WFH with children

[Annie232]

On many threads I hear women pop up and mention how they WFH x number of days and so don't need childcare on x number of days. Incidentally, within my NCT group on discussions on return to work a few of the women have said similar and that they plan to WFH 1/2 days a week and therefore save on childcare. Is this a thing now?

I haven’t worked in a job where my time was so closely managed since I was a teenager: must be so demeaning as an adult being told you need to do this by x date.

There is a HUGE difference between being having your time managed closely and only working 2 hours a day on a full time contract.

different workplaces and different jobs have different set ups.

Surely you accept it is unusual to hire someone on a full time contract and for that person to work 2 hours a day. If you were a manager would you not think something was amiss, either with the employee or with the contract?

Or their sanity

Similar for me in another working world pre. Covid.

one parent had 2 kids and was lying about having a childminder as she was a single parent with no parents etc nearby to help out. This did impact on her working life as she started to make very silly, small mistakes which impacted her role. She was lucky she was in a government legal role where people are more understanding but other colleagues got fed up of covering for her as she was distracted.

So would you agree that by not working your contracted hours you’re in breach of contract?

I don’t know what you mean by you can start another task once you’ve finished your first because of ‘dependencies outside of my control.’ Sounds like corporate bollocks to me but if you don’t have enough work to do you need to raise it with your line manager.

It’s not that I ‘don’t understand different working practices’ it’s that I think you’re a massive Piss taker. And that your boss probably has no idea you barely work (and therefore is a shit manager).

Soni take it your manager has never said it’s fine just to work 2 hours a day if you want?

must be so demeaning as an adult being told you need to do this by x date.

Yes there are journalists, doctors, nurses, social workers, solicitors and judges up and down the country right now just feeling so demented that they have to meet deadlines 🤣

What a miserable life for a baby. They should be having fun with friends / toys / at playgroups s going for walks etc

Not stuck in doors on their own whilst you stare at a laptop all day.

We have a really good employer and DS!

We have not yet paid for any childcare and both WFH full time (DS is 3).

As he has got towards 3 1/2 it's become a bit more difficult so we are putting him in preschool for a couple of days a week from January.

It's possible to do but we don't have to do meetings or any calls so maybe that's why it's easier

But it’s not great for your employer when you’re taking the piss the way you are.

Youre really telling me that given the option they rather pay you for 27 hours you’re not working rather than have you working in that time?

Well her manager obviously isn’t keeping a close enough eye on her as they should be then!

In my large global organisation, if this was noted (and it would be!) they’d be disciplined pretty sharpish and rightly so!

it’s a few bad apples who take the piss out of WFH structures that mean a few companies will review this perk for people who don’t abuse it!

@samstownsunset absolutely! I think the posters arguing against are jealous that their scenarios mean it's not possible. And they can't save money on childcare.
It's interesting how every summer (towards September school start dates etc) there are similar threads asking how the OP can work from home due to cost of childcare. Much depends on how much is expected of you from your boss and whether you're expected to keep jiggling a mouse as "proof" of activity etc.
Much of WFH seems to involve "team meetings" where people say nothing much to move things forward albeit the odd "Roger that. I'll email that over ASAP" and other such pointless nonsense.
Bosses are wising up and cracking down now so everyone will be back in the real world soon. Think of the electricity/gas you'll save from being in a lovely warm office.

But it is the same, when you get to a certain level it’s really not uncommon to set your own deliverables, targets, goals and schedule.

I am a manager, and no I don’t think something is amiss, a fair few under me do the same with their kids (and did so before I got this role). Others don’t as their roles can’t be done in short bursts and they have more external meetings. My own line manager took 4 weeks off (not as holiday just in general) as his kids had extended their visit to him and his wife and he wanted to spend more time with them, he was available for an hour a day for urgent calls and that was it.

It’s not unusual or uncommon, I’d actually struggle to think of one company in our peer set that also doesn’t operate similarly. One of my recent new starters came from Coke and they had a very similar set up in her team (she doesn’t have kids yet but others would WFH with their kids and manage the workload around a small but highly productive set of hours)

Nope I can just about do it with a 9 year old but even then meetings get interrupted by telling him to turn the volume down or go raid the fridge. Our employer knows about it as it's usually days I've agreed to swap an off day to be in a meeting, if it's roted day you wouldn't get away with it.

But you do the work and make up time don’t you?

the perks for me for WFH is if i’m having a lazy day I can get up at work time, have breakfast and check emails at the same time - so working too. I can then grab a shower and get dressed in say 10 minutes which would cover a tea/toilet break etc. or I make up time before or after work.

my commute time is approx 1 hour so WFH definitely allows me to save on that hour which is wasted time to me.

But it is the same, when you get to a certain level it’s really not uncommon to set your own deliverables, targets, goals and schedule

I agree and had been at that certain level for a long time until I went SE. Never once did I think though that meant I could set my own hours outside of my contracted hours and work as and when I pleased, for a fraction of the time I was contracted for. Who told you otherwise??

