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

I understand your arguments, I just don't agree, as you said:

There is barely anything coming in, hardly any meetings or deadlines, and most of my team is off. My manager and her manager are both away for the whole of August, so it is very unlikely anything urgent will come up.

I used to run teams, manage budgets and create new business income, and this was in the public sector for goodness sake. It's sometimes necessary in the public sector, and absolutely the point of the private sector.

You have a bunch of (presumably) qualified people who are not doing very much for 4-6 weeks. I understand that you cannot 'move the work', but what you could and should be doing is making use of your staff resource.

You are being paid to operate at 100% capacity throughout the year. Unless you are fighting wars or fires, you do not need to 'catch your breath'. I'm shocked, to be honest, that your managers think this is good business practice.

I'm an employer, my team all work from home, I would be fine with you doing this.

Annual review time is the most stressful "downtime" there is if you are a manager 🤣 I used to look forwards to the lull until I remembered I had to go through all that. Thankfully I don't have staff anymore.

Yeah at 8 and 10 plenty of kids can entertain themselves/play/ go to the bathroom/ have snacks without adult intervention so really the OP will have plenty of time if needed, although it sounds like she won’t.

it annoys me too when people say they want to work a full time job with a toddler at home and it just won’t work!

As long as OP gets a “proper break”!

OP seriously? If you won’t have work to do you soeak to your manager and ask if you can have more to do as you are being PAID to do it. I can’t see how you can keep your job onky have a few hours a week.

You are not being paid or sit at home, do nothing and watch your kids.

But what about your poor kids getting a break or going on holiday? Sounds a boring summer for them.

Because a. You can’t work and have a non boring (for the kids) summer with your children at the same time. Despite what your kidding yourself
and b. your kids will be aware that you’re “keeping an eye” on your emails every hour during the summer, but having time off when they’re not there.

What kind of work do you do? If you were in the office would they genuinely be ok with you coming in for just a few hours?

Yeah, I think thats a bit sad for them.

Would be more enjoyable for them if mum took annual leave during the time work is so quiet it sounds like it doesn't matter if she is there or not so annual leave would likely be granted.

I would but loads of people will tell you that you can’t and it would be wrong etc

When I worked in offices in the past "cyclical downtimes" were used to clear out old files and update/rewrite policies and processes. I still do this now.

I'm surprised op's employer doesn't perform their annual reviews during this expected downtime.

She's replying to other posts and just avoiding this question!! Which shows us clearly she knows that her manager probably wouldn't be OK with it and she's simply taking the piss.

Looking at this another way, will you be distracted and interrupted a lot having to check your emails every hour etc when you should be relaxing having fun with DC?

That would annoy me (and my DC)

I would book them in somewhere cheap 9-3 one or two days a week personally. At worst you'll get some time to yourself.

I think it’s really unfair on your children that you’ve not took AL over the summer, but you’ve booked “proper” annual leave for September once they’re back to school.

Not all down time is avoidable - OP may work with overseas clients where it's common for entire companies to shut down in August. Maybe she works with schools or similar, so August is a quiet time as it's the holidays.

I work in a job where I have very predictable quiet and busy times every year, just because that's the nature of the business. Mostly I take my annual leave during those times as I'm self-employed, but sometimes I stay open and just enjoy some quieter days.

This is the only bit that makes me think this is a piss take.

WFH as you’ve described, from your phone whilst out for the day and is fine. I do it too. Early morning I work 7-10ish whilst kids lounge around, and then keep an eye on my phone rest of the day. But that’s AFTER I’ve used all my annual leave in school hols. Not for a whole month just to then use leave in term time!

This with bells on.

I also think this sort of thing is causing a huge divide between those who can and those who can’t. I can’t quite get over there are businesses out there that do this. Flexibility, yes. Bit of wfh, yes. Look after a child in an emergency yes. Let an employee have two months of significant downtime plus 5.6 weeks annual leave and bank holidays? I’d be looking to make efficiencies.

Id be quite interested to know how Many of these jobs are public sector.

So why don't you just book your leave for August insitead of Septmber then , as it causes the least disruption?

You still haven't answered my question though - if it's OK, then why don't you just tell your manager what you're doing?

I totally agree. Why are you avoiding this question @isitPeri1 ?