My child's primary school had the 48 hour rule - but now they're at middle school it's 24 ..... which I don't understand at all, surely the age of the child makes no difference to their level of contagion?
So far as taking time off is concerned I have huge sympathy with OP as there are times when it can be literally impossible to manage. I also understand completely about gross misconduct, sickness records and so forth but think some people fail to appreciate that not everyone can put contingency plans in place for every eventuality and sometimes, even the most conscientious and (usually) honest person can come up against a situation where there's nowhere left for them to turn.
Typically, this is perhaps particularly true for single parents who can't always share the burden with the other parent regardless of whether that's fair or not. I was a single parent with my older child for 9 years and to my shame - and believe me it gave me sleepless nights for all the reasons already outlined - there were probably 2 or 3 separate occasions during that time when I lied to my employer about being sick myself because I'd genuinely run out of ALL other options ....
.... these were times towards the end of the year when I had used all my annual leave, I had used all my unpaid leave (5 days p.a. allowed and would never take unless I absolutely had to as it had a detrimental financial affect), I had used all my parental leave (5 days allowed), no family or friends willing or able to fill the gap, no spare money (after essentials) or credit card to buy in help - and even if I'd gone into debt would not have been able to service it at the time as money was so tight, was unable to work from home although perfectly willing to do so. So what was I - and others in a similar position - supposed to do ?
The absolute alternative I suppose would have been to give up work and claim benefits, which, at the time, would have been an easier and more 'generous' process than it is now. But that would also have clearly been wrong. I wanted to work, to set a good example to my child and, most years, thankfully, I just about managed to cover off their illness and accidents without unduly affecting my job.
Of course, had I been earning more, buying in paid help for emergencies - which, by its very nature, i.e. usually last minute - is hugely expensive - wouldn't have been such an issue. But unfortunately my particular skills experience and qualifications didn't allow me to obtain such a role. This obviously also applies to many other parents as well and it boils down IMO to what's the lesser of two evils - not working at all to avoid the very occasional (for most of us thankfully) issue of emergency time off - or, when all your other 'options' have run out, being dishonest (when there's NOTHING else you can do) and claiming you are sick ? I think, actually, that this should be considered a wider, community issue rather than a personal one ...... these days the vast majority of parents work and everyone knows kids get sick, break bones etc .... it's therefore inevitable that some employees will have to take last minute time off every so often. Maybe if employers were willing to be more flexible about this people wouldn't have to lie ? .... many of them resist the idea for example of their employees working from home, even when they have stuff they could usefully complete there without any negative effect on the business, simply because it's not the 'done' thing. Or perhaps more of them should allow employees to make the time up bit by bit ? Most employers know full well which of their employees can usually be relied upon to work at full capacity and not take advantage, and if they were willing to show a bit more flexibility towards decent employees maybe people wouldn't feel pushed into (very occasionally) lying.
And then of course, you have others who are understandably worried about their job and their employer's lack of sympathy/flexibility who do end up sending kids back in while they're still infectious - which just compounds the issue X 20 as other kids then come down with the same thing and their parents will then also have to face the same problem of juggling work v care.