People working from home without childcare

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I just wonder how common this is. Obviously during lockdown lots of people had to do it - no choice if there was no childcare. But it must be tempting for some people to do that now to try to do that to save money.

My DC is a bit older now but looking back there is no way I could have done that effectively until she was around 12 as even in year 7 she still needed some input from me after school.

The more women who do this the more of a backwards step it is going to be for women’s rights in the workplace.

If women are caring for their children while apparently working from home it’s only a matter of time before employers stop employing women of child-bearing age.

The only amount of childcare which is acceptable while working is none. it wouldn’t be ok to bring the kids into the office and sit them in front of a screen, it’s not ok to do it at home either. You’re supposed to be working, not using the opportunity of working from home to save on your childcare costs and possibly short-change your employer into the bargain.

We do after school every day, I get her dinner ready and she chills and watches the TV or iPad until I finish work or until she goes to dance or gymnastics. Haven't found it an issue. One of my colleagues has her almost two year old at home with her every day, and gets interrupted all the time on calls, I think she's mad, because first lockdown with a four year old was a nightmare let alone a two year old.

My team at work don't have an option as we are in Scotland and WFH still stands and my company are strict with it. We went back for hybrid working and sent home again at Xmas. My work are very supportive and understanding of those with kids at home. We don't have free after school clubs here so it's not an option. At the start it was hard when it was home schooling but now it's only a few hours after school wed - fri as I finish at 3 min/tues it's not too bad. I think those with younger kids it will be harder to work and look after but I guess you adapt and get used to it.

I've been working from home for 2 years almost now. I've got fatter but it hasn't effected my work output and it's saved quite a bit of money.

Have just done this for a week as DD tested positive for Covid so has been home. She's 9 so fairly self sufficient usually but full days of doing this was a lot. Also, we live in a small flat, no garden, so there's not loads of places for her to be. She wasn't ill enough for me to need to take time off work, but definitely needed more attention than usual.

In normal times I pay for after school club so can get a decent days work done. Also to hold her place until I can get back to working outside the home.

My work won’t allow it full time but for emergencies it’s fine.

My oldest is 4. Youngest 2. So not quite old enough to look after themselves. The last time I had to do it dd was poorly with a cold and couldn’t go to nursery. So I stayed home. She watched a lot of tv. And had good naps. I did the bare minimum. But told work what I’d be doing.

Not allowed by my employer if the child is under 10. I do have fixed hours and especially after 3pm we need to ensure all work is done in time before end of day procedures are run.

DD is in Y10 and while I time getting myself a cup of tea when she comes through the door to have a short chat with her, that's not more than 10 minutes and not every day if something else is up.

No way I could do the afternoon school run or play 20 questions with a primary schoool child coming home.

DH works from home since DD was in Reception and she went to a childminder each day as he has to work and his work is far more flexible than mine. But we found it more important that we all are together late afternoon/evening instead of him going back to work to catch up each day.

I do it. I work flexible hours - only around 10 a week. My son had additional needs and we are waiting for him to have nursery support. Me and his dad take turns and I work when he naps too. I always worked around him as a baby as he was really chilled out and peaceful.

@Cattitudes

My work is similar toSarahAndQuack and as I was very part time when they were little and mainly working remotely for years I didn't have childcare, most work was done when one was asleep and the other one engrossed in something or at preschool. My work though is incredibly flexible and as long as the job is done it doesn't matter if it is 4pm or 4am! I couldn't have worked like that in a job where I needed to be logged on and pressing buttons and on the phone from 9-5.

It absolutely matters from a Working Time Directive/well-being perspective.

A lot of companies require evidence of childcare.

@AlternativePerspective

The more women who do this the more of a backwards step it is going to be for women’s rights in the workplace.

If women are caring for their children while apparently working from home it’s only a matter of time before employers stop employing women of child-bearing age.

The only amount of childcare which is acceptable while working is none. it wouldn’t be ok to bring the kids into the office and sit them in front of a screen, it’s not ok to do it at home either. You’re supposed to be working, not using the opportunity of working from home to save on your childcare costs and possibly short-change your employer into the bargain.

Where did you get the idea that it's just women

I do it for an hour on a Monday as my kids go to after school sports clubs . The rest of the time they go to the childminder. I find it much harder to work with them around and spend a lot of time of the phone/in meetings.

Track and trace call handler had 2 children screaming in the background during our call, thought it was very unprofessional and no excuse this far into covid. Felt like putting a complaint in but couldn't be bothered, did tell him that I could hear his children loudly in the background, he didn't seem bothered or apologetic

You wanted to complain that children were making noise in their own house? How do you know there wasn't another adult there - a partner, grandparent or nanny for example? I do all the childcare while my DH works from home but my children are not completely silent for 10 hours a day, nor should they be expected to be.

A child's home is it's safe place where they can play and relax. It's not their fault, nor their parents' fault that a workplace has been foisted upon them. Have some compassion!

@Luredbyapomegranate

A lot of companies require evidence of childcare.

I have never worked for one who has asked me this. Anyway how do you they know you have kids unless you tell them (assuming you've not had/adopted a baby while working for them)?

Unless you tell them for health insurance I guess.

If you are asking for childcare vouchers that's a bit of a clue you have childcare although you might actually have older kids and use them for holiday activities.

@AlternativePerspective

The more women who do this the more of a backwards step it is going to be for women’s rights in the workplace.

If women are caring for their children while apparently working from home it’s only a matter of time before employers stop employing women of child-bearing age.

