AIBU to think working from home with chickenpox child is unfair?

I don't follow. Surely you wouldn't be taking your child into the office at all, sick or well?

Take unpaid leave then.

My workplace wouldn’t expect me to go into the office with a cold, but they will happily allow me to work from home with one. That’s because I’m okay to work, but contagious to others. You are not unwell yourself, but your son is contagious so you cannot take him to the office.

If your son is so unwell that you are unable to work, speak up and tell them. They probably think they’re doing you a favour by being flexible and allowing you not to lose a day’s pay or using your annual leave up.

I’ve managed to work from home with both of my children through chickenpox, hand foot and mouth, and other viruses. A movie on in the background, I pop myself on the sofa whilst they’re cuddled up at the opposite end with a blanket.

My boss is totally understanding and knows I may need to take more breaks than usual through the day whilst seeing to the children, but if I need to make time up for that, I will do so when my partner returns home from work.

I can’t believe you’re complaining about your workplace being flexible around your childcare needs.

Why?

Clearly someone in your situation can't work as usual, so the choices are either you not going in and not working, or you looking after him at home and doing what work you can. It's easy to conceive of situations where an employer might place more value on the employee's labour than on saving a day's wages. The employer is likely the person best qualified to make that assessment.

Or are the posters who reckon you're angling for time off on full pay correct?

Sounds like they value you and trust you to work effectively with a child at home as well. Not that they are forcing you. I agree with others it sounds like they are trying to do you a favour by giving you options and you've weirdly decided to take offence at it.

So did you want to take unpaid leave or annual leave and they said that you had to work?

You aren't answering the main question.

It sounds like your employers are being generous and understanding, and you are being a bit of a dick.

Most working parents would jump at the opportunity to juggle. Because most cases of chicken pox need a dose of Calpol every 4 hours, a gel-based cream applying, plenty of fluids and rest in front of the TV. You can work around that. The 'demands' of the care can be absorbed by working through your lunch, or doing a bit more once a partner is home or your child has gone to bed.

But if your poor little one is really struggling, why haven't you just asked to take emergency holiday/unpaid parental leave?

I’d prefer this though. I usually carry on WFH when I have a sick child, as do colleagues. That’s preferable to me to having to take time off (especially if it’s unpaid!) that I would rather keep for when really needed. It seems like a good compromise.

If you really can’t do any work then you’ll just have to take the day off however they allow, but I’ve never had an issue being productive with a sick kid sleeping/watching TV on sofa.

I think people are a bit baffled as you’ve not said what you think should have been said on the call

What were you hoping/expecting them to offer you?
A short notice day of annual leave? A day of unpaid leave? Something else?
Without knowing what you were expecting, on the face of it they are being very reasonable by offering a WFH day.

So take it as leave. Are they not allowing you to take leave? I’m genuinely confused as to what you think the solution is? Sounds like they’re trying to offer you flexibility to avoid having to use your leave but surely it’s up to you.

Did you actually say you couldn't work or wait for them to suggest it ?

"Take leave then" is the new cancel the cheque

So just tell them you are struggling to work as your child is requiring more attention than your employer thought they might and take the day off in whatever form your company allows.

What's your problem? Your employer must have given you this option realising you might not be quite as attentive with your work today, I think they have been kind. I don't understand your problem?

Are you saying you asked to take a day of emergency unpaid leave, or some last minute annual leave and they refused? And said you had to work? Or do you just mean you rang to tell them and they said “ok no worries, you can wfh”?

Because the latter sounds like them trying to be nice, so you don’t lose a day’s pay or a day of annual leave.

Tbh as a one off, I actually don’t think wfh with a child is that disruptive. If mine have been ill, they’re happy to just be allowed to flop in front of the tv for much longer than I’d normally allow. Which is probably what I’d do if they were ill and I wasn’t working - duvet on sofa, let them rest.

My work were fabulous when this happened to me - way before WFH became common, but bits were possible for me.
They told me to work when I could, add up the hours, and put in leave for the balance.

I think work are trying yo be helpful. If you want to put in some form of leave, just tell them your child needs you and you will need unpaid / dependants / annual leave.

Presumably given this chicken pox your child will actually be sick/off work for a number of days. Of course your employer is going to expect you to do some work or take leave during that time.

In the days before wfh you’d be scrabbling to work out how to balance annual leave with your other half so you could manage a few days work

wfh isn’t ideal but I’m sure they’ve recognised your productivity will be down and it means you don’t have to take leave

or were you expecting them to give you the time off paid?

Take the unpaid leave then

the company I work for, lets people wfh with sick kids, they know it’s not going to be 100% performance but it’s a win all around, people get paid and some work gets done vs none

How many days are you expecting to be off and how old is dc? They don’t have to pay you if you choose not to work unless the absence policy covers it. How long have you worked there?

What do you want then? Unpaid leave? Why does the employer lose out because YOUR son caught a virus which is contagious? Ffs op are you being serious. The liberties of some people never fail to astound me. The mind boggles.

I'd have guessed they think you can still do some work whilst having a child with CP in the house, and think you being somewhat useful on full pay is better for both you and the company than being zero useful on zero pay. There are lots of roles that are like that.

But if you don't think it'll be doable, you should say so. Be ready for them to make you take it unpaid if you don't have/want to use annual leave though.

They are doing you a massive favour and you are being hideously difficult.

It is only unfair to other colleagues if they do not get the same perks or for people who have to take annual leave when their child is ill. Also unfair to the company as they know you will not be as productive yet are still giving you the benefit of the doubt.

I think you are being somewhat precious. Do what you can from home… or take day of emergency leave. Indeed I’d consider it fortunate you work from home now as reduces your need to take unpaid parental leave every time they are off school ill.

Most of the country managed for months doing exactly this during lockdowns, plus trying to box and cox with some sort of home education and more than one child. You and DC will survive a few days.