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?

What is the point of making cuts? I do my job extremely well. It is the nature of the work that it is very quiet some months. It has been like this for years.

My organisation are not making any cuts or redundancies. They are in a very healthy financial position.

Are you being paid for full time hours? As they are older it would probably be fine but now you are saying you will go out with them and work from your phone.

I cannot help thinking that you are trying to justify saving yourself lots in childcare costs. If it’s really true that you have nothing to do in August just what is the point of your role?

Well, in this case you are 100% out of order.

At my place, we'd sack you.

Then what is the point of the thread?

Obviously if your work are find with it, then there is no problem.

It read as if you were planning to hide it for some reason, but now you seem to be saying that’s not the case. It’s “completely understood”.

OP doesn't work for you, so what you'd do is totally irrelevant.

Even when costs were reviewed in the past, my head was not on the chopping board. They just published their figures and they are doing very well.

You can’t drink a hot cup of tea with an 8 and 10 year old? I don’t see why unless they have additional needs

I don't think you should be 'out and about' when you are meant be working but the rest might work I guess.

Lots of very bitter and jealous responses here! I wouldn’t usually think wfh with children is a good idea but it makes sense in this situation

I did in my previous job when kids were similar ages and it was fine. I did put them in a few cheap holiday clubs (just 11-3 a couple days a week, and booked days off here and there to do fun things out of the house, but they were old enough to entertain themselves at home while I worked in another room for the most part.

Genuinely - why not? If your job only involves the odd e-mail or phone call, why should you be sat inside all day twiddling your thumbs?

Yes, I am paid for my contracted hours and I do work them across the year. Like many roles, the workload naturally ebbs and flows. August happens to be quiet, while other times of the year are extremely busy and require a lot of juggling and extra effort. That is the nature of the job and it is well understood within my team.

If something urgent comes up, I can deal with it quickly. I will still be working when needed, just more flexibly during a quiet period.

As for the point of my role, I think it is unfair to judge the value of a job based on a few quiet weeks. Most jobs have slower periods, especially in certain industries over the summer. That does not mean the role has no purpose the rest of the time.

Next the OP will claim they are brilliant at the role and they cannot afford to be without her..

Yep, the bitterness and jealousy is glaring, isn't it?

The OP came on for opinions. I gave mine. Otherwise, what's the point?

I mean, you can give your opinion, but saying she'd get sacked at your place of work doesn't really mean anything either way.

An odd day yes. I am part time and my employer is flexible (similar ages). But I wouldn't be allowed to go out and about.

I know plenty who do it in the civil service. They WFH, have kids at home and some do a second business from home.

This is the crux of it for me. If it's absolutely fine and not any problem at all and your employer is happy with you working flexibly as long as the work gets done, then why would you need to hide it.

My test for anything I'm not sure about if it's OK, is 'am I happy to be honest about/can I justify it'?

I often do some work from home either my children there, not whole days, but the hour or 2 from when they finish school to when I finish work. This is agreed with my boss and I work later as necessary if my work is disrupted. So I'm not against doing a bit of work at home with older children present, but I am against dishonesty/not being upfront about your plans.

My mum didn't work. Aged 8+, we were left to do our own thing most of the summer. Told to go out and play in the garden, hang out with our friends, whatever. It would have made no difference if mum had a flexible home based job, we were allowed to be kids and make up our own entertainment.

My own kids were similar age in the covid era. I had no choice about holiday clubs. So I worked full time from home (as per my pre-existing contract). I took one day off a week. Rest of the days, they had to just put up with getting a bit bored, or finding ways not to be. No harm was done. In fact, I got promoted off the back of it!

Yeah, I do think OP needs to be honest - after all, if it's not a problem, then there's nothing to hide.

I don’t know what you do - obviously! But even Doctors are struggling to get work in this economy!!! GP practices literally can’t afford to hire doctors.

Most organisations are making cuts - the point is to save costs to stay afloat as the economy is atrocious!

My point is, yes great you’re able to do this and you have an amazing work life balance, what an ideal job!

I would just be worried that maybe your job isn’t ‘essential’ to the running of the company if you have so much free time or your absence can go unnoticed for SO long. (A month)

Also, it does sound like you are indeed expected to take annual leave during these quiet periods like both your managers. Otherwise just tell them to protect yourself incase you are found out

I came on to say exactly this. If they are so flexible then why can’t you be open about it?

Is there nothing else you could be doing? Our office can be quiet in August so it is when we do some tasks that are difficult to fit in during busy periods.

Gosh yes it’s rife in the civil service. Still they are so efficient - why not? HMRC, Probate Office, Office the Public Guardian, various local authorities. I have to contact one very large local authority a couple of times a month. They quote 1 hour wait time if you call and 6-8 weeks if you send an email.

If your work is organised exactly as you describe here, everyone is on holidays and you are just holding the forth in case something would happen, it might work.

Overall it really seems you don't need full time daily childcare and can use some mixed mode.
I'd still recommend booking some activities for the children - week in the middle, or some random days. It will be more fun for them and you will be able to think and talk about it in the mixed way - some days they are at the activities and some days they are with you.

If your job is happy with you working like that then fine. So if they see you out and about when you are down to work they are OK with that? If not I would be wary of getting caught.