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I don't think that this would be useful, to be honest. The main issue would be to ensure that all adults with caring responsibilities (children or other) are entitled to a number of "caring" days per year. If these days were paid it would potentially lead to resentment from colleagues without such responsibilities, or an unwillingness for employers to employ parents/carers.
Where I work, I have to make up any time I have off to care for sick children. I would rather just have it as leave, either paid or unpaid.
I totally agree with Angharad's point about encouraging working from home - at present most employers seem to view homeworking as a potential for slacking, whereas in actual fact homeworkers are usually more productive and less stressed.

Yeah i too would feel guilty taking paid time off for kids sickness. People who have not had this luxury in the past would feel put out/jealous.
It probably wouldn't be a factor I would consider when choosing to go back to work or not. I am going back in about 6 months and would probably use hols up for children's sickness

I think there would be a backlash from childless workers or workers whose children are no longer dependent on them.

Would there be some compensation from the government for the employer or would the employee be expected to take a pay cut or lose some of their pay?

I do mainly voluntary work and recently had at least one child home for a period of about 3-4 weeks. I still felt guilty about not being able to get to work, but it was for occasions like that that partly prompted me not to go back into paid employment. I remember having to take time off for ante natal appointments and the resentment from my colleagues if they had to cover my work. With a child off sick, how much more resentment would there be?

Would we get to the point where you have to declare the number of children on your cv and then we find women with bigger families being passed over for jobs?

Sounds like a great idea, but in practical terms - how is it possible? I can see how it would work from a parent's point of view, however, if I was an employer who not only has to find cover at very short notice (because children don't oblige us with forward planning of their illnesses) but also has to pay twice, I would not be happy. I think very few employers would take on parents (especially women) if there was an alternative.

I'm at work anyway.

Think it's a good thing, though I don't see why it would make a huge difference to the decision to go back to work, unless you had a child with special health needs.

TBH I would feel even more guilty taking time off that was paid than I do taking unpaid time off - small team, there's only me to do the work most of the time, we can get a temp in for some of it and I feel OK asking for that if they're not having to pay twice IYSWIM.

We're not too rich at the moment as my husband is starting his own business and hasn't earned much this year, so the money would help.

But I am a complete wimp vis a vis employers and feel guilty whenever I earn over the national average wage (which I certainly don't at the moment), so maybe i'm not representative.

Wouldn't help much.

Now, if Harriet Harman started talking about encouraging/forcing more companies to employ people to work from home, we might be on to something.

for me the issue is more the having an understanding from my employers that it is acceptable that parents will not be able to work on occasion if their children are ill - for me that has been so much more of an issue than pay and one that would require careful but strong legislation from the government.

From my position this is the wrong solution - nice but wrong.

Oh yes, and the obvious one would be (said by people with no children)
Well what do I get then?
This would inevitably meant hat working parents would have to be paid less, otherwise it just wouldn't be seen as fair....

Can't see it working myself....

Would you be expected to prove your child was sick?

have had this issue where I work.
People get their pay docked for taking time off to look after kids.
And guess what I do?....I am a teacher in a church school.
So people lie and say they are ill or get their pay docked or their partners/mothers look after the sick kids!

I am already back at work, however....

In theory it sounds good, but as we all know, most things come with a payoff....what would it be?
Less pay to start with?
Less jobs for working parents?
Would employers be less inlcined to give working parents a job?

All these things are great in theory - but just seems to me there is always a price to pay - perhaps I am just a tad too cynical!?

B

probably, but old timers would be begrudging - saying 'didn't happen in my day, etc...'