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 it’s really not, for all the reasons I gave previously.

Dogs aren’t children.

it may come as a shock to hear this, but dogs can be left home alone. Many dogs are alone for several hours a day. It’s not even against the law.

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

Please remember this guys!

*When at home dealing with the poor excuse of a partner you have - You dont need to be a doormat.

*When at work dealing with above & beyond requests - You don't need to be a doormat.

**Delete as applicable

Anyway, glad you got an acceptable solution OP.

Work pay for my additional childcare costs when I have to travel overseas. If they didn't I wouldn't be able to go.

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.

Well done, OP. I don't think you were being unreasonable at all to ask under all the circumstances. Ignore those who think you were.

If she's taken a job in the understanding that it has no travel involved though its unreasonable of them to now include it. If my job asked me to travel for a week I'd be totally screwed I don't have the excess money I'd need to cover the childcare as my husband works 12 hour shifts with an hour travel either way and there's no other family available to cover. I took the job with the understanding that I could still care for my kids and it paid enough to male it worth doing.

You have a partner who can manage surely?
(spoken as a single parent).

I know they aren't children, as I said, I have both so strangely I can tell the difference.

But pre child, I wouldn't have gone somewhere knowing it meant my dog was going to be left home alone for 12 hours a day, for 10 days. Because its cruel. So I'd have sorted cover for her. And that would have cost me. And if I couldn't afford it, I wouldn't have gone away.

Exactly the same thing I'd have to do for my daughter now if I was going to be away. Cover for the time I'd normally be with her.

Are you having a laugh???

That's great they agreed. Well done!

❤️

It may not be possible for her husband to cover though. My husband leaves for work at 6am and doesn't get home till 8pm. If I had to work away for any reason he wouldn't be able to do pick up and drop off. Maybe for an odd day here or there we could manage the loss in wages it would result in for him to go in so late and leave so early but for 10 days like they're asking this lady to do we'd be down a serious amount of money and they'd probably just hire someone else rather than put up with his reduced hours.

Why are you like this, genuinely? Insulting & deliberately obtuse?

By your own account, you didn't get what you wanted by acting in an entitled way.

You told us - you had a discussion, they agreed an additional payment.

Which was suggested to you as a helpful approach from page 1.

If you had gone in saying some of the shit you posted here, not a chance you'd have got this additional payment 😂

Do you feel better for making snide comments & ignoring others' points?

I’m not sure you can tell the difference, as you’ve used it as a comparison.

There are laws covering working parents.

The law doesn’t cater to working dog owners. Why should it?

Well maybe it's because I am not in London... because I have never, ever heard of anyone having their childcare paid for in any circumstances. What about kennels for the cat?

Men generally wouldn’t be asking for childcare to be covered in this scenario.

But why is that? Isn’t this actually where the problem lies. They should be asking for it to be covered in these kind of scenarios.

The issue is that women have facilitated them to not ask. They have brine the ‘cost’ of this - often financially too, in terms of perhaos not working, or having to take a particular type of job, or to take annual leave or whatever.

Workplaces should expect that when people have to travel outside standard work hours and over extended periods, additional payments will/might be needed to cover costs incurred. They could be a range of types. The staff member should not be out of pocket due to work asking them to attend something away that extends several days and which isn’t usual for their job.

Men typically and traditionally didn’t ask because they had a wife at home who didn’t work and who picked up the slack. Times have changed and workplaces are slowly catching up - flexible working, payments as OP received - all reflect the world as it is and businesses have to operate (and pay) within that world where many people of a certain age have kids, and both parents work and there isn’t a free solution to the costs incurred by a sudden request to go away for 10 days.

What’s disappointing is when women choose to be the ones to suggest a request is unreasonable or wouldn’t want to consider it if asked as a manager.

I may have read it wrong and I can't remember the posters name. Someone on this tread (1 or 2) said they were reimbursed for concert tickets. Their friend was reimbursed a trip abroad.

All I have said is that this type of request is not unusual for an employer to meet. We have to ask for these things not just assume they will not be granted as its a big thing to ask of your employer. It really isn't.

From what I have gathered from this thread today is that - a lot of women are not aware of common work practices which will differ across sectors but not by much. Nor employment law even though we spend so much of our time there.

Please get educated on these things women, as we need to support each other better in the workplace. And this mainly concerns in work benefits from our employer not the government but our employer. Make them pay for your time, all of it. You are there because you have value so there is no need to be grateful for little crumbs.

There is more to be had above your salary/hourly wage

Let's hope I manage not to put my collie in the cot tonight and send the baby in the garden for a wee 🙄.

They are both responsibilities. That people choose to have. They both require care. They're both living creatures depending on you. The law can say what it likes. It's still neglectful and cruel to leave a dog shut in a house for 12 hours alone.

At no point did I suggest I would need to claim expenses to pay for my dogs care. But if I couldn't afford to ensure she wasn't neglected, I wouldn't go away. In the same way that if I couldn't afford to pay for care my child needed I wouldn't go away.

Someone on this tread (1 or 2) said they were reimbursed for concert tickets.

I'm pretty sure they said they would expect to be, if the tickets were non-refundable, not that they actually were.

Please get educated on these things women, as we need to support each other better in the workplace
That's kind of patronising.

😂😂😂 Love it.

Good for you OP some of these comments are nuts!!

All I have said is that this type of request is not unusual for an employer to meet. We have to ask for these things not just assume they will not be granted as its a big thing to ask of your employer. It really isn't.

I did ask if my employer would cover pet-sitting fees and one of my colleagues asked if they’d cover hiring of carers for their elderly mum. Both refused. Same employer will cover childcare costs, no questions asked.

Some women are plenty clued up but their employers are an ass (to them, anyway, not to working parents).

@DancesWithBadgers

What do you 'love'?

OP acted in accordance with advice on the thread and her employer provided a better per diem rate.

She didn't use any sense of 'entitlement' as she's now claiming, she didn't demand payment for childcare costs as she's not stupid & knows that would end up in getting nothing.

I work in the civil service and have had childcare costs approved on expenses several times when i have been needed on my NWD. Definitely worth asking if it's above and beyond your contracted hours.