To ask for another week of furlough?

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I was furloughed at the start of lockdown and have not been working since end of March. I have been looking after my 2 young children full time as my DP has been working full time. Luckily DP's job is secure and their employer is flexible with WFH.

My furlough pay is capped at the limit of £2,500 and has not been topped up so my income has been about half of my normal pay. I am very grateful to have been furloughed rather than lose my job.

My employer wrote to me on Friday and informed me my furlough was ending and I was expected back to work on Monday. I discussed this with my DP (who is classed as a key worker, not front line) as the kids are only in part time childcare. DS is 5 and in Reception, DD is 3 and in nursery 3 days per week.

My DP is working full time 9-5 and cannot change working hours this week at such short notice. So cannot do drop off and pick up for the children (nursery and school are about 15 minutes drive apart). DP also cannot WFH and look after DD who is 3 and needs constant supervision.

This week will be impossible to juggle, but from the following week we can manage with flexible working hours and the help of a grandparent.

AIBU in asking my employer to extend my furlough by one more week? I checked the government guidance and there is a specific provision for this which allows furlough for those with caring responsibilities. I would only want this for 1 additional week.

I am incredibly grateful my employer has asked me to return and I do want to return. I have been there years and have a good reputation for being one of their top employers and managers.

My only other option would be to use a weeks annual leave, but then I'd have none left for the rest of the year and summer holidays when I would need to take leave to cover childcare again.

Most of the company were furloughed and now being brought back bit by bit.

YABU - get back to work immediately.
YANBU - take an extra week furlough to sort your childcare out.

"I assumed the 15k was after tax?"

No, op said 50% net pay.

I thinks YABU but understand the situation.

I think you need to go back to work and DP will need to move things around last minute - I get this may be difficult but there have been others who have been doing this for months.

DP also cannot WFH and look after DD who is 3 and needs constant supervision.

This is insulting to read. We both work full time and have been managing to do this (along with thousands of other parents) with things like TV / iPads etc since start of lockdown with a 1 year old and a 3 year old. Obviously now it's a bit easier you can see if nursery can accommodate more if possible, emergency childcare websites etc, but I definitely wouldn't be asking for furlough.

Surely your DH can change at least some of his working hours next week. I've lost count of the number of 'important' meetings DH and I have had to rearrange. And any non-contact work gets done after bedtime.

Definitely unreasonable to ask for a furlough extension. Not unreasonable to ask for unpaid parental leave.

It isn’t ‘impossible my to work from home with children - difficult but not impossible. I’m a teacher and have been teaching live to timetable with 2 primary aged children (1 with ASD). It’s a struggle, but like thousands of other parents, we manage because what’s that alternative?

It really is entitled to ask for a further week especially as some parents on this site would have wished to have been furloughed but haven’t been allowed to. You’ve had 12 weeks to plan for this day.

Did you company really only give you a weekend's notice? I agree that's not fair and also weird because that wouldn't necessarily fit with payroll/furloughing guidance.

Dp should take a week off, you should go back to work on time or your otherwise good reputation will be sullied when everyone arrives for work and you do not.

Dp has been working since March, so a week off now would be fine.

I would be less than impressed even receiving a request for this.

Get your Dp to take a weeks leave - explain that it is a very unusual situ.
Or split it?
I wouldn't ask for another week on top of all you've had

I payed my childminder a retainer throughout lockdown & now dc is back I can go to the office

@beela

So many people are panicking now furlough is coming to an end, and they seem bewildered that they are expected to cope with working and childcare at the same time.

It makes me realise how totally invisible those of us who have been doing this for months are

I have started to realise this too!

@rawlikesushi

"I assumed the 15k was after tax?"

No, op said 50% net pay.

The OP said the £2.5k cap meant she was only receiving half her normal income, which implies her normal net pay is £5k pm and her DP earns twice her income.

Whether that's gross or net for the DP I don't know, but it doesn't change the fact that they're a very high income family, and like others have suggested, it would make sense and should be affordable to employ a full time nanny in their circumstances and would save a lot of juggling and stress.

Definitely your DH’s problem to sort; you being furloughed has allowed him to continue working with no interruptions and now - for one week - he is looking at having to juggle the situation that many parents have been doing for months.

