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Original poster

If you WFH with DC present....

36 replies

Partedinsurprise · 10/01/2021 14:58

....how is your employer supporting you? Are you furloughed? Flexible hours? Just expected to work your regular hours? Reduced hours for reduced pay? Annual leave?

I work in HR for a charity and obviously we are all home based for now (we did a lot of home working pre covid too). Almost all our staff have school aged children and we are essentially operating a "do what you can" policy where we are not expecting anyone to "make up" their hours at weird times or reduce their hours and get paid less. Last lockdown plenty of us including me did things like working 6am-10am and then 7pm-11pm or similar to get our "hours" in but it just isn't sustainable any more. I feel at burnout stage even with an extremely flexible and understanding employer so I am interested to know how others whose employers are less flexible and understanding are coping?

OP posts:
JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows · 10/01/2021 15:02

I'm a teacher, and a single mum. I have 2 DC aged 5 and 8. Because I can WFH they aren't entitled to a key worker place (they attend the sister school of the school I work at). Same goes for other teachers. So to make up for the lack of key worker space some of my SLT have taken on cover for lessons for those of us who have young kids. Meaning I'm only delivering 2.5 hours of lessons a day.

DailyMailHater · 10/01/2021 15:03

I am WFH whilst at home with DS10, husband still out of the house for work everyday as can’t be done from home. my employer is expecting my normal hours to be done, so if I need to go off to aid with home schooling I need have to make the time up. This is how it was last lockdown as well...just expected to get on with it.

JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows · 10/01/2021 15:04

Oh and I'm getting paid the same even though I'm doing less work

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Original poster
Partedinsurprise · 10/01/2021 15:04

Christ that's awful JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows and seems terrible they can't get a KW place?

OP posts:
ohidoliketobe · 10/01/2021 15:07

Number of options, 5 days special paid leave as a one off, unpaid leave, banked hours - can be negative 80 hours flexi on the caveat you are back to zero positive within 18 months or can exchange them for outstanding annual leave you have at that point in time, and you can apply for a temporary reduction in working hours. These options all obviously mean a reduction to your working week.
Similar to your employer, the official message is "do what you can" and have said they aren't expecting anyone to make up their hours at unsociable times, but my experience of that attitude this past week is that there seems to be very little workload reduction or understanding from certain seniors... So all talk and no action really. You can reduce your hours one way or another but your output is expected to remain the same Hmm

JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows · 10/01/2021 15:08

@Partedinsurprise they're being REALLY strict about KW spaces. It's a private school so there is A LOT of consultant/SAHM combos and last time people really tried to take the piss.

I actually prefer reduced hours with the kids at home, I think I'd be on edge a little sending them in and they've been really good sitting working while I teach (it may or may not have something to do with the many threats I've dished out Grin). I warn my pupils beforehand that if they hear a noise that just my kids. When it's only 2.5 hours a day, spread over the day, I don't get overwhelmed. And I have 5 minute breakout tasks on standby for each lesson in case one of the kids needs my attention.

pinkcattydude · 10/01/2021 15:08

Expected to work as before DS10 being helped in my lunch time and around calls basically expected to pretend he’s not there my company like a lot are refusing to furlough this time to ensure they can give bonuses to the board

Original poster
Partedinsurprise · 10/01/2021 15:11

Similar to your employer, the official message is "do what you can" and have said they aren't expecting anyone to make up their hours at unsociable times, but my experience of that attitude this past week is that there seems to be very little workload reduction or understanding from certain seniors... So all talk and no action really. You can reduce your hours one way or another but your output is expected to remain the same

Yes I bet that happens a lot. In our case we were clear that there would be a reduction and output - everyone sat down with line managers and a list of tasks and dropped or postponed as many as possible.

OP posts:
Original poster
Partedinsurprise · 10/01/2021 15:11

Reduction IN output

OP posts:
Babyroobs · 10/01/2021 15:12

My colleague who normally works 3 days a week is now doing two for the same pay.

RhubarbAndMustard · 10/01/2021 15:15

I'm wfh on my own (as DP works 'not from home') with DS8 and DS4.

My work are trying to be flexible and say the right things. They tell us to put the children first, help with homeschooling, delegate where you can and we don't have to make up hours. But then the reality is back to back meetings every day and my team are too over stretched to delegate to. Plus why should they pick up my slack.

I officially work 6am-2pm, letting them get on with what they can by themselves (not much for DS4) and then I do the rest with them in the afternoons and catch up on work in evenings. It's exhausting but do-able, but really not sure I can keep it up for weeks on end.

Original poster
Partedinsurprise · 10/01/2021 15:18

Meetings are the worst aren't they. Especially when so many of them seem pointless.

OP posts:
BlueBrush · 10/01/2021 15:20

We're in a similar position to you - first lockdown was partially a case of muddling through as best we could, but for this lockdown there's more expectation of home schooling and it's harder to get away with working our full hours.