It is working out great for them

They took over a year to fill my role, in which time they lost tens of millions in terms of net revenue.

They want someone who understands how rondo the job and do it well, they don’t care how I do it, how much I work, as long as my goals are achieved - which they are. I’m regularly awarded performance bonuses - so clearly it is working out for them.

And sure they’d love to pay me less, any employer would, but they wouldn’t as I’d leave and they’d be stuck losing money again.

I hope these people that are flexible and work later to make up are not delaying colleagues because they haven’t replied or been in a call. I also hope they don’t expect others to dial into calls after core office hours because that’s the only time they are free. Fine if you are flexible and work totally on your own but if you do have dependencies on others or them with you then there is definitely an impact

Hope is a wonderful thing, but realistically it happens and that's when you get "My child comes first" annd variations on "We need the next generation - they'll be paying your penssion"

Both of which are natural and right, but if a point comes where commitments and the job don't match it's perhaps best to look for something else

We operate a very successful hybrid working policy at my work place but it's built on trust. Everyone knows childcare should still be used in your working hours so for me I still use nursery, but they are flexible elsewhere like doing the school run, exceptions for sick children etc.

There is absolutely no way I could do my job with a three year old in the house on a normal, regular basis. The stress of it would be something else!

They are paying me so I don't think this is massively unreasonable!

So a manger took 4 weeks off but didn’t use annual leave and the company are ok with that??

It seems your workplace only attract piss takers.

I seriously struggle to see a company that could make money like this. I’ve worked in the LA and civil service and have seen that level of piss taking though.

One of my recent new starters came from Coke and they had a very similar set up in her team (she doesn’t have kids yet but others would WFH with their kids and manage the workload around a small but highly productive set of hours)

So at Coke they work the hours they’re contracted to? That’s not the same as what you’re doing

Not miserable at all. Typical day looks like this

8am - breakfast (DH logs on at 7 and I log on at 8:30)
9:30am - DS does craft activity
10/10:15am - DS has snack and TV time
11am - tends to play with his toys/lego/read books
12:15 ish - we stagger our lunch breaks so I do DS lunch then he is taken and the dog for an hours walk or to the library etc in that hour.
1:30/whatever time we get back - DS can pick an activity from his box (bakerrosss stuff, little pound shop toys etc) which keeps him occupied for about an hour to be honest
2:30 - Naps for 45mins to 2 hours
When he wakes up - DH has finished so either goes out to shops/park/whatever evening activities

We have the sort of job where colleagues don't collaborate or need to work together so no waiting on other people. We also exclusively use emails to communicate with any customers etc so can be much much more flexible.

You’re in an extremely unique niche role. Yet, you struggle to understand even seniors and managers have deadlines and get “told” what to do. Not all jobs are the same!

just out of interest, how many hours do you work? Are you logging back on when your son is in bed? I did this during covid and it nearly broke me but my work situation was different to yours.

It is working out great for them

Someone stealing from is working out well for them?

They took over a year to fill my role, in which time they lost tens of millions in terms of net revenue.

then they’re a shit business.

You personally generate tens of millions of £ by working 10 hours a week?

They want someone who understands how rondo the job and do it well, they don’t care how I do it, how much I work, as long as my goals are achieved - which they are. I’m regularly awarded performance bonuses - so clearly it is working out for them.

So they HAVE told you “You can work as little as you want despite being contracted to full time hours”?

Also, all companies want and expect this someone to know how to do the job. That doesn’t mean the employer can breach their contract literally every day.

And sure they’d love to pay me less, any employer would, but they wouldn’t as I’d leave and they’d be stuck losing money again.

They should pay you less if you’re only doing 2 hours a day.

I do find it incredibly hard to believe that there is an organisation out there who so desperately needs, to the point they lose 8 figures sums one specific person who is such a genius that they allow them to work 10 hours a week and pay them for 37. Usually those losses come as a result of much, much more than just not being able to fill a job role.

So all you need to make this work is a DH to be available whenever you actually need to work, therefore not really looking after your child while working, or work such a little amount of time that you aren’t actually working while looking after your child either.

considering he is SVP for an entire business unit yes no one cared or came down on him for it.

The company is making record profits (especially during COVID too) shareholders are happy, management are happy - what’s not to like.

Maybe broaden your outlook and stop viewing the world through a very small lens

I'm self-employed and wfh with my DD from 2 days before I went into labour until she was school age. Took 3 weeks off after the birth and had to go straight back to the computer.

It's very doable - in fact very easy when they are babies because they sleep so much. Toddlers much harder - I baby proofed the room I worked in and created a 'safe zone around my desk with baby gates so that she could see me while she was playing and I could easily interact with her.

But it's exhausting - you have to be able to stop and start constantly - and find ways to be ready to work like a crazy person as soon as they nap. Catch up on things as soon as DH gets home etc.

If you have to be on Zoom or a phone call at specific times then it's probably not going to work because you will get background noise or even a crying baby just when you don't need it.