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?

Where's the discrimination? They're treating you exactly the same as they treat the men. If you and your partner have adopted a position where the woman does all the wraparound care then that's your lookout and maybe it's time to balance things up.

Did you really ask that question? Why on earth would they do that?

Is it that he can’t do the drop offs and pick ups?

I don’t see why you should have to be out of pocket, personally, but I think I’m in the minority here!

@lemonsaretheonlyfruit my partner can definitely manage if it comes down to it. My point is I’m being asked do something by my employer, whilst I acknowledge it’s within my contract, it’s also not my daily role

Though if you are doing drop offs and pick ups but working 9-5… how does that work? If it’s pick ups after 5 then surely DH can do it?

Why would they send you abroad if you don't need to be there?

I really can’t see the problem with asking? Yes if you went in all guns blazing and demanded the childcare costs covering I could see how it would be an issue, but surely if you just explained that a 10 day trip is going to require you to book paid for childcare outside of your usual working hours as a direct result so you would like to ask about the possibility of requesting it back as travel expenses, then it would be fine? They obviously might say no but if it’s handled correctly it shouldn’t be an issue overall?

I had mine covered when I worked in the civil service.

Blaze?

I'm not sure why everyone is having such a good at you OP. I think it's a reasonable question. My work (and it's a charity so they are VERY strict with what they pay for) has paid childcare expenses for me when I've had to do training outside of my hours. I submitted receipts, they paid them. Simple. It was sort of "emergency" and outside of my contact though. I have to travel later this month and won't get anything back for childcare for that because it's something specifically mentioned in my contract. Which is fair enough

Why are you telling someone who responded to you query to 'fuck off'
That is a low

I can't believe some of the responses here 😳

I would ask/mention it.

Doing something outwith the norm for you at the request of the employer will incur extra costs at home in order for you to be able to go. The company should be made aware.

It's not a small additional expense, £300 is a lot of money.

It does seem to me that for a short trip your DH could just shoulder some of rhe burden here. Drop off and pick up from nursery isn't that onerous. Of course no idea what his job is.
If your contract states you can be asked to travel and this trip, whilst unusual, is to do tasks within your duties of the role then you can ask but don't be surprised if they say no or ask someone else. Sounds like you don't want to go either anyway

perhaps you have a benefit in your contract you rarely use, healthcare cover for example. Imagine making your first claim in 8 years and the company turning you down because your contract is standard at your level (“generic”) and by not needing it for 8 years you’ve created a precedent that you don’t in fact have healthcare cover. I think you’d be pretty narked and saying it’s a clear term of your contract.

perhaps be grateful that the clear contractual requirement to travel for work doesn’t come up often.

@2Old2Tango not sure I said there is discrimination but if I did that wasn’t my intention. Yeah they are treating me equally, my partner and I also cover childcare equally. Is it so bad to question the idea of inconveniencing my partner and taking a financial hit?

But you don't cover it equally. You do ever single drop off and pick up. That's part of the childcare

That's what she meant, her trip is "no safari in Botswana" ie it isn't as nice as a safari in Botswana.

I don't see why this is such a ridiculous thing for OP to ask. It's an expense. I don't think there's any harm in OP bringing up the additional costs she'll incur as part of it, it sounds like she's perfectly happy if they say she doesn't have to go.
My employer covers 10 days a year of childcare per child for every employee (which can be used on holiday clubs for school age children) which I know is far from the norm, but maybe that skews my view.

Well then of course you're being unreasonable to ask your employer to pay for extra childcare to enable your partner to continue to not worry about pick-ups and drop-offs of his son.

Jeez.

@Totupthenumberspls I haven't read the other responses after the pp said you're ruining it for other women. What a fucking joke. I was in the same position except 3 weeks of training. My employer paid the extra costs of childcare.

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)

I'm currently in Asia for 10 days.
It wouldn't occur to me up ask for help with childcare expenses. I just expect DH to manage in the same way I do when he works away.

Your Dcs father could ask his employer if he can work reduced hours for the time you’re away, after all, they’re his children too.

Botswana is definitely somewhere you can go on safari…

Exactly, that’s why the OP said she’s not going to Botswana on safari, she’s going somewhere else in Africa which is not Botswana.

DH and I both have occasional travel. I expect him to cope, he expects me to cope. Sounds a bit shitty to assume that none of your male colleagues have partners who also work or have jobs/responsibilities and also have to work out how to cope.

Ultimately you can ask, they may say yes they may not. If they say no will you accept that with good grace?

@Totupthenumberspls

You just said it yourself. It's in your contract. You could ask them if they are willing to cover it (or some of it) as a goodwill gesture... but they are not asking you to do anything that isn't in your contract.

It's not only the role of the mother to cover these things. Certainly not these days! Most of the people I work with and my friendship group who have partners see this as something that is sorted out between themselves without bringing their employer into the arrangement - whether that is the parent who stays in the country having a bit more flexibility that week with their work, or the extra childcare costs being covered by the parents. They are your children and your responsibility.

You know your employer and if you think it's likely to be granted with no issue then it's worth asking, however it's not something I have ever heard of before.

I think if you were a single parent then it would be fair enough to ask. But from your replies you seem to have a fully functioning partner so I can’t see why they would pay for any extra childcare. It does sound very annoying that they are sending you on a non essential work trip though but if it’s a one off I guess you just have to grin and bear it 🤷🏻‍♀️