Working from home

[MissRp]

Hello!
I have been a stay at home mum for a few years but with the cost of living crisis, I really need to go back to work. As the children are still little and I have no childcare, ideally I would work from home.
I just feel so overwhelmed and don’t know where to start!
Are there any particular websites that recruit for wfh? Where do you find these jobs?
Sorry, I know it sounds so silly but the whole thing is making me anxious and I would really love any pointers.
Thank you

I don't want to sound mean but you need to be careful as some jobs won't let you wfh. For example I am full time wfh and have been way before Covid but my contract specifically states I have to have appropriate childcare during my contracted hours. I had to show proof of nursery enrolment and invoices showing i am paying for the right number of hours!

Sorry but you can’t WFH in many jobs with little children at home, I have 4 and have to put them in childcare - unless you found a job that did not require concentration I guess. Good luck x

Sorry that should have said * won't let you wfh with children present

Sorry you can’t work from home while looking after children. No employer is going to allow that

I have also wfh since long before covid and there is no way any legitimate employer will let you wfh without childcare in place.

Thank you for your messages and understood. I genuinely don’t know what we are going to do

This setup probably won’t be allowed. You would need to arrange suitable childcare.

Beware of pyramid scheme scams too, OP. Keep away from anything that requires an upfront investment.

It depends what you are doing and when you are doing it. Some jobs have flexible hours so you might be able to work when your dh is around or the children are asleep. You need to look for something that pays for completed tasks rather than by the hour. What sort of skills/ qualifications do you have?

Could you work in the evenings once they’re asleep? Do you have a husband/partner who could deal with wake ups?

What did you do before kids? What’s your skill set?

If you really need a job could you work out of the house at weekends or evenings if you have someone to take the DC?

More info might help people advise you.

Before kids I did lots of admin/ PA type work.

Also wfh and need to have childcare. Cant even have a child at home ill whilst working 😪 what about doing like Avon or body shop? Its usually popular for Xmas. Could you not get an evening or weekend part time job when partner is home? Care companies are desperate for people. Could do retail, hospitality etc.

Check on indeed and filter it to remote working. You could maybe get some pa/admin stuff thats not set hours and could be done evenings when kids are asleep. What age are the children?

Do you live with a partner who could look after the children while you work in the evenings or do nights? Some opportunities there - evening cleaning, nights in care homes or supermarkets.

May be more realistic than WFH if you don't have qualifications - pointless working to pay childcare and nothing left over.

No one earns money from Avon or Body shop.

Agreed

Some of the call centre type work allows working from home and you can work evening shifts if you have a partner who is home then.
Companies like Amazon, Sky, banks, insurance, telecoms. Anywhere that has customer service centres open until 8 or 9pm

There are also evening jobs out of the home like supermarkets, hospitality, care work

LinkedIn and indeed for looking, but as others have said you would really need childcare, could you do evening work instead?
Do not do avon or bodyshop though, those pyramid schemes just rinse you of your money.

I WFH but have formal childcare. I can look after a sick child every so often with my husband also WFH but it’s not possible or reasonable to do my job without childcare at all other times. Both husband and I work compressed hours 4 days so only need childcare 3 days.

What you do is look at the cost of childcare. Look at jobs you have a good shot at getting. Work out if the latter pays more than the former costs. Do you have a partner at home? If so, you look at work that falls when they are home (nights, bank shifts etc...)

Hello

You mentioned that you have done admin/PA work before. I’m a PA myself and know that these types of jobs are now a lot more flexible with home working since Covid, but many still do require you to go into the office once or twice a week.

There are fully remote jobs out there however. I would look on LinkedIn and apply for roles directly and also register with recruitment agencies that specialise in PA / office support work. You can tell the recruiter that you are mainly working for a role that offers WFH. Sometimes they will be temporary but can lead onto longer term or perm positions. I’m not sure where you live but some good agencies are Tiger recruitment, strictly recruitment, Tate and Reed.

90% of staff at my work wfh but those with children are expected to have childcare in place.

But you get free childcare when they are certain ages. You'll need to take the bull by the horns here and look into all the things I mention.

Find out what childcare is available from gov. Enrol and use.

Fiver, Upwork - sell your PA and secretarial skills there. Here's how to make the best profile, and go from here with other videos, this guy is good

Make a LinkedIn profile and a few CVs, here are some ideas of gigs you can find from home:

minute-taking
transcription
live notetaking
copy writing

I'm assuming you have excellent English and if you don't, revise and bring them up to scratch.

Your linkedin and gig profiles can potentially get you enough work to live on alongside UC if you're single and alongside hubby's wage if not.

I do under the tax threshold and share my code with him to reduce his tax so as a family we earn the max.

Since you have free time spend it making top notch profiles and get your skills ready to sell, then go and earn money.

Is babysitting an option? DP looks after your kids and you babysit. Round here is £12ph cash in hand and high demand.

Thank you for all your responses- really appreciate everyone who has posted. I will look into all of the suggestions made.
thank you!

OP this isn't a dig at you, because if you don't know, I guess you don't know, but I'm genuinely shocked by how many people think WFH means you don't need childcare.