish anything from mid june-mid August due to summer holiday season cause 'nobody' is at work. I do whatever I can do without clients input and managers/team leads input, but it has been quite chill. I work a lot in the other months and we all know nothing happens in July so those of us working in July just do what we can and take it easy. Some jobs just are like this.

You’re taking the piss basically treating it like leave and THEN taking your leave once it picks up and your kids go back to school. I’d sack anyone that tried to do this in my team! Not cool.

She’s working about an hour a day and spending the rest of the time with her kids. She did put that in her OP but maybe you
missed that bit.

Depends how risk adverse you are and whether you think they would give you a tap on the wrist/disciplinary procedures if you were spotted out.

It probably depends on the job and industry, but in my industry this would be classed as not only gross misconduct but also financial fraud (same as if someone is found to be faking sick leave or falsifying timesheets).

Completely different if done transparently and with agreement though. It’s the dishonesty that makes it fraud.

Bit off for your employer you’re taking time when everyone is back and things ramp up, instead of taking AL during quiet time. Even more off for your kids that you’re taking time off when they are back in school. Say what you will about what a great employee you are, but fact you’re doing that isn’t great.

8 and 10 is totally fine. They don't really need childcare. They don't really need supervision and can entertain themselves and go out etc. Im assuming all my colleagues who have kids over the age of 7ish have kids coming home from school in the afternoon while parents work and I doubt they have organised childcare for the summer. Unless they have arrainged camps due to boredom. Different if the kids were like 4 or something.

As an employer I have to say I wouldn't be happy about it, you are already getting paid for doing little to no work (I understand it's circumstance and not your choice but that's what it comes down to). In your situation I would understand if you didn't get childcare and stayed at home but if we found out you were off having a day out with the kids it would feel like you were taking the piss and would result in disciplinary action against you.

Well she is supposed to be working and being paid for working but she's obviously not working as spending time with her kids. Although not spending time with them as she is 'working'

Gosh I'm out of here. Utter entitlement and laziness of some people nowadays is shocking.

She‘s planning to WFH instead of sending DC to childcare so that she can spend time with her kids???

Yes I can understand that. And if employers are fine with that then of course that's ok.

It's just the tone of the OP posts - she's being paid for what- a 7 hour day and planning on doing 1 hour of work? That's taking the piss in anyone's book, but if her employer is happy with that and/or she's going to do it anyway regardless then no need to ask for 'approval' on the internet

I find it a bit suss that you’re asking this question OP. I mean you have surely already decided this is what you’re doing- it’s not as though you’re going to be able to sort out childcare for two children for the next six weeks at this point in July, is it? Everything is already booked up.

I find the ‘jealous’ and ‘bitter’ comments a bit cruel given that a proportion of posters will presumably be working in minimum wage, physical jobs- well yes of course they might feel irked that other people do very little work while probably earning significantly more than them!

I have a physical job which is not well-paid. I have to be in specific places at specific times doing specific things and there would be no question of me looking after children at the same time (nor eating, going for a wee or using my phone). I’m not actually envious of the OP because I love my job and work very part-time with no childcare costs. But I can see how this post might be very irritating to those who work their arses off full-time for poor pay, while simultaneously losing a proportion of their salary in childcare costs.

I don't really see a problem if you believe you can get it all done. If you were working from home, and only had a few hours of work to do a day, I'm sure your employer would be aware that you would be watching a lot of Netflix and all caught up on your washing. Surely no employer would expect you to be staring at your computer screen on the off chance something came in. If you can be just as responsive and get all work done I don't get why it would matter? Not really.

You've said you hit all your targets and are on top of things, and can be responsive with email on your phone, so what could they really be upset with?

I'm not sure I'd ask on your shoes as I would probably rather apologise after the fact with this one. Depends what your manager is like. Or you could ask if they would mind you using your judgement and taking your kids out on the odd slow day?

Depends how risk adverse you are and whether you think they would give you a tap on the wrist/disciplinary procedures if you were spotted out. Or if your boss would just think you were being savvy. Totally depends on your work culture and how they value you.

Do you mind sharing what industry it is?