I have been on Maternity leave for the whole of lockdown and DH has been working from home; I don’t think he realises how lucky he is! One year later and we’d have a 1 and 4 year old to juggle with both of us trying to WFH!

My brother’s company have part time furloughed and part time brought back parents whose children are only back in school or nursery on a rota/part time. I gather it’s working well. Parents not too stressed by juggling, company getting some work done.

Giving you notice on Friday that you are expected to attend work on Monday is very unreasonable of your employer.

Annual or parental (unpaid) leave for the week.

I don't see the problem with asking for another week's furlough tbh.

I help manage a company that has used furlough a fair bit over the last few months (not the entire company; we've used it to reduce capacity/payroll be around a quarter). Furlough is not meant to be compulsory and we've been grateful when people have volunteered, as it's meant we've not had to lean on people.

I see no harm in asking the question, OP. They will then have a choice between getting a few hundred quid or you back in the work for a week. If they think they can manage without, and it's not to late to unpick the arrangement (and I suspect it will be fine) they may well be happy to take the money. This is certainly the conversation that would happen in our place.

You can ask but I expect they’ll wonder why it can’t fall to DP. Most parents have had to struggle along WFH and providing childcare, packed week on week.

All the people saying why are people struggling. You know why . It’s because schools and nurseries are to a very large degree still not operating fully.
My children are all in the ages supposedly back full time. In total I have two morning when one of my kids isn’t at home. That isn’t a normal situation for people. It wasn’t obvious in advance that schools would remain only partially operational whilst their parents would be expected to work full time out of the home. People may have (wrongly) assumes that they would get schools back before allowing employers to bring staff back to the office etc....
This is a never before seen set of circumstances, it’s totally unreasonable to bash parents who are finding it tricky.

That's why I was confused @BarbaraofSeville

My boss told us last Thursday we are to return full time from Monday. My partner is also off furlough from Monday. I have one child in school on a shorter day than usual and a 8 year old at home. I've had to arrange a plan quickly with grandparents to cover the next 2 weeks. Including taking annual leave, but I've not been on furlough.
I've been working reduced hours. Speak to your employer. Another week seems fair if you need time to reorganise things. I'm lucky to have support but if I didn't I would be in a pickle. I've told them I need to leave earlier each day to collect my youngest. Most employers understand and if they want to keep you then will be flexible for a week.

Very odd responses on here. The DP has organised it but can't for next week as it's too short notice. Those of you saying DP just has to get on with it would be annoyed if, for example, they was a teacher or a doctor and you were affected by them not showing up to work next week suddenly.

Ask for another week op, failing that take unpaid parental leave.

I guess people are feeling less than sympathetic because a huge number of us have spent the last 3 months working from home with busy weeks full of meetings while also looking after preschool or primary school aged children. So it’s a bit of a case of, welcome to club, get on with it.

You can ask but I expect they’ll wonder why it can’t fall to DP.

In my place, this wouldn't cross anyone's mind. The equation would be simply would we rather have OP back next week, or an extra [however much] of furlough money.

I hate it when HR start looking behind the curtain at people's personal circumstances as it leads to all sorts of unfairnesses. Good employers try not to do it.

And the DP isn’t a doctor or a teacher, is he, because he can WFH.

Those of you saying DP just has to get on with it would be annoyed if, for example, they was a teacher or a doctor and you were affected by them not showing up to work next week suddenly.

He can work from home. So he needs to get on with it like everybody else in that position.

I would ask them to extend the furlough. They needed to give more notice. I was furloughed end of March and they contacted me about returning in June. I had to decline as my nursery was shut. They gave me another month and I have just returned.
It is not you being awkward, or cheeky it is just the practicalities of the situation.

Definitely your DP's turn to do some childcare. Why can't he work from home and explain to his boss that it will be a challenge and he'll do his best - they will be out ad school/nursery some of the time. I know several people who have WFH throughout with toddlers and older dc to home school. Muddling through for 1 week is doable. Alternatively his turn to have some time off. Whether or not you're entitled your employer likely needs you in to get back up and running successfully if you're a long standing staff member!

I don't understand what childcare provision the OP has before lockdown though?