The only amount of childcare which is acceptable while working is none. it wouldn’t be ok to bring the kids into the office and sit them in front of a screen, it’s not ok to do it at home either. You’re supposed to be working, not using the opportunity of working from home to save on your childcare costs and possibly short-change your employer into the bargain.

What about all the men mentioned upthread? Is it ok for them?

@AlternativePerspective

The more women who do this the more of a backwards step it is going to be for women’s rights in the workplace.

If women are caring for their children while apparently working from home it’s only a matter of time before employers stop employing women of child-bearing age.

The only amount of childcare which is acceptable while working is none. it wouldn’t be ok to bring the kids into the office and sit them in front of a screen, it’s not ok to do it at home either. You’re supposed to be working, not using the opportunity of working from home to save on your childcare costs and possibly short-change your employer into the bargain.

Or maybe. Just maybe, some women will show that they can work flexibly, deliver a high standard of work AND still have work life balance and manage their home life.

And the good employers out there might realise that having children doesn’t have to be the burden than society believes it to be in terms of work.

Where did you get the idea that it's just women as a general rule it is women who do and who are expected to do the bulk of the childcare. it isn’t always the case but it is the majority of the time. How many times do you have to look on here at posters saying they are the ones expected to take the time off work to look after the kids when they’re ill? How many women are stay at home parents vs men? How many women are the ones working part time to fit around the kids?

We have a very long way to go still in order for women to be seen as equals in the workplace, it may not be palatable but if employers start to take a hard line on this it will be women who bear the brunt of it, and women who end up being sidelined because of their childcare choices while wanting to work from home.

Bold fail:
Where did you get the idea that it's just women
as a general rule it is women who do and who are expected to do the bulk of the childcare.
it isn’t always the case but it is the majority of the time.
How many times do you have to look on here at posters saying they are the ones expected to take the time off work to look after the kids when they’re ill?
How many women are stay at home parents vs men?
How many women are the ones working part time to fit around the kids?

We have a very long way to go still in order for women to be seen as equals in the workplace, it may not be palatable but if employers start to take a hard line on this it will be women who bear the brunt of it, and women who end up being sidelined because of their childcare choices while wanting to work from home.

I do it a couple of days per week after school, the rest of the week I have after school care or dp is here. Dc are 7 and 12 and get home around 3:30, I'm on my laptop upstairs and sign-off work at 4:30/5pm. They have snack and play tablets or watch TV until I'm done with work. Dp works shifts so soemtimes he's home at 4pm so it's really not long and they like the freedom. They know the can come to me if they need anything.

With younger children I couldn't do it and not for full days but 1 or 2 hours after school a couple of times a week, it's fine.

I really struggle to WFH while DD (age 6) is at home, so we pay for her to go to after school club on the days I work (and paid for her to go to nursery when she was younger).

It’s no fun for her being stuck in front of the TV/ on the iPad without any interaction from me. My job includes reviewing financial information and requires a lot of concentration at times, and I find it hard to work knowing I could be interrupted any minute.

The times she has been at home while I’m working, despite being told not to interrupt and set up with TV/ snacks/ all her toys out, she has still comes through to say hello or ask if I’ve nearly finished.

I definitely wouldn’t want her at home all day during the school holidays as that would be so boring for her. Much better for her to be in holiday club and having fun.

I think it all depends on what you do, how old your kids are, what your kids are like and what your employer is like.

I no longer use childcare since WFH. My kids are 6 and 8. I have a flexible employer who is happy for us to work what hours suit us as long as pur work is getting done. I work flexi time and I don't do a job that needs me to be on the phone to customers etc. I take the kids to school then work. I pick them up from school and work for another couple of hours while they play
and unwind after school. I can sit in the living room on my laptop with them. But they are happy to entertain themselves. My DH is usually home between 4 and 5 so he is also on hand for emergencies.

One of my colleagues has a toddler at home while she works and I have absolutely no idea how she does it. I couldn't concentrate with a child that young.

@JuergenSchwarzwald

Our request has to go via our direct line manager. I would assume that most direct colleagues have a vague idea if a person had a partner and/or children. I assume you may talk to them once in a while about your private life.

I don't know how common it is, but I only do it out of necessity (when there are no other options) and because I work flexibility. For instance, if we have to keep dc home from school or nursery (like currently, nursery has closed due to most of the staff testing positive for COVID), I do carry on working with dc at home. The alternative would be to take AL and my employer would certainly prefer I didn't do that. There's too much work, so it's better for me and for them if I just do my best to work around dc.

Similarly, I often collect dc from school at 3 or 4pm (depends on the day) and then work an extra hour after they are home. There's no afterschool club and there are no childminders who collect from our school (small village school and we're one of the few families with two working parents). But flexible working is the normal in my field. I work in the evenings after bed and on weekends when dc are around too. No one cares because it's just important that the work gets done.

That said, I've always done this. Nothing to do with COVID. I was writing grant applications on mat leave with a 3 month old because sometimes work needs to get done and it doesn't matter if you have childcare responsibilities because there's no one else who can do it but me.

I would absolutely not do it if there were other options because I'd prefer to work uninterrupted.

I did all my marking/prep/admin with her in my office, and I did a lot of the pastoral care sessions while she was there, because my students actually quite liked it that way.

I’m presuming you work in a university or college and I do think that’s not really on, to be honest. A lot of students would probably smile and say of course, it’s fine, aww isn’t she cute but how is it appropriate to do pastoral care with a small child there??

Funnily enough, I did discuss it with senior colleagues first, and I didn't randomly present students needing sensitive treatment with an unexpected baby.