DD unwell, had to take a day off, works reaction..

[Raincloud997]

I am a single parent and have limited childcare. My DD is in reception and was unwell today so couldn't go back in to school today after the half term. I had to ring up. My manager sounded very annoyed on the phone and said they have other staff off too, said she is struggling for cover and that I really must try and make it in tomorrow and that someone else will have to look after my DD. She also sighed before putting down the phone. I don't have a lot of time off at all, this is the first time its happened and my contract states they allow for emergency parental leave but her reaction has got me worried and I don't think I have childcare for tomorrow if she is no better by morning. What would ou do?

How can you report someone when you told them to get off benefits?

You are seriously expecting me to scroll through 13 pages to find the post that suggested getting a temp in? I can assure you I didn't make it it. Find it yourself if you are that bothered - it was towards the beginning of the thread

That was in response to 'getting a babysitter' for a child off sick for a few days.

Sorry, I am not understanding you

The person who said 'get temp staff' said it in response to the ridiculous suggestions of 'getting a babysitter' from a company online

This poster is picking on you now. I had similar.

I don't know why people think it's impossible to get someone in for a sick child. We used someone we know to sit with mine at least twice when I had work calls, but obviously he couldn't be left alone in the other room even though I WFH. A message went round from school the other day and a part-time TA was rustled up who was happy to sit with the child, while a nursery assistant in the group said she could do any of a different 3 weekdays if she can bring her little one, plus there are all the online options. Among working parents it's really not unusual to need help sometimes, the idea is to actually try.

You really do need to settle down a bit, online agencies are not strangers from the park, and Joyce from up the road may not necessarily be safer for your child than a qualified childcare professsional who the online company ran a DBS check on. If you ever left your child in a nursery, school, or with a childminder - that's a similar process.

I’m being thick but I’m very confused about your example of the TA being rustled up to look after a child and its relevance to finding a babysitter last minute on the morning you discover your child is sick and you’re due in the office for 8 hours that day.

can you put me out of my Misery and elaborate @GRex ?!

Do you live in the 1950s?

I don’t know my neighbours name… let alone that they’re called Joyce, have the contact number and, oh yeah, trust them enough to come to my house and look after my young sick child for the next 8 hours

I'm perfectly calm. I'd never be in the position to ever use an online childminder. Let alone one that I find the night before I need one.

Haven't read the whole thread but honestly dont worry look after your child. Who honestly would get a babysitter to look after their poorly 5 year old absolutely not in a million years would I do that. If my child is sick they need me or their dad not a random babysitter. I wouldn't even ask a family member in that instance.

I can not believe the callousness of some people on this thread. I still remember the stress my mum felt when I was sick as a child. She'd leave me at home alone or with a neighbour (who she didn't realise was a creep) because there were no other options. I don't think we want to promote this as a good thing.

The birth rate keeps dropping, more women are opting out and the logistics just do not help. The perfect employee would probably be a robot who never gets ill or has dependents who never get ill either.

Sure. Someone said "X is off sick and I need to get in to a meeting this afternoon, can anyone suggest a babysitter please?". Parent A (works at a nursery) said "I can't do today but could do xxx days if you still need help then as long as it's Ok to bring (younger one)" Someone else said "TA X from [year 1 class] might do it, think she is off today." And they agreed to contact the TA number, then later said thanks it was all sorted. I would have had a couple of suggestions, but it was resolved by the time I saw it. Pretty much exactly the same routine as when someone asked for a recommendation for a Saturday night, but the options were professional rather than teenagers (and probably cost more).

That's the sort of thing that's meant by "try to find childcare".

There was a post a few months ago about a plumber who had to go home to do the bathtime bedtime routine and the posters parents were left without a functional bathroom. If I remember right about the thread most people said that he should have child care in place so that he could finish the job. Some people thought it ok that he’d left his job to look after his kids. What’s important is that working parent/s has childcare options in place. Kids get sick and you can only take so many days off for this.

So this was to cover work calls while you WFH. So not the 10 hours that I am out of the house when I’m working on the office.

It was in the kitchen of a large care home. It was a rare and special day when all rostered staff actually turned up.

I know all my neighbours’ names. I also know their jobs and that they’re no more available to babysit a sick child than I'm available to work when my kid is sick.

The whole “try to find childcare” is so odd. Everyone’s at work!

Everyone's work is different; I don't know because I don't know your job nor hers, but I can guess that mum's effort was appreciated. Do you think your employer would be:
A) Pleased you made it in for the afternoon critical meeting
B) Say your work only has value when done in precise 10 hour units?

One of my team a few weeks ago had her kid at home sick with her, but her DH (a farmer) took him for a key client meeting (online). Obviously a farmer can't just leave the animals for the day, but he was still able to pitch in.

I do find it interesting how pervasive the idea seems to be here that the mother (always the mother, not father because he has A Proper Job that also happens to be done by women) must immediately drop all work for days at a time due to a child's minor illness.

Have you seriously reported 2 laugh emojis? Wow

Just as in a game of chess though sometimes you don’t have the moves. Ideally everyone should have a plan a,b,c,d,e,f and g but realistically not everyone can. People have to move for jobs, your parents if alive might still be working etc etc… you can’t create great options from thin air. What kind of society do we want? Honestly watching my mum be so stressed and feeling like a burden makes me think that for many people they can never win.

The usual MN hypocrisy at play again.
If the situation benefits the poster (taking time off to look after a poorly child, regardless of the impact on work) obvs that's very much OK
If the poster is impacted by the end result of someone taking time off work to look after a poorly child, obvs that is very much NOT OK.
Add into the mix it was a man in question, well, that's clearly his failing anyway it always is 😂

People are paid to do a job not slave labour. All employees have rights and hr legislation which protects them and allows them to time off for certain scenarios on reasonable grounds. This person does not sound like they are taking the mick they have an ill child and personally any employer which doesn't understand that is the wrong kind of employer with a terrible company culture . I've personally never had an issue taking reasonable time off for these things. I work hard but I also have a life outside of work which my employer understand. Life sometimes throws curveballs and if you are reliable 99 percent of the time then if is their job to support you even by offering alternative solutions I e work from home, flexible hours or making up the hours if needed

I'd love to see a link to this thread. But like most of what you've said on this thread, it's probably made up.