Not paying for childcare this autumn as bills go up

[Essenceandvibes]

I've just had an epiphany.....I absolutely won't be paying a penny for childcare this autumn as bills increase and I won't be made to feel guilty about it either. I can work from home and watch my baby and pick up my 10 year old from school without the assistance of anyone else and if my employer has an issue with it, he can pay an extra £2000 per month post tax to cover the cost of full time help.

Our bills are going to be about £800 a month just electricity and gas alone for our detached 4 bed house, this isn't even thinking about the increase of petrol or groceries.

The mortgage has also gone up a few hundred quid too....childcare and commuting is now a luxury not necessity and I really hope every parent joins me in asking for employers like it or lump it

Shameful the government have let everything get this far, the knock on effects will be huge

It's a form of protest to all those who don't quite understand, businesses will start to pressure the government into action if we all do this
Don't be ridiculous - of course they won't pressure the Government, they will simply fire you and replace you with someone who doesn't have children/has older children who don't need care/has a stay-at-home partner/free childcare from family - or simply someone who realises they can't do they job and look after children and continues to pay for care!

It "worked" during lockdown because people accepted that there would be interruptions and that standards dropped. However, many people were nearly broken by it - one of my colleagues was working 9-1 and her husband then did 1-9 p.m. so that they could cover childcare, they were on their knees afterwards. Now that the world has opened up again, people don't really care if you are WFH but they do expect to have normal levels of service, calls and meetings when they want them and not at your child's nap time, the screaming and demands for banana in the background are no longer cute but an annoyance etc.

Also - incredibly unfair on your one year old - or are you planning on popping out to the park, playgroup etc with them during the day as well?

I would say well done for setting back the cause of working parents if I thought people would actually follow through with this but I think your protest will be un-noticed!

I actually agree with you OP.

Thread after thread of people scared about rising costs but no one does anything.

When anyone makes a suggestion for revolution it's always 'well we just can't'.

That's why they get away with it.

We've become like Americans who've been brainwashed to believe that free healthcare is impossible, except it's with all other living expenses.

This is how we compare to other European countries for example:

According to international analysts Household Energy Price Index, the UK has the highest residential electricity prices per kilowatt, of 23 countries in Europe and is the fourth highest for gas.
It states there has been an electricity price rise in most countries but at vastly varying levels.
It ranges from 2% in Romania, 3% in Finland and 5% in Portugal to 54% in Austria. The UK was listed as 21%.

uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/energy-price-rises-compare-around-040000271.html

The UK also charges more per litre of petrol than 19 other European countries.

They manage it but we can't?

We're going to participate in dontpayuk 🙌🏾

If my choice is destitution or chaos please believe my survival instinct that has been honed over millions of years of evolution will always pick the latter 😁

You are being totally ridiculous
and likely you get sacked if found out
so good luck with that

This suggestion is so entitled too. It clearly comes from a place of (1) having a job that is expendable (or at least having a well earning DH to pay the mortgage if things don't work out), (2) having a job where this type of attitude is possible in the first place and (3) not really caring about the impact on attitudes to mothers in the workplace.

Have you approached your employers about a pay rise? I'd have thought that would be your first port of call. Don't ask, don't get...

Obviously child care is expensive, but is there no other ways you can cut back.
Surely you don't need to be using 800 worth of energy every month, there must be considerable savings to be made there? What about other aspects of your live, most people will be able to cut considerable amounts, even if they don't want want to do it.

Sounds to me like you have just over extended yourselves and have budgeted under the assumption things economically will carry on as normal. Sadly they've gone rather wrong haven't they!

As others have said, you do run the risk of the company becoming very unhappy about the arrangement and should you eventually lose your job the child care costs will be the least of your concerns.

As it is at the moment, you need to cut back on every thing you can without putting your job security on the line.

We're going to participate in dontpayuk 🙌🏾

So you are switching your direct debit to a more costly pay as you go option? Radical. Stick to the man. That'll teach them.

@Icanstillrecallourlastsummer

Number 2 being quite an important point. She quite clearly does know she can take the piss out of this particular employer she has. I hope she reports back in a few months 😂.

I wish I could "like" your message 10000x times over

This is my frustration, everyone complains but they continue to open their wallets and bend over

If Priti Patel wants to ban "noisy" protests then she can rest assured that some of us know how to get creative 😉

you sound very naive or dim. Or just goady.

Goady nonsense.

You think your employer will pay you for looking after your own children on the clock?

Why do you think that your employer won’t just sack you, @Essenceandvibes? Why do you think this will motivate them to lobby the government?

Your ire is directed at the wrong people.

It's not your employer's fault.

I know someone who does this. She claims her employer is ok with it. The baby was out in a play pen and left unsupervised. Don't know what she dies now he can escape from the play pen.

I'd offer to hold the baby for her if I had the time and mine was napping actually 🤷🏽‍♀️

*Thread after thread of people scared about rising costs but no one does anything.

When anyone makes a suggestion for revolution it's always 'well we just can't'.

That's why they get away with it.*

Exactly this. They get away with it because everyone is so passive. How many times are people going to complain but just not do anything? It doesn’t make sense

Because we're in the middle of a baby shortage to the point where they're considering taxing childless people

Parents have never had more political leverage than right now

Also, all of these ‘your employers won’t pay you to look after your child on the clock’ comments. Do you know how many people do this in real life and there’s no issues with their work?

My friend is a housing officer, works full time and has her nearly 2 year old son with her at home. My sister is a social worker and works from home with her two kids often there. People also love to say, ‘oh that’s not allowed check your contract.’ I’ve never seen anything like that mentioned in any contract I’ve ever had, even the ones that were solely WFH roles.

OP just do what you’ve said. WFH may be difficult but you’ll soon find the balance

If you want to protest about the price of energy go organise that. But breaking the terms of your employment contract to somehow make this your employers problem is a dumb strategy.

If you work for the NHS or do another service job I'm aware this obviously can't apply to you....however I think you should all be out there striking for at least a 20% pay rise personally 🤷🏽‍♀️

OP just homeschool your 10 year old while your at it.
No more fines for holidays, no more pta events, no more book day or Pudsey day.
You’re quids in and the 10 year old can mind the baby.
Win, win!
😉

I don’t know what a ‘baby shortage’ is but just wanted to wish you all the best. It’s not going to be easy to pull it off. Good luck.