to resent covering constantly for a colleague's childcare absences?

I completely agree, the management’s failure to address this issue has caused resentment towards an employee. Letting it fail and forcing them to act might be the only solution besides finding another job

This post is incorrect on a number of levels. The obligation to make reasonable adjustments applies only to the protected characteristic of disability.
Having children or childcare issues is not a protected characteristic.
there is a right to reasonable unpaid emergency time off in an emergency to deal with a dependant but this does not extend to a right to take unlimited time off to provide care.

I work in a school. Some of our TAs are absent a lot because of sick kids. After a certain number of days it needs to be taken unpaid - the TA salary is often so low that they will miss work rather than their partner because it has less of a financial impact. Our workplace does have a persistent absence policy that is followed if absence becomes excessive. From your perspective, you can only approach your manager about thr impact on your workload if there are things that cannot be done.

This. Sometimes you need to let someone fail in order to get them to deal with an issue - both your colleague and manager. If that means your colleague has to make changes at home or lose her job, so be it. Childcare issues should not routinely affect work - I say that as someone who was a single mum for years (still am but they are adult now).

It can arguably be viewed as gender discrimination as it may put working women at a disadvantage. The irregular start / finish times could be raised but it looks like the main problem is time off for the children's illnesses which is a statutory right. The most constructive advice would be to raise it with HR but as per OP’s post this could be problematic. Not covering and letting it fail might force some action, and it’s completely on the company to sort it.

Tell her that her attendance needs to improve or she’ll be disciplined. There is a right to REASONABLE time off to deal with emergencies involving a dependant, this does not extend to taking the piss by skiving off constantly.

Stop covering her workload, stop staying late, force the manager to find a solution. It isn't your problem so stop being the solution.

This happened to me. Two colleagues both have self employed husbands who won’t do any childcare (according to the wives) and all the work was being left to me. Mentioned it to my manager who said she’d “keep an eye on it” and didn’t. So I worked to rule and just did my own duties and workload. Nothing has changed with the husbands but it’s now my manager picking up the slack.

This

Stop doing the extra.

My understanding of the law, although I’m absolutely not an expert and I am more than happy to be corrected, is that having a formal request for flexible working refused might be indirect discrimination, if it is refused on the basis of a person’s sex. As far as I am aware employees don’t have blanket protection under the Equality Act simply because they are working parents.

I assume that the employee, mentioned in this thread, is probably more likely to be relying on the statutory right for employees to take emergency time off for dependants.

I don’t believe there is a limit to the number of times an employee can rush off to deal with a childcare emergency, although the absence must be unexpected and the employee must not have known about the emergency in advance of it.

The only thing OP can do is not cover and not do extra hours. If the employer will not address the issue then there is little the OP can do, other than stop bailing her employer out. The issue is with the employer to resolve. I do understand the constant uncertainty must be pissing the OP off though. It’s just human nature.

your employer has to make reasonable adjustments for childcare needs, it’s a protected characteristic and would be discriminatory if it was raised in relation to unfairness with other members of staff as she is unable to change it.

Incorrect.

Sex is a protected characteristic. If your colleague could show that se is treated differently because of her sex, then she would have a case.

But this is about @catchingup1 's colleague taking the mick. And the colleague's husband being a dick.

I would really detest having to cover to benefit the career of a colleague's husband.

Actually the management are responsible for all of this not the individual.

We are the ones covering her workload, staying late, reshuffling deadlines and picking up the slack. It is not occasional, it is constant and it is starting to feel like it is just expected.

You need to woman up and just not do the extra work.

When she leaves early, ask her when her work will be done. Ask her how she will contribute to meeting the deadline. If she can't meet the deadline, can she warn the client/whoever that she won't be meeting their deadline.

Take ANY emotion out of it. Do it as if you are simply asking for the information so the rest of the team can plan. Keep. notes/emails.

These are reasonable questions to ask of someone leaving early when there is work to be done by the whole team.

Being a parent is not a protected characteristic in the UK under the Equality Act. Employers have to consider flexible working, and allow a reasonable amount of unpaid time off in the event of a breakdown in their usual childcare. If the amount of time taken by the OPs colleague is excessive and placing undue pressure on the rest of the team, then management would be within their rights to call her in and ask her to get it sorted or make up the hours. Usually discrimination due to childcare issues is dealt with as indirect sex discrimination, but that's clearly not the case here; the colleague and her husband have made a conscious decision about which employer to give the least effort.

If I was you I'd just start doing the same. If no kids just invent an elderly relative.

The boss doesn't care so why should you? You and all the others who keep covering should do it.

You don't know what goes on at home and you don't know what conversations go on between your colleague and her manager. Unless you're working extra hours unpaid there isn't reason to complain. If you are doing extra hours, take it up with your manager but approach it as workload issues without bringing your colleague in to it. It's for management to deal with individual performance and as I said, you don't know what's discussed in private, it's not going to be a full team meeting to discuss one colleagues personal circumstances and performance. A colleagues personal circumstances is never your business, her DH could be abusive, he could have a disability preventing him caring for the children alone, he could have substance misuse issues making it unsafe to leave the children with him or he may just not have any flexibility in his job.

Why would I need to use a to use a kind assumption... if she can't do her job, she needs to make alternative arrangements.

Buckling under the pressure isn't the OPs problem.

That's why women are paid less. The kids are not the problem. The husbands are almost always the problem.
And the worst part is that if no one mentions that, women end up losing jobs. I prefer to work with women who are in same sex relationships. It makes all the difference.

Another one supporting this.

Yes this. Don’t do the extra work. Tell your manager you can’t, leave when you’re supposed to leave. Your manager will have to do something about it then.

Carry on doing your job at your own pace, don’t stay late, don’t juggle things, your manager will never resolve anything if it’s all getting done, when things are behind or your manager has to face questions from higher up she can explain why she hasn’t dealt with it before now. I learnt a long time ago, work is work and nothing else, do your job, leave on time and forget it when you walk out the door, you won’t get any more thought of for doing it all.

Swanning in and out as you please and leaving everyone else to do your job is not a kind assumption towards someone you don’t know. It implies this lady is treating the situation flippantly and doesn’t care that others are picking up the slack. She could be buckling under the stress and pressure of being in work when her childcare commitments are pulling her away. I worked with someone this happened to, she couldn’t have tried harder and ended up having a serious mental health crisis. Problem lies squarely on the shoulders of the management.

I agree with going to your manager en masse and stating that you are all going to work your hours and no more. In fact I would alow down a bit and let things pile up without shame. Dump the work on her desk and let her come back to it. Childfree and single people get pissed on from a great height in almost every sphere I can think of.

Yeah, you all have to stop. Covering occasionally is being a team player. Doing it constantly is being a doormat. You are entitled to leave work on time, to prioritise your own responsibilities at work, and to tell your manager that you can’t keep fitting more into your day.

You dont understand her home dynamics so dont try and judge her partner or situation.

My work was a lot more helpful when I needed help with my children and my partners work were awful. So the burden fell on me sadly so we could both keep our jobs. What are you expecting her to do?

Your manager is the one who should be doing something