To think work don't have a clue?

[Rosebel]

Once again forced to take time off work because my son has been in contact with a Covid case at nursery.
Well aware the rules are changing for schools and really hope it's the same for nurseries.
I can't WFH and nor can my husband. I'm so pissed off with work who seem to think I should have back up childcare in place, even though I literally have no family to help and the fact my son is meant to be isolating so shouldn't be mixing anyway.
I try to work as much as I can (roughly 4 hours before DH has to leave for work) and we split leave fairly evenly so it's not always me who's off.
But I still get nagged and bitched at by work as to why I have to take time off (even though they know he's only 1).
Maybe I'm being unreasonable but I have a suspicion that my manager and team leaders (all male) don't have a fucking clue because they don't deal with the kids when they are sick. They expect their partner to do it and then seem to expect the same from their team members partners.
I'm actually on the verge of quitting because I'm sick to death of works attitude.
I'm trying my absolute best but if nursery says he has to isolate I have to look after him 50%of the time because that's what being partners in parenting is about.
Does everyone else get this at work? AIBU to mentally tell them to fuck off when they are giving me a hard time?

[quote GreenLakes]@Ellpellwood

What I would say is that many of our employees have found innovative and flexible solutions that allow them to attend work, while also facilitating their DC to isolate.

Some have moved grandparents or singalongs in to stay with them for the isolation period and provide childcare. One relative slept in a tent in the garden and another in their car.[/quote]
Lol! You've got to be joking.

OP, YANBU. And I say that as someone who posted a thread about how sick to the back teeth I am of my workplace's union-approved COVID policy (essentially allowing all parents to work part-time on full-time pay and requiring the rest of us pick up the additional (COVID-related) work because it's public sector and therefore they can't recruit additional people).

I'm particularly sensitive to the fact that workplace flexibility and wellbeing issues really do often only apply to parents or those with other caring responsibilities, because realistically you cannot apply flexibility to every single person and those without those responsibilities are bottom of the priority list.

But that said, for the same reason why I'm continuing to put up with my workplace's policy - because parents have literally no other choice right now - you're absolutely not in the wrong, and I do recommend finding a job that's less overtly toxic.

I bet your managers think the government has handled the pandemic well.

YANBU to dislike their behaviour. Perhaps worth seeking legal advice if you are considering quitting, as it seems to be discrimination, or at the very least, harassment.

I am slightly at a loss as to how a relative sleeping in their car helps. They're still not allowed in the house with the isolating child. Do they peer through the window?

[quote GreenLakes]@Ellpellwood

What I would say is that many of our employees have found innovative and flexible solutions that allow them to attend work, while also facilitating their DC to isolate.

Some have moved grandparents or singalongs in to stay with them for the isolation period and provide childcare. One relative slept in a tent in the garden and another in their car.[/quote]
You think it's a sensible requirement that someone's potentially elderly relative sleeps in a tent in the garden to care for a possibly infectious child, than allow a parent several days of unpaid carers leave?
Companies like yours should be named and shamed.

@Ellpellwood

They are allowed in the house as the relatives can become part of the household and move in for the isolation period.

Relatives staying in a tent or motor home for example can help to minimise risk, while also enabling employees to attend work as contracted.

[quote GreenLakes]@Ellpellwood

What I would say is that many of our employees have found innovative and flexible solutions that allow them to attend work, while also facilitating their DC to isolate.

Some have moved grandparents or singalongs in to stay with them for the isolation period and provide childcare. One relative slept in a tent in the garden and another in their car.[/quote]
So they broke the law and their child didn’t isolate then.

[quote GreenLakes]@Ellpellwood

They are allowed in the house as the relatives can become part of the household and move in for the isolation period.

Relatives staying in a tent or motor home for example can help to minimise risk, while also enabling employees to attend work as contracted.[/quote]
Talk about interpreting the rules to suit your own ends. You aren't allowed to "join households" (not that this is, it's having a houseguest) when someone in the household is already isolating. Otherwise their mate could come and "join households" to play Xbox after school.

@Ellpellwood

As I say, it’s not for me to determine the ins and outs or legalities of childcare strategies for employees.

However, I do believe there is no issue with households temporarily joining forces for a period.

Wow, I actually think GreenLakes might be the most ridiculously unreasonable poster ever to grace the pages of AIBU.

And that is one fucking high bar.

When one of them is isolating? I think Test and Trace would have begged to differ.

I cannot think of a word for this other than deplorable. You're quite literally saying "I don't care what they do as long as they show up to work."

Fundamentally, employees are required to attend work

But also greenlakes, fundamentally employers are obliged to act in a way which does not destroy the relationship of trust and confidence, and I cannot see how requiring employees to break the law or be disciplined for failing to turn up to work is compatible with that.

What do you do with disabled employees who need additional time off for disability related sickness? What about pregnant women who need time off for maternity appointments, including emergencies? What about people who test positive for covid and themselves cannot leave the house?

