AIBU to think working from home with chickenpox child is unfair?

[Wfhsucks]

So I called work this morning as my 5 year old son has chicken pox and they advised for
me to still work (from home) I am really struggling juggling everything and I don’t think it is fair as I couldn’t take him into the office and be expected to work?

Did you ask for the day off? And still expect to be paid or what kind of leave did you ask for?

Has to be a reverse. OP is in a huff because a colleague is working from home with a sick child. OP reckons they should have to take unpaid or annual leave.

I agree, nobody is this kind of a martyr?

I would take this (and offer this) as they are doing you a favour, if you can work from home you don’t have to use your annual leave or take unpaid leave. I can’t speak for any other manager but I would
fully expect you to be about 70% productive and I’d rather have that than short notice unplanned leave. For me, doing what you can at home is a win win.

If you don’t want that, or your particular child’s temperament means you can’t then ask for leave instead.

Do you get paid carer’s leave?

Take annual leave then, why are you complaining to us?

the fact the op hasn't come back makes me agree with you.

No, but youd be expected to take annual leave or unpaid leave in order to look after him.

Which you can also choose to do in your current situation, but you didn't ask, presumably because you didn't want to lose any money or holiday.

There's no negative here for you, I don't really get why you can't see that. The company wouldn't just go "Oh well take the day off, it won't come out of your pay or holiday entitlement" if you couldn't work from home.

Your employer is doing you a favour as otherwise I assume you have to take unpaid emergency dependents leave or use a day of annual leave. If you want to do that you can

Sounds to me like they are doing you a massive favour, why can’t you see that?

I think it is fine from about age 4, obvs depending on the illness. If they have D&V then no as you are going to be kept busy. For things like colds or chicken pox then I would and have WFH with mine, boss fully aware.

Well, just say you need to take a day of your annual leave to look after your sick child.
your employer does not have to give you paid time off, if that is what you were hoping for…

That is one of the advantage and downside of working from home. My work allows if our kids are sick to work from home (they are big enough to take care of themselves i am just a safety net so it is great to be able to work from home and not having to rake a say off. However iwe are sick unless we are dying they do expect us to work from home

They probably thought they were doing you a favour. My work doesn’t allow caring for primary age or younger children while wfh, but I have a very kind boss who will turn a blind eye if my children are sick. DD is a bit older than 5, but is generally happy to just lie on the sofa if sick.

I guess they have done it thinking its an option you might prefer. As they know you wont be fully on work but means not taking unpaid leave and you cover a decent amount of work rather than none of your tasks being done
It v much depends on child and how poorly they are/how old etc
If it's impossible, say no can do and take parental leave

I WFH for several years with my children (with my employers knowledge and permission)
For one day? If they've given you the suggestion and permission it saves you losing money or annual leave I'd be grateful for the offer.

But it does depend what your job actually is? Are you customer facing, answering calls constantly or going in and out of several meetings a day?
Or is it all work you can do, albeit maybe slower and manage to juggle a meeting to another day or shorten it?

You should be grateful they’re allowing you to work from home rather than forcing you to use annual leave or paid parental leave

this is why I prioritized paying for the chicken pox vaccine over anything lux or nice for myself. To avoid this stress. I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t do it, seems like madness to me. The pox has just been through my sons nursery and alll that pain for children and stress for parents that could have been avoided for the price of one night in a hotel, one round of Botox or a dinner and wine out for two.

I'm sure it depends on the role and the individual.

I could work perfectly well from home supervising a sick 5 year old. They aren't needy toddlers.

Depends on the child - when my kids were ill with chicken pox they were quite lethargic and I could have easily worked from home while they slept or watched cartoons. Maybe your situation is different and your child is a handful to look after despite being ill - but it sounds like your complaint is your company want you to take leave if you aren't working but you don't want to - you want to be paid as if you were working but without actually working

This is such a bizarre thread.

Why would someone complain that their employer is trying to help them out by being flexible and not making them take AL or time off without pay when the employer is kind enough, in this short period of time, to give them a bit of slack ?

Then not come back and answer anyone's questions in the next 10 or 11 hours ?

Some employers offer carers leave tbf (tho it tends to be unpaid)

Agree. What is the purpose of this thread?

It's either click-bait to generate traffic,
or the OP is - er, how can I put this nicely - a bit thick with an entitled attitude.

For me it would depend on how much my child needed me. When my eldest had pox, he was so itchy he cried, scratched sat in the bath for ours and just wanted cuddles, so I couldn't have gotten much done had I been working. My youngest was just spotty but not unwell and so would have been able to amuse herself quite readily whilst I worked.

So would you rather use your paid holiday or take unpaid leave?

Why cant you take annual leave? But totally agree you cant work and parent