to think I can get by without childcare in August because work is quiet?

[isitPeri1]

Every August, work slows down massively. It has always been this way. There is barely anything coming in, hardly any meetings or deadlines, and most of my team is off. My manager and her manager are both away for the whole of August, so it is very unlikely anything urgent will come up.

I have primary school-aged kids and I am thinking I might skip childcare this year. I usually only have about one to two hours of work a day in August, and some days there is literally nothing to do at all. Anything that does come up, I can usually fit around the kids early in the morning or after they have gone to bed. I have proper annual leave booked for September when they are back at school, so I will get a proper break then.

Has anyone else done this? Just managed without childcare when work was super quiet?

Nothing wrong with it, but I find it incredibly odd that your holiday is alone, because you like it, but you’re DC may also like it if you joined them, even you may like it.

Its like I’ve had to deal with them for the summer (or part of, when they’re not away with DH), when you essentially get a week alone anyway, because you e got no work and your DH is away with the DC. Then you want another week alone, without them or work.

It just appears to me that you’ll look after your children if saving money on childcare but when it’s official holiday, you want to be alone…. because what’s wrong with that?

You do come across as entitled.

You're very challenging for someone who asked for opinions

Are you actually the dad trying to justify not taking time off in your portion of holiday childcare? Has your husband taken time off to do childcare while you're trying to do your portion without using leave? Does your husband also get a week off to himself separate to his childcare responsibilities over the summer?

I think the fact that the OP says she asked her boss last night and got an answer immediately makes me think this isnt quite what it seems.

People who are saying they do similar and whats the issue?

The issue is that its been SPOTTED by companies and they are now getting people back into the office en masse. This thread is bonkers btw! There are the OP, their boss and their bosses boss all effectively doing no/very little work. The OP isnt even covering for her boss. I dont believe any company would run like this and still in business.

Unless of course its public sector..

Not just entitled but particularly keen to avoid wasting time with simply spending time with her children.

@PropertyDi think unless the poster is bullshitting.

By the way, years ago I worked for a while very hard indeed in the public sector, and struggled to manage the workload with full time childcare. There is much political nonsense spoken about the sector. .

I think it is okay to acknowledge that parents are also individuals with their own needs. I spend the vast majority of the school holidays with my children, including while balancing work. I am fully present and responsible for them during that time, and I plan around their needs as much as possible.

When they go away with their dad for a week, yes, I do take the opportunity to have some time to myself. That is not about being entitled. It is about recognising that I am a better parent when I have had some space to rest and reset. Wanting a break does not mean I love them any less or do not enjoy time with them.

It is not about dodging childcare or avoiding family time. It is about managing a long summer in a way that works for everyone including me. There is nothing wrong with that.

I worked as a supplier for public sector for many many years. Mainly central government and did account manage a very large local government council. n

Never again and now doing something completely different but the waste, the cottage industries and such like were shocking. Meetings about very little with a cast of 1000's and then further meetings with new people who just asked the same questions as the people who had attended the first meeting.

You only have to see not just this thread but many others claiming they work better from home, no one minds their kids in the background when taking calls. On one thread the poster claimed that they brought their 2 year old onto teams calls and everyone loved her.

And yet - companies are getting people back into the office. I wonder why if its working so well to have people at home!!! The trust has gone. People are seeing that they can save not just commuting costs but childcare expenses too.

No I am not the dad.

DH is self employed so he can take leave whenever. He will be away on a trip over the summer so yes he will get a break.

Honestly, this kind of reaction says more about your assumptions than it does about me or my job. Just because it doesn’t match how your workplace runs doesn’t mean it’s not real or valid. Loads of jobs have seasonal quiet periods, especially in the summer when clients, partners, and whole teams are off.

I got a quick reply from my boss because everyone knows it’s quiet. There’s no big conspiracy. We’re all adults managing our workload sensibly. Not everything needs to be full-throttle all year round.

I am spending all summer with the children.

Whilst working and saving money, I personally feel the saving money is the motivation for being with them, not through actual choice of wanting to be with them, or you would’ve booked a weeks holiday with them, turned on your OOO, not checked emails for a week and enjoyed total time with them.

