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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To insist my staff have childcare in place?

999 replies

willandgrace · 07/04/2021 10:10

Several of the staff I manage have young kids, we've supported them all year to WFH with kids at home. We are still primarily working from home but as schools/childcare are now open I have said that people need to have appropriate childcare in place while working from home, the same as they would have if they were office based (as they all were previously) - some of the staff are not happy about this but AIBU?

OP posts:
MarshaBradyo · 07/04/2021 18:07

@Icenii

womanity agreed. Society and the way we work needs to change but people are too unimaginative to think beyond what currently happens.
As long as people can imagine past their own situation and realise impact, fine.
Millymomooo · 07/04/2021 18:07

GoldenOmber
Plenty people who can’t work from home have to manage.

Original poster
willandgrace · 07/04/2021 18:08

I am really surprised at how many responses I've had to this thread, I really am listening to all points of view and finding the discussion really useful
I was planning on bringing this in for the half term but think I will give people until the summer holidays when, in theory everything should be open and then look at 'core hours' 10-3 or the like (I need to think that through and it will be role dependent a bit) where people need to be able to work uninterrupted
We should have more office presence by then anyway but the plan is to have long term WFH as at least a part time option - I'm really not an unreasonable boss whose trying to grind women down, just a struggling manager whose trying to be supportive and keep the business running effectively

OP posts:
Millymomooo · 07/04/2021 18:09

Wateruniform
Yes I understand what your saying but most people are in the same boat and have to use annual leave.

RedcurrantPuff · 07/04/2021 18:09

YANBU, it is common in homeworking contracts to require staff to have childcare in place

GoldenOmber · 07/04/2021 18:12

@Millymomooo

GoldenOmber Plenty people who can’t work from home have to manage.
Most of us manage by using childcare. If there is no childcare, what do you expect people to do?

Childcare is not something you can just make happen if you ‘have to manage’. Right now there are more children needing childcare than there are spaces available. That isn’t something parents can wave a magic wand and fix.

YoBeaches · 07/04/2021 18:13

About returning to the office - is the office Covid safe - does it meet government guidelines for sanitation and social distancing?

RedcurrantPuff · 07/04/2021 18:13

Obviously during a pandemic and no childcare being available flexibility is needed.

TheKeatingFive · 07/04/2021 18:15

Plenty people who can’t work from home have to manage.

Essential workers working outside the home have been prioritised for what childcare places do exist.

Like the previous poster says, how are people supposed to ‘manage’ to source childcare that doesn’t exist?

Xenia · 07/04/2021 18:18

How you would know is the hard thing. Someone could just say granny has the toddler in the other room (but in fact the parent has chained the child to the bed for the day or shut it out in the garden for 5 hours of play on its own).

SweetPetrichor · 07/04/2021 18:20

Yanbu. I don’t think it’s fair to other staff if parents are allowed to produce lower quality of work cause they’re caring for a child while working. I think it should be a rule that childcare must be proven to permit working from home.

Still1nLove · 07/04/2021 18:21

I haven’t rtft but I think yanbu

I am a childminder and I have noticed a huge drop in enquiries for my services. The enquiries I have had are from people who want someone to look after their young children for a couple of hours a day, so they can focus on work. No one wants full days or more than a couple of half days. It isn’t sustainable for my business and if it doesn’t pick up in the next 8 weeks, I am going to have to close down. I have been childminding for 11 years and am graded outstanding.
People don’t want to pay for childcare while they are wfh but how can you wfh with a child under 4?

womanity · 07/04/2021 18:21

Or 3) The ‘it’s not fair on other staff’ people.

No, it’s not. None of its fair. Covid doesn’t give a shit.

MarshaBradyo · 07/04/2021 18:23

@womanity

Or 3) The ‘it’s not fair on other staff’ people.

No, it’s not. None of its fair. Covid doesn’t give a shit.

Yep not fair on parents too you’re right Covid doesn’t give a shit.
Nelia5 · 07/04/2021 18:23

@Rukaya. I have just checked and it is in fact part of my company’s WFH policy, as it is an insurance requirement.

But thanks for shooting me down

LST · 07/04/2021 18:24

@TheKeatingFive

Plenty people who can’t work from home have to manage.

Essential workers working outside the home have been prioritised for what childcare places do exist.

Like the previous poster says, how are people supposed to ‘manage’ to source childcare that doesn’t exist?

Its not just essential workers that carried on working though
StripyHorse · 07/04/2021 18:25

@willandgrace

Flexible working is in place, we deal with clients though so much has to be done in 'core' hours. It is difficult when meetings etc are being interrupted by kids - it's understandable that's not meant as a criticism but it can't go on In terms of what age, our office is open but staff aren't required to attend yet, the age limit is 'if you can leave them alone if you are required to attend the office you don't need childcare', the same as if they were office based When I spoke to one staff member who was struggling to manage her workload she said she didn't think it was fair that she had to use her annual leave for example as it's not her fault there's a pandemic.
This is interesting. DD2 is in Y6 and is in the (admittedly narrow) age band that I wouldn't want to leave her at home alone, but she doesn't need 'looking after'. I have a job that requires long phone calls (an hour or more). She hasn't disturbed me yet.
TheKeatingFive · 07/04/2021 18:26

Its not just essential workers that carried on working though

Did I say it was?

Woopywoopwoo · 07/04/2021 18:26

I’m in central’s Scotland all nurseries, primary schools, after school clubs are all open in my area. Not sure about holiday clubs though. I know it’s the holidays so why can’t parents take annual leave? I think most people are trying to save money.

EL8888 · 07/04/2021 18:27

YANBU it’s not possible to work effectively and be caring for children. I was in a Teams meeting the other week, person 1 was caring for her son and person 2 was caring for her god daughter. They spend half their time talking to me and half the time talking to the children “it’s not time for a snack yet, “get off your phone”, “stop doing that” etc etc. We made so little progress on what we were meant to doing. It was driving me insane, it wasn’t a good use of my time and l had lots of other work tasks l could be doing

@womanity too true, the whole thing isn’t fair. But pandemic and things like that have no concept of fairness

Notavegan · 07/04/2021 18:28

Yabu. Every kid in my daughter's class and most friends of ours from different schools had a cold over the holidays. Imagine them mixing over Easter in holiday clubs. In our area kids are being sent home with a runny nose and for covid tests. If I'd booked mine into childcare this week I would have wasted £90 a day. Besides I've worked fine with them at home as no schooling. We've kept our colds to ourselves. Things are not normal yet.

TheKeatingFive · 07/04/2021 18:29

Closure of schools and childcare was done to protect society as a whole, so I can’t get too worked up about the ‘it’s not fair on other staff’ argument.

Lockdownbear · 07/04/2021 18:29

I'd think August / September would be a more realistic target.

I have no idea if my usual holiday cover will be running come summer or not. They don't know if they'll have enough demand. There usual days out may still be too risky, venues closed.

MarshaBradyo · 07/04/2021 18:30

I’m sure people can’t get on board with other staff impacted no surprise.

Womanity what is your solution?

Interrupted calls or..

pickaxer · 07/04/2021 18:33

I think people are taking the piss. After these school holidays I think you would be fair to say you gave to use childcare.

A friend has just returned to work having had her first baby and said she's only using childcare twice a week to save money. Did I know how expensive it is? She said loads of people look after their kids and work at the same time at her company. It's insane, I can't even send a quick text near my baby as she grabs the phone, I can't imagine working. This pandemic has made her think this is normal or she has a really placid baby and I certainly have a feisty beast Grin