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?

Let's not dress it up any other way. You sound like a shit employee and a shit parent.

But you crack on and book your AL for September to get a break from your busy August 'work' and time with your children.

8 and 10? Absolutely. Kids that age don't need to be entertained and supervised every moment of the day. My two are a similar age, and they do chores like hanging out laundry, washing dishes, and meal prep (veg and so on) as well as their normal kid stuff if I'm working at home.

I’m not in the least bit surprised, MN is full of jobsworths who loathe that others have a lot of flexibility and TRUST from their employers.

Just try it and see how it goes? If it becomes difficult, then get childcare if it’s not too late.

Seriously get a life 😩

It’s probably also not in anyone’s contract that they shouldn’t go on a spa day while working, or go for an all-day drinking session. Luckily most people wouldn’t need to be told that they can’t do those things while working 😂

Ha. Your manager and her manager are both off for the whole of August?

I have a great life thanks 😀

Absolutely love AL on my own too. But I do actually do the job I'm paid to do and don't take the piss

Is it any wonder employers don't want to employ women with young children who want to 'work from home' when they really know they won't be actually working properly but looking after their primary school age kids.

This will be my third year of doing this. Similar age kids. Here’s my tips

1. trips out - pan early/ late in the day or at lunch, for 1-2 hours eg park, nice walk, shops. If your phone rings - DONT ANSWER!! Just message back to say “hey I’m starting a little later/ finishing a little earlier/ late lunch today - will give u a buzz back later.
2. Block time out in your calendar (if it’s open, name the appointments eg “work on proposal”, “edit strategy” etc. limits the amount of time people can add you to meetings.
3. childcare swaps. Having 4 kids (one friend for each) is oddly easier than having 2
4. have “new stuff” ready to go for if you need to concentrate for a few hours - eg magazine, snacks or even a list of Amazon prime films you can buy as a treat.
5. stack emails in your outbox - draft the replies in the evening and send them in the morning

honestly it’s been a game changer for me.

I get it, OP. Some jobs have "tasks" rather than working hours. As long as you can complete the work on time, what does it matter if you do it around childcare? I can see there might be a problem if your children got the lurgy and you missed a deadline, but that would be the same in term-time.

\Leaving aside the children, I've done something similar during snow and train strikes ... and also to be able to get on with stuff and avoid interruption by bloody clients wittering at me on the phone! This was pre-internet and mobile phones, though, so probably easier!

What is your work?

Not everyone has your job though. Some people genuinely have jobs where there is little to do at times. Not everyone has the equivalent job of working in a call centre where you have to be working the whole time. As long as I complete my tasks nobody gives a shit what I do all day.

It seems rotten you've saved your leave to use just to benefit you in September rather than spend some quality time with your kids whilst they're off. How is it not a break with your own children?

Oh get a grip, she’s spending loads of time with her kids - she’s with them all day. She can do what she likes with her leave and maybe she needs a break.

I don't really see a problem if you believe you can get it all done. If you were working from home, and only had a few hours of work to do a day, I'm sure your employer would be aware that you would be watching a lot of Netflix and all caught up on your washing. Surely no employer would expect you to be staring at your computer screen on the off chance something came in. If you can be just as responsive and get all work done I don't get why it would matter? Not really.

You've said you hit all your targets and are on top of things, and can be responsive with email on your phone, so what could they really be upset with?

I'm not sure I'd ask on your shoes as I would probably rather apologise after the fact with this one. Depends what your manager is like. Or you could ask if they would mind you using your judgement and taking your kids out on the odd slow day?

Depends how risk adverse you are and whether you think they would give you a tap on the wrist/disciplinary procedures if you were spotted out. Or if your boss would just think you were being savvy. Totally depends on your work culture and how they value you.

Do you mind sharing what industry it is?

I find it a bit suss that you’re asking this question OP. I mean you have surely already decided this is what you’re doing- it’s not as though you’re going to be able to sort out childcare for two children for the next six weeks at this point in July, is it? Everything is already booked up.

I find the ‘jealous’ and ‘bitter’ comments a bit cruel given that a proportion of posters will presumably be working in minimum wage, physical jobs- well yes of course they might feel irked that other people do very little work while probably earning significantly more than them!

I have a physical job which is not well-paid. I have to be in specific places at specific times doing specific things and there would be no question of me looking after children at the same time (nor eating, going for a wee or using my phone). I’m not actually envious of the OP because I love my job and work very part-time with no childcare costs. But I can see how this post might be very irritating to those who work their arses off full-time for poor pay, while simultaneously losing a proportion of their salary in childcare costs.

Yes I can understand that. And if employers are fine with that then of course that's ok.

It's just the tone of the OP posts - she's being paid for what- a 7 hour day and planning on doing 1 hour of work? That's taking the piss in anyone's book, but if her employer is happy with that and/or she's going to do it anyway regardless then no need to ask for 'approval' on the internet

She‘s planning to WFH instead of sending DC to childcare so that she can spend time with her kids???

Well she is supposed to be working and being paid for working but she's obviously not working as spending time with her kids. Although not spending time with them as she is 'working'

Gosh I'm out of here. Utter entitlement and laziness of some people nowadays is shocking.

As an employer I have to say I wouldn't be happy about it, you are already getting paid for doing little to no work (I understand it's circumstance and not your choice but that's what it comes down to). In your situation I would understand if you didn't get childcare and stayed at home but if we found out you were off having a day out with the kids it would feel like you were taking the piss and would result in disciplinary action against you.

8 and 10 is totally fine. They don't really need childcare. They don't really need supervision and can entertain themselves and go out etc. Im assuming all my colleagues who have kids over the age of 7ish have kids coming home from school in the afternoon while parents work and I doubt they have organised childcare for the summer. Unless they have arrainged camps due to boredom. Different if the kids were like 4 or something.

Bit off for your employer you’re taking time when everyone is back and things ramp up, instead of taking AL during quiet time. Even more off for your kids that you’re taking time off when they are back in school. Say what you will about what a great employee you are, but fact you’re doing that isn’t great.

Depends how risk adverse you are and whether you think they would give you a tap on the wrist/disciplinary procedures if you were spotted out.

It probably depends on the job and industry, but in my industry this would be classed as not only gross misconduct but also financial fraud (same as if someone is found to be faking sick leave or falsifying timesheets).

Completely different if done transparently and with agreement though. It’s the dishonesty that makes it fraud.

She’s working about an hour a day and spending the rest of the time with her kids. She did put that in her OP but maybe you
missed that bit.

You’re taking the piss basically treating it like leave and THEN taking your leave once it picks up and your kids go back to school. I’d sack anyone that tried to do this in my team! Not cool.