Some people can't afford a full family holiday as prices are so high, so do whole family days out such as theme parks, museums etc instead. Maybe OP's family are in this position where they can't afford holiday clubs or a whole family holiday. And if both parents take annual leave at same time that leaves less to cover the 14 weeks of school holidays, we generally only take 1 week together all year, often May half term as that's a bit cheaper, and otherwise do alternate weeks childcare, with some holiday clubs

The problem is OP (and I am saying this as someone who runs a large team in a senior role) that someone's money is being wasted here and/or the business is being run badly. Multiple people in one team doing virtually nothing throughout August (yet still somehow not being made to take their holiday then as usually happens in businesses with lean periods) is hugely wasteful. It's hard for me to say more without knowing more about your industry, but one of the following things is happening:

• Taxpayers' money is being wasted
• Clients' money is being wasted
• Shareholders are not earning from your business as much as they could be and therefore at some point jobs will be at risk
• Other teams in your company are working harder than your team, and therefore your team will at some point be at risk
• You are all being a bit lazy when you could be working proactively rather than reactively and therefore whoever pays you (taxpayer or client), this will be noted at some point, and jobs will be at risk
• If you are client-facing, you will lose business to other companies that work harder

It's hard for me to say more without knowing what you do, but I agree with other posters who say that, frankly, reading this as someone in a senior role... it is a terrible advertisement for WFH and I am someone who really values flexible working. I don't believe any of my staff would or could do this FWIW, because we are so busy year-round and the performance gap would be noted.

How much is being saved by one person not going on the family holiday…. With all the childcare saving, surely that would help towards it?

Not even being at home is really taking the piss.

Choosing to manage work flexibly during a quiet period does not mean I do not want to be with my children.

Not every family holiday needs to look like a total digital detox to be meaningful. I am still present, still parenting, and still making sure work is covered, just in a way that reflects the actual workload at this time of year.

It is insulting to suggest that the only reason I would choose to spend time with my own children is to save money. That is not only wrong, it is a pretty unpleasant assumption to throw at someone who is doing their best to make things work for both their family and their job.

Sounds pretty awesome, I think I have a tendency to assume everyone is as time poor as we are in my own household

I think you're making a lot of assumptions here based on how your team and business work, and not every industry runs the same way. Some roles have natural quiet periods. It does not mean anyone is being lazy or that the business is badly run. It just means the demand is not there at that time, and it would be pointless to pretend otherwise.

Work knows how the year flows, and people plan accordingly. When things are busy, we’re all flat out. When it’s quiet, we’re trusted to use that time sensibly. That might mean slower days, clearing backlogs, planning ahead, or yes, taking a bit of breathing room. That is not a scandal. It is just part of the rhythm of the job.

It is also a bit much to suggest jobs will be at risk because people are not forcing work for the sake of it during a slow month. If there were actual problems with performance, managers would raise it. But they don’t, because the work still gets done and the business keeps running just fine.

Not every team is meant to be running at full tilt all twelve months of the year. That is not a sign of a failing business. It is just reality for a lot of people.

The manager said it is fine so what is the problem?

Not directly related to the OP’s situation but I know quite a few families with children aged 7-11 and they are all WFH with children at home this week. Most holiday clubs here don’t start up until next week so lots of children being given a few days of downtime at home before a family holiday or sports camps, holiday clubs etc next week.

Herts has put it brilliantly. Nothing further to add.

There’s working the bare minimum (odd call or email) and there is actually doing the work you’re actually paid to do (unless it is only to answer the odd call and email). These two things are usually pretty different. It may be quiet but people generally are supposed to use those periods to catch up on training, planning, admin etc, if you don’t know what else you should be doing if it’s quiet then ask your manager. Doing this once or twice because you have childcare plans fall through etc is one thing, but for the whole summer os pretty obviously going to be a sackable offence should you get caught out. Then there is the question of if you are providing childcare or just an occasional check in. I’m sure you know that this isn’t what working from home is meant to be. Maybe it’s a reverse of someone who has caught one of their staff or colleagues out.

I have asked the manager who said go ahead.

Is everyone else in your team taking time off in August but not booking it as leave as well, or is it just you? Will everyone else then be taking their saved official leave on top of this unofficial August time off, or is it just you? Are your managers doing the same as you, taking their work phones on holiday with them and not being on official leave? If so, then you are okay, that is work policy. If not you are expecting something your colleagues don't get. Loads of people have their children at home with them while they work from home, most people turn a blind eye. Going out for the day with them is something different!

OP, I don't think you're being unreasonable. Times are very different these days. Yes, the economy is in a dark place and all that. But so are working practices. If the nature of your work means that it's quiet and your manager is happy for you to wfh in the full knowledge that you have your kids at home then just go for it. I can imagine that when it's time for all hands on deck yours are right in there getting the work done, probably working unpaid hours. I know I've been in this position at times. Business peaks and troughs, there is ebb and flow. Not everyone will agree with you or think that what you propose is the right thing to do. But you've taken on board the advice and asked your manager, so you're in the clear.