COVID leave

[Rollercoaster1920]

My employer has a very generous exceptional leave policy during COVID of full pay for staff whilst they look after children, or sick relatives.

AIBU to feel it isn't really fair?

I work FT, partner is SAHP. So I don't need it. I know of others who are taking the max entitlement of what is in effect paid leave to homeschool / or otherwise look after their child.

I'm jealous that they get paid to spend time with their child whilst I have to send my children away because I have work to do. I am also having to cover those that are being paid to not work so am extra busy sorting out other's mess. So it feels like a double whammy.

Add onto that the lack of transferrable tax allowance and I feel the SAHP model is being penalised yet again.

My suggested solution: I think the employer should allow unpaid leave. Childcare is impossible right now otherwise.

BTW - a public sector employer so no furlough and this salary is being paid for by pretty much all of us. There is plenty of work to be done and lots of talk of budget cuts, and likely redundancy in the next year.

So your suggestion is that those families who aren’t lucky enough to be in a position to have a SAHP should have to sacrifice a salary for months just so you don’t feel put out by having to work?

What if your DP gets COVID? Surely you will benefit from the policy then because you will need to be at home to care for partner and children, all the while on paid leave.

I think staff furloughed should be 80% and staff working 120%.

You want to make families of people you work with far worse off because you have a case of the green eyed monster?

So you’d prefer the staff without a SAHP took unpaid leave the full lockdown and were then in debt and you still had to pick up the work they were missing.

This pandemic has been hard on so many people and particularly unfair on the people working through it, in any sector. Being furloughed isn’t a breeze for everyone though and I think the staff should have more solidarity and not personally blame the employees who have been dealt a better hand. They have just willingly accepted what was offered, as you would have too if it was extended to you.

But if these people were on unpaid leave you would be no better off, but they would be much worse off. How is that better?

My work has this policy also. Some people are taking the odd day, but most people just trying their best even if not full hours - on the basis it costs the same to our employer and our work is urgent (public sector).

I don't understand why you're complaining about something where your proposed solution would not change things for you, would not cost any less in taxpayer funds, but would make your colleagues worse off.

It seems I'm being unreasonable! Ok, 90% say so!

I think there are 2 parts to my annoyance.
1: I'm jealous and would like to be paid to teach and spend time with my kids.

2: I generally believe we should work to get paid! Especially publicly funded. People pay tax that funds these salaries, and a lot of tax payers don't earn these high salaries.

But a valid point about if they were furloughed it'd cost the same to the taxpayer.

I think I'd work shifts with my partner to cover childcare before taking this leave. I'd use the leave if my partner were sick and unable to keep an eye on the children.

I think my unease is whether it's morally right to take money for nothing unless you really have to. The 'really have to' part is open to interpretation.

I can see IABU though!

Oh ffs another "waaaahhhh I don't benefit from something that others do so I'm spitting my dummy out". Pathetic. I say that as someone forced back to work when my youngest was 12 weeks old.

Why have you sent your children away?!

Your colleagues are at home to take care of their children. Presumably, they have no other childcare option?

Your DC, on the other hand. Have a SAHP to look after them.

We're all struggling through this in one way or another. It's not fair on anyone.

The company you work for are the exception rather than the norm. Not many companies are doing that. I work for a large company and parents have been given 2 weeks parental leave with full pay, but after that they were told if they wanted to stay off because of child care issues that they needed to use their annual leave, and then unpaid leave. It’s pretty grim out there for working parents at the moment.

Yes I was wondering why you say you have sent your children away if your DP is a stay at home parent? That bit makes no sense.

I had to work three days a week for the first 3 weeks of lockdown and then 6 days a week after that. Every one else I work with was furloughed until today.

Do you know what I thought? Lucky them and how nice it is now I am not at work on my own anymore, and that’s it.

I think you are a bit of a green eyed monster OP.

As my old dad would say ‘Life’s not fair, suck it up and get on with it’!

I am public sector. We have emergency dependants leave for immediate issues but if someone has to fit around children they take leave or make the time up.

We also are paying those self isolating and those shielding, for however long they need to shield. Yes there are the odd few that take the piss and self isolate when they don’t need to and I could pretty much guess before hand who would but I have 3 staff that are shielding for 12 weeks. One of them lives alone and their MH is really suffering along with a medical issue that means they have to shield. They would rather be in work. So yes, they are getting paid to not work and I am still working but I can go out, I don’t live alone and my life hasn’t had to change a massive amount.

Fair play to you for putting your hands up and just admitting you have a touch of the green eyed monster. You're only human and it's a perfectly normal response to a perfectly mad situation

The thing is, we're all doing our best and everyone's field looks greener. Those who are WFH and trying to homeschool at the same time are longing for normality, and those still working as normal are wishing they were with their families.

I had CV19 and I'm just bloody glad to be there. I'm homeschooling, WFH and hoping my lungs will work properly again. A pp made an excellent point. When all of this is over, those who continued on the frontline should really be compensated for their over and above efforts.