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?

🤣🤦🏻‍♀️
at home there’s just you, in the office there’s other people!
it’s safer for you to work from home than take him into an office!
He's got chicken pox, so technically you don’t really have to do too much for him, he’s 5 years old so old enough to understand that you’re working and he can occupy himself for a short period of time!

It’s a massive benefit of wfh and a flexible employer. There’s lots of scenarios where you couldn’t be in office but by being allowed to wfh it means you can be paid and not need to use annual leave. Employers have to trust you. If dc is so ill you can’t work do the decent thing and take annual leave or unpaid leave.
If you complain and they withdraw their willingness to allow people to wfh with sick dependants you’ll be very unpopular.

It would only be unfair if you would not be able to wfh for some of the time in other circumstances. I had decorators in last week, not in the part of the house where I wfh, and this was accepted.

Jeez, who'd be an employer?

You're not sick. They're trying to help you by enabling you to WFH and not lose a day's salary

did you ask for annual leave or unpaid leave?

Can the dad look after the child and you go to the office?

It might not be in the sector you work in, but it would be unheard of in DHs or my areas.

Sick leave isn't appropriate either.

What result would you like to see?

Seems they accepted that this time you have your child there, understand you'll do a bit less of work, and they will pay you for your working day as usually.

Next time be clearer. You cannot work today over I cannot come into the office today.
It’s the better option for you over unpaid leave.

Put **annual leave or or take unpaid leave if you don’t want to WFH with your poorly child.

If you were office based and felt you needed to stay home to look after your child you wouldn't expect to get paid for not working? So why should you expect this if you're already at home?

Yeah, I think yabu. Your employer is trying to be flexible so you don't lose days pay or annual leave.

most people would be happy to have that option.

if you don't want to work you need to say to them you will take it as annual leave or unpaid.

What are you after from them OP? Just say no sorry it’s not possible, I’ll take annual leave or unpaid parental leave. They can’t make you work. But equally they can’t give you time off for free if that’s what you were hoping for…

Paid time off to care for sick dependants isn’t norm. We have a policy which allows it in very limited circumstances eg accompanying a child for an operation but needs head of service sign off.
We can take unpaid time off or annual leave but most parents would rather try and work and get paid.
I line manage. If someone rang me and said 5 year old is ill with chickenpox I’d say oh dear I hope they feel better soon. Are you ok to work - yes. Discussion re any adjustments eg don’t come into to office, I’ll get x to come in for meeting or ok to work hours more flexibly. Let me know if any problems. They are grateful they can still get paid.
If they don’t want to work they’d say 5 year old has got chickenpox I need to take as unpaid or annual leave. I say ok put it on system and I’ll approve now. Hope they feel better soon. Let me know if you can’t come back on x date.
It’s up to employee, obviously they know how poorly the dc is, their financial situation and what other support they have eg dad may also be able to wfh or take time off.

You can’t take him in because he’s got a serious illness for other people around you. Either get on with it or take leave.

I would take this as my employer being accommodating. The alternative is you take unpaid parental leave.

Raise a grievance, dependent leave a statutory right:

https://www.gov.uk/time-off-for-dependants

There’s nothing with contacting manager and changing your mind. You’d hoped to be able to juggle but dc is quite poorly so you’ll need to book time off as unpaid or annual leave. Speak to your manager.

Or, some employers treat some staff as sensible
professionals and trust them with some flexibility.

Quite a few people could fudge their way through some useful work stuff and keep the essentials ticking over with a primary school age child on the sofa watching tv and catch up the more attention demanding stuff and work some longer days the following week to catch stuff up. Some employers are comfortable with people doing that.

It doesn’t mean working from home means doing that all the time, but it can add some flexibility for some people. And some people find leave allowances really restrictive so would rather do the catch up than take unplanned leave.

If you’d rather take the time off and concentrate exclusively on child then just say that.

Because he’s contagious
Because many offices are not insured for children to be in them
Because offices are not set up to cater for children.

I get it…. I have a job and 2 dc, both who have had chicken pox. If you can’t manage both work and child, then you need to take some form of leave.

A grievance?
Theres no suggestion the employer is forcing them to work.
If op wants it off unpaid I’m sure it would be granted. Or employer will probably allow annual leave to be taken at short notice in circumstances.
Most employees with a wfh desk job would be pleased an employer would let them wfh and child lie on sofa watching tv/tablet and not need to use leave or be unpaid.

So, because you know that due to your very specific circumstances your productivity for the next few days at home will be low, you think that all people who WFH must be working at low productivity all the time? What a bizarre argument. I suggest, since you have already decided you're not a suitable person to WFH, you ask to take unpaid parental leave instead.

They obviously should have given you a week off with full pay.

That's what you were hoping everyone to say, wasn't it?

I work from home when my child is unwell. Legally you are entitled to unpaid dependent leave days. I would rather work and be paid. They will surely understand that you wont be as productive. If you don't want to work request it off unpaid or ask to use annual leave.

@Wfhsucks
This is the thing because people work from home they expect to do less work

you have a very skewed view of wfh. As someone who does I assure you I work very hard to get my work done as do the great majority of others.

having also worked in offices as well there are plenty who don’t do much work

You do realise that the point of leave because your child is ill is so you can arrange for cover for any other time that maybe required not to just take it to look after a child

as to your child they have chicken pox you can work round it. If you don’t want to wfh tell them you will take it as a days unpaid leave and will sort something out for the rest of the time they are ill