To expect work to cover my child care costs?

[CatThiefKeith]

Background is I work as a receptionist at weekends, but the weekday receptionist is having some health problems following a routine operation and I got a phone call this morning asking If I can cover her job for the next fortnight.

Dh works full time, plus 3/4 evenings in a different job, so the only way I could do so would be to employ a childminder or increase her days at preschool and use a childminder for the rest of the day ( it is only open mornings)

It is a minimum wage job, so I would effectively be working 14 days without a day off for less than £3 p/h.

Would I be massively unreasonable to say I will do it if they cover the childcare costs?

Trouble is weekend office jobs are pretty hard to come by.

I'm only keeping my hand in really, marking time til dd starts school next year.

I work p/t. About once a year I am asked to come in on my day off. My boss always volunteers to cover childcare costs, and no aggro if I can't manage it.

Mother and MiL are both several hundred miles away and extremely busy!

Very reasonable reply from you but they don't sound like reasonable people so you may need to brace yourself for their next attempt.

wow missed all these responses while at work. So here you finally have it - the understanding that finding jobs which have unconventional part time hours is very difficult. They are as rare as hen's teeth. So yes - it's fortunate to find one, and thinking that's a half-witted view must come from someone with zero understanding of the employment market.

Finding weekend jobs are not as rare as hens teeth at all. I recruit in retail and the jobs everyone wants, unsurprisingly, are 9-3 mon-fri.

Weekend jobs are not unconventional and it's not fortunate to escape paying childcare costs when you sacrifice a family life in order to do so.

Piss takers.

But I. Believe work paying childcare direct, outside of CC vouchers or a workplace crèche, is a benefit in kind and taxable.

Surely not for a one off like this though?

And if OP is only working 18 hours a week normally, at around minimum wage, then it doesn't even bring her over her personal tax allowance anyway, so even if treated as taxable, doesn't have any impact on her.

I don't think it matters if it's a one off - it is a benefit. However, I appreciate that practically there may be no tax to be paid.

Grrr these companies make me angry! Good response though!

of course weekend jobs are not 'rare as hen's teeth'. neither are evening jobs or night shifts

honestly, stop sounding so bitter

Even if you have suitable childcare they are BU for expecting you to work all those days in a row - a weekend, followed by two full weeks plus the weekend in the middle and at the end. All 8-6?? 16 days in a row??

I think your last email was good. My knee jerk reaction was to say "No. Your staffing issues are not my mother/mother in law's problem". Cheeky git.

Mother in law/ mother! Hmm. Why do people assume that women don't work!

Also, the usual receptionist must take time off on other occasions. What do they usually do to cover then? Sounds to me like they have decided a temp is too expensive and they can lean on OP as a cost-cutting option. Grr.

Any reply from them OP?

The other receptionist generally books holiday well in advance and dd normally stays with mil for a couple of Days and dm for a couple of days.

I usually have 4-6 weeks or more notice when this happens.

Only reply so far this morning was

"I will let you know"

Unless you're required to in yiur contract id need personally stop checking my email out of work times.

Well at least they know exactly where you stand and your conditions for helping them out.

Ooh a reply!

Apparently Boss has solved the problem.....

His teenage daughter is going to have dd for me!

she fecking well isn't!

Maybe if she does it in the office where you can keep an eye at all times
:-)

Fuck me. He is having a laugh, isn't he?

OMG - I am LOL here!!!
He has got to be kidding?
Leave your kids with a complete stranger for 2 weeks.
Don't think so!
They really are quite unbelievable!

Talk about a brass neck!

Ask if the teenage daughter is OFSTED registered. No actually, don't. No more dialogue. They're not getting it, so be blunt.

Dear Boss
I will not be undertaking the requested shifts. I do not wish to engage in any further discussion regarding this issue.
Kind regards
Keith

Wtaf!?!?!?!

His teenage dd can be the bloody seceratary!!