To ask for your help with this, my head is fried trying to work it out!

[logisticallifeproblem]

I have a logistical / childcare issue and I've tried to think of every possibility but I'm struggling now, so wanted to post here for some help in case there's something I haven't thought of!

Partner and I both work. We have 2 yo DC in nursery 3 days and home 2 days a week. We have opposite days off with DC, me Monday and him Wednesday. DC goes to nursery the 3 days we both work.

Partner has to have an operation next Wednesday. His operation date was originally Monday but they've moved it with a week's notice (we have no idea why, he just got a new letter saying it's moved). When it was Monday it wasn't a problem childcare or work wise, as I'd be on my day off with DC, and I could also take DP to hospital for his operation etc. Now it's Wednesday we have a problem, because now we've lost the childcare (ie my partner). I could in theory swap my non working day to Wednesday (work wise this isn't an issue), but the issue then becomes I need to work Monday instead, which I can't because that's the day when I'm the childcare.

I've approached nursery this morning to see if they could take her a as one off next Monday if I were to swap my non working day to Wednesday - they can't. The best they can do is take her Wednesday morning only. I'm not sure how this helps me, as Id still need to work Wednesday afternoon.

I have no annual leave left to take til April. Partner has annual leave left but is not usually allowed to take it at short notice, otherwise the obvious solution would have been he takes Monday as annual leave so I can work, and I take my non working day on Wednesday when he has his operation so I can be the childcare (ie we essentially swap our non working days over).

We have no family support nearby and all the friends we could have asked will also be at work next week.

We could request with the hospital that his surgery be postponed to a Monday or even just to any day in April when I get my new annual leave entitlement, but postponing it further isn't really a great idea from a health point of view for him, as he's been quite unwell over the past year and has already been waiting for this operation for 9 months.

Is there anything i haven't considered here, because my head is a bit battered now. 😕

Unpaid for you. You wouldn't be entitled to parental leave in most places as that is legally for emergencies only and you already know about this so have had time to plan. Definitely don't cancel the op.

op dependent

but i really think you. red to oma. for fa t your partner won’t be able to look after a toddler initially during his recovery period for all day!

I see you’ve found a solution, but at my workplace, someone has been given a week of compassionate leave to look after her DH after his op. It’s fully paid.

Thinking maybe you could ask for compassionate leave for this, but I see you’ve already got a plan.

Looks like you’ve got it sorted this time round OP, but would suggest finding a reliable local babysitter as a future back up? Quite often doable via friends/nursery network or local social groups. (Good for situations where child isn’t allowed to nursery but you can’t wfh)

Sometimes local childminders will offer emergency childcare provision too but generally at a price and they need to have met you/have a relationship with your child first so probably overkill.

Glad you got it fixed!

Emergency time off for dependents as you have childcare issues (this is unpaid)

What job do you do? In your situation I would WFH on Wednesday, take DC to nursery in the morning and have them at home with me in the afternoon, I'd just explain the situation to my boss in advance and offer to catch up on any work when DC goes to bed if having them at home turns out to be too disruptive. Where I work this wouldn't be an issue, but if it was an issue I would do the same but pay a babysitter through an agency to come to my house in the afternoon so that I could work.

We have a teenage neighbour who babysits for us (the daughter of a friend), but she's at college midweek so that's not an option on this occasion. Weekends that would work fine!

You'll need to call a sickie.

Can't he have a sick day ? And you change your day off to Wednesday?