Of course businesses want employees in work but realistically there are always reasons why employees cannot attend and employers have to be reasonable about it. Your company isn’t.

I thought my company was bad but thank fuck I don't work for greenlakes.
Having someone over to stay is breaking the law, do you not understand that?
Of course your staff have done this because otherwise you threaten them.
It actually is your problem because with your attitude I can guarantee most of your staff are looking for new jobs.
To me work is just work. I will not sell my soul for it.
My family come first (inciuding not making relatives sleep in their car) especially my children.

What does your contract say about taking time off for dependants?

I would be getting very frustrated with work in your situation especially seen as they know there isn't anything you can do about it

I think your union will be very clued up on the rules around covid
Would they expect you to come in if you were told to isolate by track and trace?

@Rosebel

I thought my company was bad but thank fuck I don't work for greenlakes. Having someone over to stay is breaking the law, do you not understand that? Of course your staff have done this because otherwise you threaten them. It actually is your problem because with your attitude I can guarantee most of your staff are looking for new jobs. To me work is just work. I will not sell my soul for it. My family come first (inciuding not making relatives sleep in their car) especially my children.

I think most of us on this thread are thanking God/the world/fuck we don't work for GreenLake. I can only assume there are several members of Mumsnet weeping because they DO work for them. Hideous.

@Alannawhorideslikeaman

I don’t see what’s ‘hideous’ about expecting staff to attend work.

We have a generous policy in place allowing staff to take up to 3 days’ unpaid leave to cover DC isolating. Only following this so we expect them to find an alternative childcare solution.

Only following this so we expect them to find an alternative childcare solution.

You can’t actually give an example of a ‘solution’ that’s legal.

So yeah.

Or were you thinking that the family members could sleep in the car and watch toddlers through the window? Is that it?

Relatives staying in a tent or motor home for example can help to minimise risk, while also enabling employees to attend work as contracted.

And we have a spare motor home on the driveway don't we. How does that work anyway? They won't catch covid from your child as long as they sleep outside the house?!

We have a generous policy in place allowing staff to take up to 3 days’ unpaid leave to cover DC isolating. Only following this so we expect them to find an alternative childcare solution.

The isolation period is TEN DAYS. Not three. Even if it's possible to share time off with another parents, three days still isn't enough.

I personally don’t think my 75 year old parents are up for sleeping in a tent or in a car. How do I persuade them Greenlakes?

[quote GreenLakes]@Alannawhorideslikeaman

I don’t see what’s ‘hideous’ about expecting staff to attend work.

We have a generous policy in place allowing staff to take up to 3 days’ unpaid leave to cover DC isolating. Only following this so we expect them to find an alternative childcare solution.[/quote]
What's hideous is you are forcing staff to break the law (or 'skirt it') in order not to lose their jobs. Then washing your hands of it by saying it's not your responsibility to work out the law or to help them find solutions. So you're putting people in an impossible situation.
3 days to cover isolation means absolutely nothing when the isolation period is 10 days. So you're putting up an empty gesture that helps no one but the company. That is not the action of a good employer.
As I said before, I'm a manager. I've managed people for the majority of my career in multiple areas. I would never ever treat my staff the way you are, or work for a company with such a blatant disregard for their staff.

@Greenlakes Are you an operator of a Victorian factory who has time travelled? This can be the only explanation for your view that what your company provides is in any way generous.

@Alannawhorideslikeaman

While it is not my place to research the precise legalities of childcare options, I don’t believe there is any ‘skirting’ involved in family members moving in temporarily.

All a school isolation means is that the DC has to isolate- no one else.

[quote GreenLakes]@Alannawhorideslikeaman

While it is not my place to research the precise legalities of childcare options, I don’t believe there is any ‘skirting’ involved in family members moving in temporarily.

All a school isolation means is that the DC has to isolate- no one else.[/quote]
Yes - isolate from other people. Therefore no new people should be entering the household. It really isn't hard to understand.

[quote GreenLakes]@Alannawhorideslikeaman

I don’t see what’s ‘hideous’ about expecting staff to attend work.

We have a generous policy in place allowing staff to take up to 3 days’ unpaid leave to cover DC isolating. Only following this so we expect them to find an alternative childcare solution.[/quote]
There isn't a legal one! Do you need this spelling out to you in the form of interpretive dance?!

This is the most incredibly short sighted policy. If I worked for you and was a parent, I'd leave. If I worked there and considered becoming a parent, I'd leave. God forbid you hire anyone who doesn't have children with a SAHM/SAHD.

[quote GreenLakes]@Alannawhorideslikeaman

While it is not my place to research the precise legalities of childcare options, I don’t believe there is any ‘skirting’ involved in family members moving in temporarily.

All a school isolation means is that the DC has to isolate- no one else.[/quote]
You want to believe it you mean, so you can put pressure on staff to break the rules and come in.