To charge my employer for these childcare costs?

[DixieD]

I started a PT job about 6 months ago. It was always clear I was looking for PT as I had young kids. I work half seven to four to get home in the evenings to let the childminder go. This has been the arrangement since the beginning and everyone is happy with it.
DH works long hours, while I get home for 5 he is rarely home before 8. This is the nature of his job, it can't be helped. There have been a couple of occasions due to Board meetings that I have had to work later and DH has stepped in those evenings. Otherwise if I need to work later I've brought the laptop home and worked after the kids go to bed.
Anyway my boss needs me to go to the Milan office for a day. He wants me there for a full day so I need to go for two nights. I am happy to go. However there is no way DH can finish early both nights, so childminder will be minding the kids for extra hours one evening. Obviously I will have to pay her for this.
My question is would IBU to charge this as an expense of travelling? It is the fact I am abroad for two nights that I am incurring it. I think I've a case. DH thinks it cheeky. What do you think? AIBU?

[INeedThatForkOff]

Why is your DH's employment more important than yours? Does he claim a childcare allowance for all the evenings he works?

I doubt very much that it's a valid expense and your contract might well state as much.

[NumericalMum]

This is what gives working mums a bad name... My work never offer for me to do the interesting trips because they assume as I have a child I wouldn't be able to go. HUGELY frustrating but I assume this is why...
Would your DH have the same problem?

[LessMissAbs]

Without debating the merits OP, personally I wouldn't raise any of these issues until you've been employed for a year at least (if the same statutory protections after a year's employment against dismissal kick in in Ireland as in the UK).

though actually I think it is part and parcel of working and your issue is more about not being paid an enhanced rate when working abroad.

[notactuallyme]

As far as I recall, childcare costs would be a benefit in kind. I don't understand why you don't get overtime as you are 'salaried' - are you sure on this?

[NumericalMum]

I don't get overtime? My contract says I work 35 hours a week or reasonable hours to complete my job or something like that!

[Casmama]

If travel is ,entioned in your contract then you probably have no come back but if it isn't then it might be worth an informal chat with your boss. Don't demand it but explain you will be out of pocket and ask if there is any way to claim some of it back.

[LineRunner]

Blankiefan Sat 02-Mar-13 20:56:17
Linerunner - what's different about working part-time

There's employment case law on this.

It will be up to OP to pursue it, though.

[Chyelabinsk]

OP,
A colleague of mine came to an agreement with the company for them to pay her child care expenses when they asked her to work on one of her days off. As the HMRC saw it as a benefit, she ended up losing money for working that one day. From now on, she refuses requests to work on her days off.
So you need to check first whether you are going to incur extra tax for getting the company to cover any childcare costs

[hugoagogo]

People usually work part time for a reason and employers seem to increasingly want part time staff.

Therefore they should understand that their pt staff may have other commitments outside their working hours.

These might be children or caring for a relative or just another pt job.

It is unreasonable for them to expect the op to make herself available outside her agreed hours without paying her for those hours.

It has nothing to do with her being a Mother or her job being less important than her dhs.

[beanandspud]

Sorry but I think it's a bit cheeky to ask. I would see occasional travel and extra hours as part and parcel of the job at that level I'm afraid.

In similar circumstances I do get some additional hours 'banked for emergencies' on an informal basis which means that if DC are ill I can take some time off without needing to take holidays. It's flexible and works well for me - I would worry that if I started counting my extra hours for travel then I wold lose the flexibility when I need it. Depends on the relationship (and possibly history) that you have with your work though.

[BimbaBirba]

If possibility of being out of town more than one night was not mentioned then I would perhaps tell my boss that I can't afford to be out if town more than one night because of childcare costs. That'd be fair enough IMO.
In any event, how much money are we talking about OP? 4 hours of childminding (4 to 8)? That's what £20 max. I'm not sure I'd be making such a fuss for £20 especially if the job was reasonably paid.