My employer has extended the amount of emergency parental leave we can take, will probably introduce some flexible furlough, and there's a general message to line magers to be as flexible as possible with working patterns, annual leave etc..

BlueBrush · 10/01/2021 15:21

But to echo PP, there's still as much work as ever!

Stabbypain · 10/01/2021 15:23

Basically work when you can.

I work in accountancy and it’s obviously a mega busy time for us so furlough just wasn’t an option this time around.

I’m planning to do a few hours very early then a few late afternoon while the kids have some non school screen time.

Wish us luck Grin

Lovelydovey · 10/01/2021 15:24

We’re being encouraged to develop working patterns that are sustainable for us in current conditions (my boss agreed that I would work 4 hours /day instead of 7, still on full pay, while home schooling and coping with my parents having Covid - mum still very ill at home after two weeks, dad in critical care). As an organisation we are having to deprioritise to manage this - but even with all this understanding and compassion there will be winners and losers.

Original poster
Partedinsurprise · 10/01/2021 15:25

Lovelydovey Flowers for your mum and dad. I hope they feel better soon. My brother is currently at home with covid feeling very unwell and he is only 19. So many young people seem to feel it won't make them feel ill!

OP posts:
audweb · 10/01/2021 15:27

Do what you can. They are very supportive but it still feels stressful. We were reasonably flexible before now it just has to be even more. It’s just tiring. I’m doing it all solo, i’m a Keyworker level 2 but as I can work from home she doesn’t get a place. Fair enough, it’s just exhausting, and I’m lucky that I have a reasonably understanding workplace but even so I still have work to do.

RedskyAtnight · 10/01/2021 15:28

My employer is also operating a "do what you can" policy. Which is fantastic for primary school parents and I really commend my employer for doing this. But unfortunately means that everyone else has to work longer hours to pick up the slack, and this seems to be acceptable as we all have a "work additional hours as required to support business needs" clause in our contracts. Plus, as the parent of secondary school children, I also need to support them - I accept not as much as primary school children, but I can't leave them entirely to themselves all day, and I don't get any flexibility for that. So I'm not sure the policy has been fully thought through ...

Original poster
Partedinsurprise · 10/01/2021 15:29

But unfortunately means that everyone else has to work longer hours to pick up the slack, and this seems to be acceptable as we all have a "work additional hours as required to support business needs" clause in our contracts

We were also worried about this so we implemented a policy of not delegating to co workers unless they genuinely had capacity. Mostly they didn't so stuff has had to be dropped or postponed.

OP posts:
Original poster
Partedinsurprise · 10/01/2021 15:30

I agree that secondary school pupils need support too!!

OP posts:
breadwidow · 10/01/2021 15:34

Basically the same as you OP but my employer (govt department) is also offering the facility to reduce hrs without reducing pay. This has proved difficult for many in of us practice though as our jobs are too busy to do in reduced hours. We are technically key workers so some (but not many as far as I know) are using key worker school but frankly, now, I think we should not be. We are all wfh and our jobs are not as critical many others. Most of us, including me, are lucky enough to balance care for kids between ourselves and our partners. Through work I know a few main earner women like me so in the lockdown the burden share in terms of home schooling is evenly split between mother and father or more done by the father. I think other women aren't so lucky and I have female friends who are doing the lion's share when both parents are attempting to wfh.

Farewell2020 · 10/01/2021 15:34

I appreciate it's really difficult for those with a school age children. Bad enough tip toeing around ours who are home from university' online learning'.

However how long is ' do what you can ' sustainable ?

We are a small team with a member with infant school age children. Their partner is a key worker but is not entitled to a school space as my colleague can work from home.

During lockdown 1, colleague was furloughed so rest of us covered work as well as ours. They are now on flexi furlough so again we pick up the work if urgent when they are not WFH.

How much longer can business keep this going - not the financial aspect - but workload all round ?

BakeNVac · 10/01/2021 15:38

I’m SE, freelance. I’ve always WFH so that part is fine, but obviously I’ve been able to use school and childcare for the 3dc in years past. Pluses are, no one is going to shout at me if I dont do the hours. I don’t have a boss to deal with. I’m not in events or hospitality, I really feel for friends in these industries facing redundancy.

Downsides, don’t work I don’t get paid and we don’t eat. I’m the sole earner. I’ve worked hard to build my reputation in my industry and I have clients I don’t want to let down. It’s a competitive industry and I’ve prided myself on having built a viable freelance business with a good portfolio. It all feels like it’s going down the drain. I’ve considered trying to get an employed position instead but it feels like the wrong time for this and where would I put the dc?

The only silver lining is after years of WAH and round children I’m well practised at working all night and childcare all day but it’s still not easy.

Speedy recovery to all affected by the virus.

wizzbangfizz · 10/01/2021 15:39

Muddling through best we can monitoring around meetings and calls - it is stressful and unsustainable.