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?

@CherylCrows “actual work is usually done within 2-3 hours a day” wow, why are companies paying full time salaries for 2-3 hours per day workload?! 🤯

It depends on the type of job you have. We had to have both DC at home throughout covid when childcare was shut, and we were both working 60-70 hours a week.
If you have a very flexible job 40 hour a week job without specific set hours, I think it would be quite easy to manage just getting a couple of hours work done during one day of the week (during nap time), then catching up by working that evening and a few hours at the weekend.

I'd go as far as to say it's impossible. You cannot maintain the same focus WFH with children at home as you would do going into the office.

Why are so many people working from home still? Has this just become the norm now even when it doesn’t need to be.

It will depend on the job, your lifestyle and the ages and temperaments of the children.

Many posters are saying it’s impossible, but I did it for ten years, around babies, toddlers, children and through pregnancies. I did it because I had to, I was forced into it within weeks of having my first baby and I just carried on doing it. I didn’t know any other way to work.

Eventually the DC were all in school, but I still work with them at home through all school holidays, sickness, etc.

Its possible if you have the correct type of role, and also if you have no other choice, as I didn’t.

But it is possible because I’ve done it.

Because it’s either that or have no one in role

Or do you not quite get the concept of them struggling to find someone, and therefore the person they do find is valued (in terms of remuneration and terms)

I WFH 3 days a week in the office 2 and the kids are in in the morning and come home around half 3ish. They are 8 and 10.

Work also doesn't expect you to come in the office over half term if you have kids at home. I suppose it depends on the ages of the kids. Under 6ish I would say it is impossible

Totally agree, it's OK with a child 6 or 7 who can entertain themselves, plus but not much before that.

Once those babies are mobile they are a different ball game. Into everything and need as more watching than a newborn.

Many organisations now offer hybrid office/wfh. It’s for a better work-life balance so people aren’t losing hours of their day commuting and can do things like put the wash on in their lunch hour etc. Employees want it and employers have responded.

However it should not be used in place of child care- if you’re working, you’re working, whatever the location.

I've always WFH at least two days a week.
It works well in some roles and for some people.

You really don't need to be belittling. My own work I am paid for the task not the hours often. I get it. But I wouldn't say I'm doing a day of work if I have done a couple of hours, to be honest, because I haven't. I think perhaps that is where you've confused others - especially when this thread is about people managing kids alongside wfh and most people would actually be expected to do the hours they're contracted to do as an employee because a business wants to get the most it can from you. You work efficiently, they get more bang for their buck. People can understand the concept of work expecting task completion rather than set hours and still disagree that it's not exactly a full day's work if you do it super quickly :)

FWIW I actually think pay for completion of tasks rather than hours worked is best and most productive because many employees will just coast if employers are too rigid. Most people's jobs could probably be condensed into shorter bursts and alot of time wasted.

I work from home and have on occasion looked after my grandchildren (6 & 7) for less than an hour or so, and I can't see how it coukd work. I couldn't give full attention to either the children or my job.

I know several parents lucky enough to do this.
One earns six figures working from home. Has a school aged kid.
The other works from home every Friday, also 2 school age kids. Must help so much when it comes to childcare, very lucky.

But 6&7 yo don't need your full attention surely?

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.

You can still have deadlines and not be closely managed.

I have a report that needs to be done and submitted by Tuesday next week. It's not demeaning to be given this deadline. It's how different groups of people work together.

Lots of my deadlines are linked to projects which attract funding. Again, it's not demeaning to have meet these deadlines

I'm trusted to meet my deadlines and I'm not micro managed in the slightest.

School age is very different to baby/toddler. They’re not there most of the working day in term time and can amuse themselves/be placated by a couple of hours of tv after school.

Exactly this. I get the way of working where it depends on completion of tasks not hours. It was the way the working time was described.

Week does your work permit wfh and do you feel you can adequately do both jobs simultaneously?

@CherylCrows so you're part time not paid twice as much as the expected salary effectively

Do not attempt this, it’s shit for your child and shit for you. They will soon come unstuck unless they have really, really easy jobs.

Was totally impossible for me in lockdown with a 2 year old. I had a lot of work to do, plus calls and meetings, and he also needed constant attention. I had to start work when he went to sleep and work into the night.

I definitely wouldn't make that your plan unless you're maybe working a couple hours without strict deadlines. What if nurseries are all full when it doesn't work out?

I think you've done an amazing job of marketing yourself, that's for sure.
You must, however, realise that most companies do not pay someone for a full time job whilst being quite happy that the only work 2 hours a day.

I do totally accept that a lot of managers are so clueless about their employee's actual job that when their employee presents 2 hours work after a day, they are simply pleased that something has been done and don't question how long it took and whether the employee could have produced more.

I work with an awful lot of people who do similarly. Unless there really isn't a single other piece of work you could do (or proactively suggest) I think it's pretty unprofessional.

You’re not listening OP

It's hellish, stressful and not good for anyone

I did it in lockdown and it nearly killed me. Now odd days in the holidays and I remember why holiday clubs are a good idea.

A colleague always has child at home. She's 6 and it's a nightmare as she has some issues which make childcare difficult. I sympathise but it's not really fair on anyone.