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?

Our organisation would allow expenses for childcare if you were being asked to come in on a contracted non working day and had to pay childcare as a result. But not so much for something like this.

However if you didn't come due to the extra costs we would be understanding. It wouldn't be held against you but we would send someone else

YABU employers don’t cover childcare costs, that’s up to you to sort out

@NCgoingdry no it won’t affect my career, I appreciate it’s always positive to meet and interact with the teams elsewhere but fundamentally it won’t benefit me.
honestly I’m not negative about the trip at all, I can crack on, my husband can manage. My issue is why should I be out of pocket by hundreds of pounds when providing my employer a service I would think outwidth of my day to day duties

This cost wouldn't be a part of your wages, it would be an expense being claimed back in the same way you claim for a hotel, it's not part of your salary 🤷‍♀️ so no tax implications. If you're incurring extra costs by being asked to travel you should be able to claim them back in the same way you claim the extra travel costs.

@youveturnedupwelldone haha! Exactly….it’s no safari in Botswana

And there's your answer
Please don't make it harder than it already is for women to work and have children.

Childcare is your responsibility. If it wasn't listed in your contract that travel was potentially part of the role and this was extra, then I think you could ask. If you don't have to do it and don't want to pay, say no.

@Totupthenumberspls Then the answer is obvious? Don't go? No one is hauling you onto the plane.

Sorry Employer - unless you're going to cover the additional £300 expenses I'll occur in wraparound childcare, I'm not going.

Ah. So like my younger colleagues it didn't interest you until you had children?

Harsh of me possibly. But anyway. No. You can ask them to pay your childcare. But they'll probably laugh.

I don't think my company would pay, but it would be fine to say no on the basis of childcare.
I would leave the kids with OH, if he was also away I just wouldn't go.
A colleague who is single parent relies on her parents

@BlindurErBóklausMaður how am I making it harder?

@NCgoingdry that’s my plan

Botswana is definitely somewhere you can go on Safari…

Just to be clear, are you asking about childcare that you need because you’ll be working days you don’t normally work? Or childcare because your DH can’t manage without you?

@Brefugee well yes obviously, why would childcare costs interest me before children

I’d sense saying no or asking for childcare payments may be somewhat career limiting…

@Spangler son is in nursery full time, im asking for the incremental cover as I won’t be able to do drop off and pick up

@Danfromdownunder thats ok as my career is already limited!

I'd ask, some companies will and work with childcare providers to provide staff with free emergency childcare through a company called My Family Care. Or ask if you use your regular child care provider if they will reimburse? Don't ask, don't get

Says who? Seems like your employer thinks you need to be!!

just pay for the childcare and do your job!

Men wouldn’t ask because their wives would be expected to cover ….

I travel regularly, I've never asked for childcare costs as I expect my husband to cover........

Ways we have covered travel in the past:
DH has requested late starts to accomadate nursery hours
DH has taken annual leave
My Mum has traveled up for a couple of nights
DHs parents have visited for a week

Requesting childcare as an expense wouldn't have gone down well. Ocasional travel was in my contract, and so I was deemed to be paid enough. Note "deemed" isn't necessarily the reality!

Then your husband needs to make arrangements to be available for drop offs and pick ups 🤷🏼‍♀️

Same. And once when I spent a week on a different continent my mum flew over for a week to help him (we live in a different country to our families)

Whilst I understand your question/ position, in reality most people see it as their own responsibility to make it work without expecting anything from their employer. Couples juggle things around. Can your DH not rearrange some of the days at least with his work and you cover the rest if money is an issue for you?

Why should it fall to your employer before the DCs own parents? I'm not being unsympathetic as I do understand what you are saying but my employer wouldn't be my immediate go to solution.

I’m amazed at the negative response on here! Any other expense would be covered, but I guess I’m being unreasonable