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Related: Lockdown Learning, discuss home schooling during lockdown.
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No working from home if you have children at home
Sparrowlegs248 · 19/03/2020 13:51
I mean, Wtaf?? How on earth am I supposed to work then? I can go to the office for 1 full day. I'm part time. I can fit my other hours in in the evening, probably a few in the day over a week. But no, we are not allowed to work from home if we have children at home. What's the point?
MrsTerryPratchett · 19/03/2020 13:53
That's a discrimination case just waiting to happen. Union?
Sparrowlegs248 · 19/03/2020 13:55
My employer has said that. Local authority. They'd know, because I'm single with limited childcare, and therefore can't go into the office. If I asked to work from home on my other work days, they'd know it was because I had the children.
Sparrowlegs248 · 19/03/2020 13:56
Yes, I am a member of Unison. That's what I thought @MrsTerryPratchett
SomeoneElseEntirelyNow · 19/03/2020 13:56
I mean, that's very standard practice in "peacetime" but you'd expect them to relax those rules under the current circumstances.
Sparrowlegs248 · 19/03/2020 13:58
Yes @SomeoneElseEntirelyNow . I'd rather do my usual working hours if I could. But I can't. I don't want to suspend my days entertaining the children and my evenings working, but I can't see another option.
ps1991 · 19/03/2020 13:59
Are you saying that you have previously asked to work from home and they have said no because there are children there, or are you saying that you want to work from home as a precaution given current circumstances and now they are saying no because of the children?
Its pretty common usually not to be able to work from home if you don't have alternative childcare, but i think in the current climate those ideas have changed.
Unescorted · 19/03/2020 14:03
Each time I see a post like this it strengthens my resolve to work doubly hard for my employer.
We have been introducing our kids & partners to our team during one of our big set piece meetings.
We have been told to work flexibly to suit our circumstances with no need to make up hours - just get the work down if you can & pick up where others are struggling. We are finding the people who normally are the more work shy are picking up their effforts
Sparrowlegs248 · 19/03/2020 14:08
I haven't asked to work from home at all, my employer has decided that we will so and sone of our time WFH and some in the office. Across the board. Irrespective of people's individual circumstances. But if you have children at home, you can't WFH.
So I can't go into the office, because of children, and I can't wfh because of children.
Curiosity101 · 19/03/2020 14:12
But if you have children at home, you can't WFH.
The company I work for has the same policy, but it's been unofficially removed for now cause there is literally no other choice. Are you sure they're still planning to enforce it during the current situation?
Sparrowlegs248 · 19/03/2020 14:20
Yes, it has specifically been said in response to schools closing.
massistar · 19/03/2020 14:22
I find that shocking. I'm another who is exceptionally grateful that the company I work for have been super supportive from the top down and saying they understand we'll have kids at home and to tell them if we need more help re flexibility.
RedSheep73 · 19/03/2020 14:25
That's disgusting, and I dont think it's the norm. DH is at a local authority, except he isn't, he's at one side of my dining table and dd is at the other. What other choice is there? are there other parents in the same boat, can you organise together to put some pressure on?
ArgumentativeAardvaark · 19/03/2020 14:30
I haven't asked to work from home at all, my employer has decided that we will so and sone of our time WFH and some in the office. Across the board. Irrespective of people's individual circumstances. But if you have children at home, you can't WFH.
So I can't go into the office, because of children, and I can't wfh because of children.
I don’t understand, are they saying that if you don’t work according to their rules you’ll be fired?
FWIW my employer has had everyone WFH since Tuesday but is blanking all requests for a statement of policy re what we can and can’t do now that the schools are to close. Just ignoring emails. You’d think they might have anticipated this, wouldn’t you?
Sparrowlegs248 · 19/03/2020 14:30
I'm sure there must be others. My immediate colleagues are 2 parent families or older children.
Sparklingplasters · 19/03/2020 14:30
Have you offered a solution that works if you are home? Are you public facing?
I’m starting work at 0500 from next week, to get some child free work time
Sparrowlegs248 · 19/03/2020 14:31
@ArgumentativeAardvaark no, we can take unpaid leave. Or use annual leave.
AccidentallyRunToWindsor · 19/03/2020 14:33
Our guidelines say exactly the same, no under secondary school age children but they have been relaxed for now
HoldMyLobster · 19/03/2020 14:33
The company I work for has the same policy, but it's been unofficially removed for now cause there is literally no other choice. Are you sure they're still planning to enforce it during the current situation?
My biggest client has officially removed their policy requiring people not to have children at home while working from home.
People with children at home are still doing their jobs to the best of their ability. The alternative is people just won't do their jobs at all, which would cripple the company.
Thisisworsethananticpated · 19/03/2020 14:35
OP you could always lie and say with family
Hard times , hard measures
Quartz2208 · 19/03/2020 14:36
Some local authority workers are considered to be key workers so check with the school
Twickerhun · 19/03/2020 14:36
@Nottalotta my DHs work is the same (local govt) he’s in a massive office right now, probably catching corona from colleagues.
because he can’t work from home with the kids here I am struggling to work from home in my own job. If we were both here at home it would be easier but as DHs work isn’t flexible so my work also suffers.
hubblebubbletoilandtrubble · 19/03/2020 14:38
Thats shameful. I work in children's services in local authority. We have the same usual rule about not WFH if you are actively caring for a child but they have accepted that there aren't any alternatives for many people at the moment and I think accepting that people will do their best. I have a few ideas up my sleeve if they get difficult - my husband also works from home at the moment so my first plan is that I'll claim he is working evenings while I am doing my work in the day. His work could easily be done in the evenings so how would they know? I've been involved in some of the contingency and emergency planning for my local authority and frankly they have bigger things to worry about than whether some staff may be slightly less productive for a few months because they are forced to have their children at home with them. If push came to shove and they became really difficult I wouldn't be afraid to take it all the way. I'd like to see them produce the funds or the moral arguments to win an unfair dismissal claim for this sort of scenario.
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