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Original poster

How much sick/childcare time off is normal?

38 replies

BeingAnEmployerIsCrap · 13/09/2022 10:43

How much time off sick do you have on average a year?

How much emergency time do you have off, on average, for children a year?

How often are you called home from work on average a year?

I know your experiences do not have a direct relation to my issue but it would be interesting and helpful to understand what is normal rather than excessive.

OP posts:

museumum · 13/09/2022 19:11

My ds has needed 2/3 days off for a bad cold or sickness once or twice each school year. I’ve never been called to pick him up. Dh and I do pretty much 50/50.

WorriedMillie · 13/09/2022 19:14

It varies. -Almost none over the past few years then this year has been awful, with the sudden and traumatic death of a family member, plus other stuff. I had 4 weeks off after that

HorribleHerstory · 13/09/2022 19:25

excluding mandatory isolation when positive for covid I have had zero sick days in the last 10 years.

I have taken semi-planned leave from work for an ill child once in that time as they needed surgery but then had complications.

I have left work in an emergency in the middle of the workday once when one of my children was hit by a car.

I have never had a call from school or nursery to collect an ill child.

Hardbackwriter · 13/09/2022 19:28

Azandme · 13/09/2022 12:43

I've taken two days off sick in 8 years because I was hospitalised.

I've been called home for dd three times total - she's ten. I carried on working when I got home.

I haven't taken any parental leave for child illness - I just wfh whilst looking after her.

Multi-tasking!

Could you do that even when she was little, though? I was called into school to collect my ill four year old at lunchtime today and I muddled through my afternoon working from home, putting him in front of the TV for a meeting, but it wasn't great and I couldn't have done it all days and claimed to have done a day's work. I couldn't do even that much while looking after my one year old, especially if he was ill. If I worked from home rather than having the day off with him it might mean I'd officially not had a day off but I wouldn't have achieved much!

Hardbackwriter · 13/09/2022 19:31

I'm sort of amazed at all these people who never have time off with ill children - it's not my experience, and it's not the experience of anyone I know in real life. Little kids pick up a lot of bugs and nurseries are pretty stringent in their sickness policies.

Rutland2022 · 13/09/2022 19:33

DD had 49 days off ill in the last 12 months. DH and I split it so it’s roughly 25 days each. It’s an absolute nightmare!

She’s about to turn 3 and is at nursery. We have no family help. Fortunately we get plenty of leave!

Libertyqueen · 13/09/2022 19:42

I had around 3 weeks working from home during 2020-2021 academic year due to two bouts of covid (2 children and me each time, not at same time exactly). This was slightly more than other colleagues but not much as we are all are in close contact with large groups frequently and both times I caught it at two large work events along with half our department

Last academic year I think it was probably two days. Again, I can work from home and arrange cover with volunteers (charity sector) so it wasn’t a big deal.

mountainsunsets · 13/09/2022 20:07

I don't have children so can't answer that part of your post, but I've never taken time off for illness since I opened my business three years ago. I just can't afford to lose a days' pay unless it's completely unavoidable.

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 13/09/2022 20:16

I've only ever had to pick up my 9yo a handful of times in her school life. When she first went to nursery I got constant sinus infections but I've hardly taken time off sick in recent years. She's never really ill either and I would send her in unless she was being sick

3WildOnes · 13/09/2022 20:16

When our children are ill one of us usually works from home. We just rearrange any important meetings and our work is OK with us not giving 100% for that day.

Asdf12345 · 13/09/2022 20:18

None.

The culture where I work is that you don’t take the bulk of your leave and you don’t mix having a family with the job until later in your career unless you have a partner who can do all the work.

OhhhhhhhhBiscuits · 13/09/2022 20:31

This past year has been horrendous for sickness in this house. The worst ever! 5.5 year old had approx 3 weeks off school over the school year. 2 x tummy bugs and covid and then a flu type bug (covid test was negative then). I have also caught most of the bugs off them as well. Then I got Bells Palsy and had to have a month off work. Its been shit. I'm hoping for a better year this year! Although one of the tummy bugs knocked out 18 out of a class of 28 so it really did do the rounds!

PicturesOfLily · 13/09/2022 20:39

I went back to work in Jan after my second maternity leave and in the first six months, dd4 had chicken pox and two stomach bugs and dd1 had chicken pox, oral thrush, conjunctivitis and a sickness bug. My mum helped a lot and I only needed 2 days off plus to leave during the day twice. Eldest started school last week and was sent home today with diarrhoea so needs two days off now. I’m hoping it settles down soon!

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