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?

They won't. If she refuses to do her job (and she says travel is part of her job and written into her contract) then, long-term, they'll just find a way get to get rid of her.

I don’t know why you’re getting such a hard time. I have a section in my work expenses policy linked to paying additional childcare in circumstances where the employer is asking you to do something out of the norm and out of hours. It wouldn’t be for something standard but it might be something you could explore legitimately given the fact they want you to travel to Africa for 10 days which is going to be unusual if you’ve been working 9-5 for 8 years.

No they won't.

I have working from other locations in my contract, doesn't mean I'm willing to go to Africa.

I and others on this thread have seen this in action. We have worked at companies who will reimburse for this type of expense as well as other expenses incurred while working outside of your usual working hours.

Some posters have told of experiences of being reimbursed for concert tickets, pet sitters etc.

I've never known any company to pay towards any kind of childcare costs. We choose to have them, and pay for any necessary care.

I don't think it's at all unreasonable to say no you can't go due to childcare constraints though.

I used to do a lot of sport so negotiated with companies around my training and even sometimes competitions.

In one company I worked for lots of people negotiated things like extra holiday and different working patterns before they signed the contract. One guy didn't and he got lots of crap for the one day a week during term time he had to leave at a particular time to look after his kids so his wife could do a course.

I now negotiate start and end times to do with schooling and childcare.

You don't know that.

If there are redundancies in the future, OP may well find that her employer is more willing to keep someone who doesn't refuse to do parts of their advertised role. Equally, if there are promotion opportunities, they're more likely go to the person who isn't refusing to do parts of their job.

@Totupthenumberspls I have no idea why you are getting so much stick here.

My company doesn't pay travel expenses and asked me to travel to London for the day. It would have been a 16 hour day for absolutely zero extra pay. I told them to jog on and dialled into the meeting (which turns out to be absolutely pointless) from my desk.

Regardless of what it says in your contract you don't need to be a doormat.

My company used to pay a £25 a day daily allowance for being away from home overnight.

When they stopped paying that from that point I refused to travel.

I wouldn't phrase this as paying for childcare but a daily travel allowance which would get you more traction.

I'm assuming OP doesn't have such a provision, or she wouldn't be asking here.

That's excellent that you do.

In most organisations, there is not explicit reimbursement for childcare expenses, regardless of how incurred. In some organisations there may be a way to negotiate a reimbursement package that will indirectly alleviate the additional cost of childcare.

A rational, mature conversation would find this out - unlike OP's foot-stamping, 'why should I?' approach.

Expecting people to put up and shut up is how we've got where we are with women having to give up careers to cover childcare because it's not worth them working.

Yeah.... god forbid dad steps up and covers while mum is away with the work....

"as many hours as the company reasonably requires" is enforceable

So this morning I stormed into my managers office with my head of entitlement held high and demanded my employer paid my childcare, my manager fired me on the spot and shouted get out my office you stupid woman.

No, in reality the company have agreed to pay me an additional day rate for my time on the trip which is above necessary to offset any additional childcare.

Some posters have told of experiences of being reimbursed for concert tickets, pet sitters etc.

Now, I haven't read every single reply here but I have read a great majority (I'm a bit invested!) and I'm pretty sure no-one has said that - they have said OP's request is comparable to such a request or that they assume this would be possible.

For me it was because if I was asked to work my non working day for business needs I got a lieu day to take rather than extra pay. I could only take that a day kids were in nursery and couldn’t not pay for their regular days so it was going to be an extra cost. In general though many people work only 3/4 days as the 4th/5th costs more in childcare than their net pay so even if they were being paid to go in they’d end up worse off overall

@Brainstorm23 It is due to how the OP wrote her opening and subsequent posts. It took another poster to say why she got childcare reimbursed for travelling for the OP to mention her partner's working hours.

Also if your employer are refusing to pay your travel expenses have you checked they aren't in financial trouble.

I think one of the issues here is that many don’t. How many posts do we read on here about men who think that childcare has nothing to do with them? The OP hasn’t said as much about her partner so she may be ina. Different place, but so many men wouldn’t accept 10 days of childcare. And how many times have we read that their bloody mother in laws back them up?! I’m not saying that’s the case here at all, I’m just saying as a general point that this isn’t uncommon.

Hahaha.

1. I'm pleased for you OP, genuinely.
2. That's EXACTLY what you were advised to do, early on in the thread, and you wouldn't engage with - have a reasonable conversation about what mitigation they can offer against your costs.

And guess what? As suggested, increasing your per diem is giving you this option.

I assume you didn't conduct the conversation by saying, 'you need to pay for my childcare as why should I bother to travel for your benefit otherwise'. I would be fairly sure you outlined the issue, and asked if there was anything that could be done to address it.

Exactly what you were advised some 600 posts ago!

My DP has been reimbursed for childcare expenses from his work. They needed him in on one of his scheduled days off but it was in the week rather than the weekend.

Imagine that....

They agreed to pay you some overtime to compensate for the trip away, rather than childcare costs.

Exactly like so many poster had suggested!!

My DP has been reimbursed for childcare expenses from his work. They needed him in on one of his scheduled days off but it was in the week rather than the weekend.

So he worked a day he wasn't contractually supposed to work? Well then yes, it makes sense he might receive compensation as it's outside his contract.

This is great! Well done for having such a conversation and it’s positive that this has been the outcome.

They agreed to pay you some overtime to compensate for the trip away, rather than childcare costs.

Exactly like so many poster had suggested!!

I know!!

I think OP just wanted to do a bit of pot-stirring and get us riled up (yup, I'm guilty as charged!)

My point @TylaTiga was that it's those attitudes we should be challenging, not putting the blame on employers expecting women to travel as being the barrier for women returning to work!

But @Brefugee it would be a terrible recruitment tool if they offered this on a case by case basis. Either it happens or it doesn't, and no employer is going to blanket pay for childcare when their employees travel.

What do the naysayers think now, well done OP.