[Peka]

If i was you I'd be a bit worried about scope creep with this job. You get employed on X basis but then the job turns out to be Y... happens all the time, has happened to me in almost every job I've ever had, but now I have children I'd have to have a chat with my boss about it. What is the reason for this trip? Is it completely necessary or a nice to have? What about Skype etc as a compromise? if you just accept this and do as they ask they will probably ask you again, and again etc etc. And you will have set the precedent that you pay for the childcare in this situation. We can't just pretend we don't have children because that makes it easier for work but we feel under a lot of pressure to make ourselves as unproblematic as possible. I guess it depends how strong a position you feel you are in, given your personal situation, but I'd stand up for myself if I was you on the basis that this is a healthy thing to do in any relationship.

[nkf]

I think the problem is that by asking for childcare costs, you are making a deal out of your role as a mother. Why isn't your husband asking for childcare costs? I think the way to tackle it is to focus on the extra hours worked. Excessive overtime and I think two nights away is excessive - you have something to discuss there. Your private arrangements about how your children are cared for while you work - your business.

[NK2b1f2]

I work part time and will have to travel soon with the odd overnight stay. I've been honest with my boss to say I can't do this at short notice due to dc and childcare arrangements. But I also expect my dh to take annual leave if necessary to cover when I am away early/late/overnight. Does your dh really have no leave entitlement or flexibility in his job? As far as I am concerned, dh has just as much responsibility for our dc as I have and although he works full time and often long hours, it does not mean he is absolved of all involvement.

[NK2b1f2]

Oh, and I think you would be extremely cheeky to ask your employer to cough up for childcare.

[quoteunquote]

Would your husband's employer also be asked to contribute to the childcare costs?

Surely the children are both your responsibility, you use the childminder when one of you is not available, you use each other when you are available,

you are not available, neither is your husband,

Why would it be just your employer that pays for the cost of childcare?

[chicaguapa]

Out of pocket expenses, yes. But I'm almost certain claiming for childcare would be BIK and so taxable.

But paying for the additional childcare is an out of pocket expense. It's something extra that was paid for as a result of going on the business trip. In the same way as an airport car park or a coffee on the plane.

In my case DH is a teacher and doesn't get to take time off because his DW has to go away on a business trip. If I'm not there in the morning to take DC to school, DH doesn't get to pitch up at school late after he's dropped them off. If work wants to move the goalposts and send me on a business trip which involves me having to put DC in breakfast club, they pay the extra costs. I don't want to pay £15 on top of my existing childcare costs because work can't find anyone else to go.

[AnnaRack]

Not cheeky as it's over and above your normal working hours. As you're not being paid oveetime for the extra hours you should be able to claim out-of-pocket expenses. Rather than ask specifically about childcare costs, ask in a general way about what costs you can claim back, so you won't come across as cheeky. (I hope). No harm in asking as others have said but you have to ask in the right way.

[hugoagogo]

Nearly all expenses sound unreasonable really if you think about it-

'you expect your employer to pay for your trainfare! A cup of coffee, parking, petrol, your dinner!'

It all sounds ridiculous until you stop and realise that these are extra expenses incurred purely because of the business trip.

[LineRunner]

So why do f/t working men claim for so much food? They'd have to eat anyway, surely?

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

There's a limit to what you can claim for a meal for yourself when away, Line - and a higher limit if it's an 'entertaining' meal.

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

Sorry, there's a limit to what you can claim without being taxed on it.

[LineRunner]

I know, and I guess my point is that increased food costs, whilst away on work duties, are allowed to be claimed untaxed - so why not other necessary increased costs?

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

I'm not sure. It was news to me as well when flowery posted it re childcare.

[DixieD]

Someone asked if I am a member of the Board. I am not, but I am the financial controller (small company hence PT). I am certain the Irish RC would not find this a BIK as it is genuinely incurred as a direct result of travelling and a direct OOP. As I am FC I actually could put this amount (about ?30) through as an expense and no one would even notice, but I wouldn't without clearing it with my boss. I am almost certain he would say yes btw, but I don't want to ask if it would make him about me.
It's a valid point about DH claiming childcare, but in his case DH earns three times what I do, and his employer could certainly argue that he is paid for the hours he puts in (which he is).