Who's being unreasonable?

[whyIsARavenLikeAWritingDesk]

I was quite tempted not to post in this section as it can be quite rough on OP but here goes.
I took on a job at the beginning of December working 2.5 days a week. All in agreement these wouldn't change as me and DP Work childcare around ourselves as we can't afford the nursery fees around here. All good until now... my employers are also aware my partner gets his rotas 3-4 weeks in advance and is rarely in a position they can be changed. They have booked me onto a course on a day I wouldn't normally work and have told me to find childcare. I don't have any friends that are in the position to watch my daughter and all our family are 300 miles away.

Is there an alternative course you can go on that fits with your current hours/child care arrangements.

Or would your employers be willing to perhaps contribute to childcare (some places offer childcare vouchers).

They are unreasonable. Could you find childcare and ask them to pay it as they choose to book you into something knowing it would be hard to attend?

Depends if your job requires mandatory training op?

Is it just one day? What did they say when you told them that that wasn't a normal working day for you?

They are.
They cannot expect you to work on a non working day. Your childcare arrangements are none of their business, you don't have to justify why you can't get childcare, the fact is you can't.

BUT if you need this course for the job, then you also need to be flexible in some way to make the course happen. For example, if your dh knew, say 5 weeks ahead that you needed that day, could he request a rota that fitted round it? In which case you could go back to you employer and say that you can do the course, as long as you have 5 weeks notice in order to arrange dh shifts.

I think you need to at least try to be flexible to be honest. It is fine to say this isn't my usual day i'm not doing it, but that's not generally how the world of work, works.

I am trying to be flexible, I'm trying my hardest to find childcare but if there's no one to watch my daughter what can I do?
I don't mind doing the course at all, we just really struggle with the childcare side of things with no family around! I'm trying to find a childminder who will have her for just the one day but that's proving difficult!
I will mention to them about maybe finding a course in 3-4 weeks time and see what they say.

HotPotato I'm not saying I'm not doing it, I actually can't if I can't someone to look after my daughter!

Can they make you work a day that you don’t notmally do? Depending on your daughters age it’s not very fair to leave her with someone out of the blue; you’d need to settle her in with that person.
I’d be in the same position when I go back to work as we don’t have anybody close by to look after our DD

I don't work Saturday, Sunday or Monday. On occasion I have been asked to do some training/cover an event etc on those days and if I haven't had childcare I've said no. Pre-children I said no when I had other plans. It is absolutely how the world of work works.

To be honest unfortunately this is part and parcel of working life. I’m currently a sahm because we cannot afford the childcare costs. The fact you only work 2 and half days does limit the days to plan training which I assume will have to some many people on it to be cost effective. Some jobs do require mandatory training especially fire safety and various over courses. Could your dp take Annual leave.

You can't do it as you are not available. They can't 'tell' you to find childcare. Say no.

If you can't find childcare then you can't find childcare. They cannot make you do anything on days you are not contracted to work. But don't just say no.

It will look good if you make an effort to accommodate this training, which you seem to have done. Let them know that you have tried to find a childminder and looked at alternative training dates. If you're seen to be reasonable you are more likely to progress.