Warning for looking after my child

[WaxMeltAddict]

I've tried looking online to see my rights. Basically I started a new job in May and my youngest DD's childminder has been brilliant with working around my hours to look after DD so I can work.
I'm a single mum and Wednesdays are a hit difficult and I can't start until 12 (usually start at 10.30am)
My manager is lovely and understanding but I have been threatened by the big manager about a warning due to this.
Can they give a warning because I have find childcare for 2 hours sometimes?
I'm a hard worker, I'm always on time otherwise. I just want to know where I stand

Of course they can give you a warning if you are turning up to work 1.5hrs late every Wednesday. I’m surprised they haven’t sacked you as you will still be in your probation period.

Well are you supposed to start at 10.30 but you don't turn up until 12?

Unfortunately, having children is your problem, not theirs. Can you find a nursery if your CM can't take your child until later on Wednesday?

If those are your contracted hours and you can’t do them then sadly yes they can give you a warning and they could fire you if it’s ongoing.

I know childcare is so difficult when you don’t have family to help you as most people do, but unfortunately employers will say this isn’t their problem

Are you serious? Can you get a warning for being late to work every Wednesday?

Think about what you are asking and find proper childcare.

Well I would think if you’ve signed a contract to work certain hours and then can’t fulfil then on one day of the week then yes they can.

So you just turn up late? I was a single parent once. I never turned up late. I was a teacher, imagine if I’d turned up an hour and a half late!

What do you mean? Do you have variable hours each week?

I don’t understand what’s going on really.

I think you should ask if it would be possible to re-negotiate your hours. It's very unreasonable to be 1.5 hours late once a week. You've only been there 8 weeks or so, so haven't built up goodwill. And you don't seem to have offered to look into other childcare providers so that you can be relied upon to be at work on time every day.

If you're regularly starting 2 hours late then they're right.

You need to take the emotion out of this or you will find yourself without a job very quickly - your title is quite manipulative.

Of course you can’t just be an hour and a half late every Wednesday! Do you seriously have to ask? Your childcare isn’t your employers problem.

Didn't you discuss this before accepting the job?
This is not ok and YABU. I do sympathise with your predicament but it's not your employer's problem.
Hope you get it resolved.

So this isn’t an agreed late start? What do you think they should do?

I USED to have a colleague that turned up late at least once a week because they hadn’t sorted out appropriate childcare. Used to.

Yikes, yes they can give you a warning, and sack you, if you don't arrange suitable childcare.

You didn't get a warning for looking after your child, you got a warning for being consistently 1.5 hours late due to inadequate planning on your part!

Your childcare is your issue. It is not a problem for your employer to solve. You need to start work at 10.30 so that's that. If you're late, it doesnt matter why, you can get warnings and disciplinaries and eventually lose your job if your employer chose to go that far.

You need to sort out proper childcare

I cant believe you even have to ask!

What does your written contract say?
What was discussed about your hours prior to starting the job?
Your direct line manager has said you can start at 12?
Have you an agreement whereby the hours lost are made up?

Yes. You can be sacked. Why on earth would you think this is ok? It’s your child, your responsibility. You knew the hours when you took the job, so you ought to have the childcare you need in place organised for every day you need it. Your ‘lovely’ manager is not following policy, and might not be around too long if she continues like that! The single mum bit is irrelevant - people with a partner are in the same boat, there’s not many jobs allow you to jiggle hours around as you see fit.

Your childcare is not the issue of your work. This is something that needs prior agreement before you start working. Of course you are being unreasonable.
I worked with a woman who was dismissed as at least once a week she would be late or not come in due to childcare, despite already working part time.

Whilst I sympathise hugely with single parents, if your start time is 10.30, you start work at 10.30. If you can’t because of childcare issues, you need to sort out alternative childcare pronto before that warning becomes a P45.
Your employer is not the unreasonable one here.

I’d say your lovely manager is also in hot water for not dealing with this earlier. The fact that it has escalated up is not a good reflection on him or her.

Are you able to make up the lost time? If so you could possibly renegotiate your working pattern.

If you're saying to your employer you can't work those hours and they just have to live with it, but pay you for the hours you're not there - YABVVU.

If you're just being late every Wednesday then yes, they can give you warnings and ultimately you could lose your job. I think you should tackle this head on as it's not going to go away. If you can't sort childcare and work are amenable then these are possible ways forward...

Can you renegotiate your working hours and do an extra 1.5 hours another time when you do have childcare?

Can you renegotiate to do 1.5 less hours per week and be paid accordingly?

Can you "drip" your annual leave so you take 1.5 hours per week out of your allowance?

If you go to them and acknowledge it's an issue that you're willing to work with them on, there is more chance you'll be able to stay working there.

Yes they can sack you.

Might be time to find a different childminder.

It can be really difficult as a working single parent with no help or support for childcare, so I empathise and sympathise. But of course you can’t routinely just come in an hour and a half later than your contracted hours.

You could ask if it’s possible for your hours to be changed on that day, or you could see if there’s a way to make up the hours. Otherwise you will have to figure out a way for your child to be looked after so that you can work.