How can businesses slowly re-open if schools don't go back?

[trumpisaflump]

I've been thinking about this all day. A few of my friends are taking great delight I think in forecasting that schools won't go back until August (Scotland). And even at that it will be part time classes to allow social distancing. So an I wrong in thinking if this is correct them business will not be able to return as families/parents will have children at home?
It's been going through my mind all day and I don't know how we can have one without the other. Any ideas?

It will affect women most of all as we tend to earn less than males so will be the ones to handlebars childcare. It’s not great is it. We should be fighting to make sure schools are safe/ready as possible and this gov needs to help make this is a priority

I’m also worried about this. Single parent and don’t have any ‘bubble’ to help as no family near.

I’m trying to desperately save at the moment to take some unpaid leave over the summer if necessary, plus holiday ( I know I’m lucky to even be able to do this). One of my DC also has SEN so finding any alternative childcare would be very difficult. It’s really worrying and that’s with a sympathetic employer. I also feel like it will be the final death knell to any sort of career prospect at my work.

A few of my friends are taking great delight I think in forecasting that schools won't go back until August (Scotland)

In fairness, it’s not a forecast the Scottish Government has clearly said schools won’t be back until August. I’m certainly not delighting in it but I am pragmatic about it. Wishing it weren’t so won’t change things.

I'm a single parent of a five year old who works full time. I have a sympathetic employer but it's hard going. Her dad is involved and we share care of our child so I'm able to work longer hours when child free and it's best endeavours when I'm not. There is no other family support not that we could access it at the moment, grandparents live in another country.
I'm not anticipating that schools will be open before September but even then how that will work in actuality isn't clear.

In fairness, it’s not a forecast the Scottish Government has clearly said schools won’t be back until August

Yes, very true!

I have always been working (LA) since CV. Unfortunately it is not the employers fault if you have no childcare, the best they can offer is unpaid leave. Where I work people have been using flexible working to share childcare with their OH, some have taken unpaid leave. Tbf, I think that some have been breaking the rules and using gp, I can’t blame them, people will weigh up the risks and choose this over losing jobs and sinking into poverty.

All the workforce aren't parents, and it's not all parents - just those with children from 0-12ish. And those with dc with needs requiring greater care or supervision.
So it's a sizeable number of people but there are many more who don't fit into this category. (Not me - I can't work without schools being open and have no grandparents to ask either - fortunately wfm at the moment).

I was hoping to go back after the next half term, but we have been advised by the head of our Trust that if we do, it will be very phased, and not just like going back after a new half term. Our head of school thinks it will be September. They have both said that they don't know anything, and are waiting like us on the government. So, I suppose if it is later in the year, then it will be when other restrictions like grandparents being able to care for little ones will be allowed too. I really worry about the vulnerable kids that I look after, very few of them are turning up at school now.

Many of the work force are unaffected by the schools being closed, so would be able to go back to work regardless. Others can continue to WFH, furlough may be continued or unpaid leave/flexible working offered.

I don’t think schools will be opening full time, with all children back as ‘normal’ after May half term, despite what some people think.

I suspect many are hoping they stay closed so they don’t have to go into work. Either to work from home, or even better they get paid for not working. It’s sod all to do with what’s best for the kids.

One of mine is starting secondary in September, the high school has sent out correspondence about transition days and visits (in June and July and no mention of CV). I guess they have no idea if the schools will be open but the possibility is obviously there.

We should be fighting to make sure schools are safe/ready as possible and this gov needs to help make this is a priority

Agree, and yet we see poster after poster desperate for schools not to go back. Many of whom will be women and who work.

I cannot work until school reopens. My job isn't possible to do from home and I've got no one who can do childcare for me.

I'm the only one in my office with a young child though so theoretically someone else could do my job until I get back (I know 100% my employer wouldn't get rid of me). My workplace is closed at the moment but are looking at ways to reopen soon with social distancing in place. They might not need me anyway until business picks back up again. Hopefully furlough pay will be extended if school doesn't reopen until September.

There's a bit of a chicken and egg situation, really because many schools closed before schools were told to close due to staff absence. When schools do reopen, there will still be a proportion of staff shielding, caring for children who are shielding or in self isolation due to they or a family member having symptoms. The self testing is going to have to be rolled out a lot more effectively if the latter is to be minimised.

I am wfh atm full time but being honest I am not doing as much work as I usually do full time with 2 kids on my own ( and am open with my work about this). I would feel pretty bad continuing like this whilst others return. For families with 2 parents I guess they may be able to split the time a bit more easily and be back for at least some of the time.

I suspect schools will only be able to phase open until the summer.

I guess like everything we just have to wait and see.

@Bluntness100, the best thing for the vulnerable kids I work for would be for them to be in school now (they're not) and I worry about them constantly.
@Millicent10 Our school puts so much work in transition, we visit the primary schools, meet the kids, have them up to our school for a day, and we are planning for that in the hope that it will happen. But we seem to get the vibe that it will be great it if does, but it's unlikely.

I really hope new go back to normal as soon as possible as I have no idea how part time schooling will work, particularly for those of us who also have children in school (my children do not attend my school where I work) as well as teaching full time.

I have no idea how I will work full time, teaching children when my own children may not be able to go into school as normal.

I too am worried that this will impact women more than anyone as we tend to be lower earners and are most typically the parent who takes on the brunt of childcare, particularly in terms of having jobs which allow us to work around school.

If it's not a possibility for school to return as we left off, I would like to think the furlough scheme will be extended to support single parents who have no childcare and cannot work part time and employers will be flexible and allow those with school age children to work from home for the foreseeable until a vaccine is developed.

@SophieB100 we are planning for transition to happen in September now. I really can't see a way to have our new children in with social distancing in place and is also being able to have our current cohort in the building at the same time.

We are planning for a September transition for our new Reception Intake-home visits/meet the parent meetings/come+play sessions etc will all probably be September rather than June/July.

The bubble is not a feasible option for most people I know- we are in London and people just don't have family nearby (often) to do that, and friends of course work full time.

I know just how the bubble would work as well- it will be overwhelmingly be the women sharing care and taking the career hit while men skip on. It will also be women doing all the emotional labour of organising it.

Kids need to go back to school for summer;
otherwise too few businesses will be able to resume properly

Many businesses can't function if their employees who are parents can't come in to work

and WFH combined with child supervision is only a temporary indulgence

• it is not something an employer normally allows, for good reason

We can't wait until September to restart the economy

As it is, at least 10% of the economy probably won't be able to restart until much later than that:
e.g. much of the entertainment, leisure, travel industries

@BertNErnie and @Letseatgrandma
Yes, that makes sense. We all know it will be September but we are still hoping it will be earlier.

So, the high school I work in is the biggest school in our Trust, and now we are open for key worker kids, and kids from other Trust schools in the area come to us, and there is literally a handful of them. And they are kept in a separate part of the school (huge site, usually over 1500 on roll) across a football field in a mobile, with staff from their original schools. So even us staff, from the same Trust, but in different schools are kept apart. Those kids have different lunch hours and break times to our kids. So logically, there is no way that in a few weeks time, we will have our usual 150 year new year 7s visit us with their staff as they usually do, for their taster day. Getting a feel of high school. It just won't be possible.

So logically, there is no way that in a few weeks time, we will have our usual 150 year new year 7s visit us with their staff as they usually do, for their taster day. Getting a feel of high school. It just won't be possible

No, I completely agree.

People who can't work due to childcare will be made redundant and replaced with those who don't need childcare

Then the post isn't redundant.

@SophieB100 I agree that's a logistical nightmare.