Asking employer to cover childcare costs

[Totupthenumberspls]

I’ve been asked to go on a business trip for a week, is it unreasonable to ask the company to pay the incremental childcare costs?

No. The company should pay for all travel and accomodations. Not childcare though.

Yes. Unless your expenses policy clearly says that they would cover costs of childcare for being away from home.

What's in your contract? Is travel mentioned?
I've travelled lots of times and would never have considered asking for childcare costs.

Are business trips part of your role? My contract refers to, from time to time, having to travel to fulfil my role, if that is the case for your role I don't think you can expect your company to pay childcare costs

What does your contract say?

But I don’t need to be there….why should I pay an additional ~£300 in childcare

Seriously? It was your choice to have children, honestly it's attitudes like yours that ruin it for every other woman

If this is the case, I'd mention the expenses to HR/manager and ask about claiming them back. If you really don't need to be there, I'm sure they'll change their mind.

My contract is very blaze….unlimited hours, travel as required, location as deemed necessary…….however I work from the office 9-5 and have done for the past 8 years

It really depends. Is travel part of the role?

If it’s not and this is a one off and there’s only you that can do it. They may well do. But there could also be tax implications. Not saying there definitely is but there could be. They can’t just bung an extra £200 in your wage with no reasoning. For audit purposes.

if it is part of role I can’t imagine they would. They pay a wage based on the expectations. You were aware of the job and the terms, outside expenses would be yours.

At my employer if someone said they couldn’t travel due to increased childcare costs and wanted those costs paid, we would send someone else. Not a chance we would set a precedent of paying for increased childcare costs.

I think it is fine to discuss it with them. I used to be able to claim directly related childcare costs if I had to travel when my children were young.

Childcare costs in the usual run of business are your responsibility but additional costs as a result of travel or hours outside of the norm should be discussed.

I always saw it as an equality issue. Not supporting childcare costs in these circumstances is likely to put women off such travel more than men.

Then tell them you won’t go without childcare costs and they probably won’t send you.

or tell them you don’t want to go and you don’t need to and can’t afford to.

I travel for work and it wouldn't occur to me to ask for this and I'd be surprised at any company agreeing to it. It's my responsibility to make arrangements for home to run smoothly whilst I'm away, not theirs.

Tell them this and they can send someone else.

@Wadermellone thanks for your considered reply. Generally I’m not expected to travel, but my contract covers all eventualities.
id be happy if they sent someone else, but they won’t. I just don’t see why I should have to take on hundreds in extra child care to provide informal training within the company

@Deliaskis I’m very flexible with my hours normally and childcare is never an issue. However I do feel it’s unfair on my partner and I to have to stump up costs for a 10 day trip to Africa to help him manage

If your contract states that you may have to travel then you must have expected it to kick in at some point though? Sounds like you've been lucky until now. It's worth an ask but I've never seen it approved before and I'm in HR.

I can see where they are coming from.

This is the sort of thing that can put employers off wanting to take on women with children.

A man wouldn't be asking for childcare costs to be paid.

@letstrythatagain fair enough. I guess pre child it was never an issue and I wasn’t fussed. Now it impacts me and my partner. I suppose I thought If there was a precedence that I don’t travel in my role it seems a bit unreasonable to enforce it based on a generic contract

Are they in daycare now at all? Who would you be paying for the week?

@nohopehere i work in probably one of the most male dominated fields possible. Believe me when I say I stand up for women and equality. Men wouldn’t ask because their wives would be expected to cover ….

@Josette77 theyre at daycare, it’s the incremental for wraparound care that I would like my employer to cover

Looking at it from a career perspective - would going enhance your opportunities? Give you wider scope/understanding. Would it be a great experience? Does going benefit you in any way?

I've travelled a lot for work - your contract sounds like it's written so they can ask you to travel from time to time.

Your attitude towards the trip seems quite negative - I would be pretty happy about going to Africa for ten days.

On one hand I think, you could ask, wouldn't it be nice to get additional childcare expenses paid for and set the bar to make it easier and more accessible to working mums.

But then I also think, CF, it's your job, crack on with it like the rest of us. Why can't your husband manage for ten days.

Pretty happy to go to Africa lol she might be going to Khartoum for all we know!

My employer before last would have covered the extra childcare so always worth asking.