Furloughed single parents returning to work who have no childcare - Advice please

[mummytippy]

I've been furloughed since 24/3 after previously offering to work from home and being told no. I do admin work in an office so working from home is doable once I have the paperwork. I've no idea what my boss's reasons were as I have the technology and it's not rocket science.

I have a 13 yo ds in Year 9 who obviously isn't going back to school anytime soon. I've been home schooling him as he's the type of child who has needed me to stand over him to ensure he stays on task. The work set by his school has also been set in multiple formats, not all online so I can't just leave him to it.

Today I've had a text from my boss asking me if I would be prepared to swap days if requested. I usually work 3 full days 9-5.

Aside from Boris making it clear in his speech yesterday, that single parents with no childcare are 'impeded' and have a 'barrier' in returning to work and the Government would 'hope employers are understanding of this'

I also found this on the Gov.UK Website:

www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

''Employees with caring responsibilities

Employees who are unable to work because they have caring responsibilities resulting from coronavirus (COVID-19) can be furloughed. For example, employees that need to look after children can be furloughed''.

I can't leave my ds at home by himself so how do I reply to my boss?

What are everyone else's plans on how to contact their employer to ask to remain on furlough due to no childcare?

Thank you in advance

@Waxonwaxoff0

Did you receive my second PM?

Could you swap to doing mornings every day or something like that? Then you're only out of the house for 4-5 hours rather than 8-9?

Stupid you can't work from home. I'd have thought that this would have open a lot of old fashioned businesses eyes to it!

@ConstantlySeekingHappiness

Before lockdown he would get the school bus home and be in the house until I get in from work - approx 2 hours - no longer

13 year olds don't need childcare unless they have special needs. Even if you were working at home, you couldn't stand over him if you are working! What do you do in school holidays. Can his dad help?

@mummytippy

Are you in a union? You should go to them if your workplace is not going to implement social distancing.

If you have to go to work, could you take your 13 year old to one of your friends?

@Disneylover4321 I haven't received a PM?

"could you take your 13 year old to one of your friends?"

No. She can't, they are looking at the possibility of doing this during the second stage of the plan.

Honestly, I don't see the issue with leaving him for half the day. Couldn't you do mornings?

@Mercedes519

You've hit the nail! They are old fashioned.
I could easily work from home... just think they want to actively see you there... that mindset if you understand... working from home not really working and I have to be honest... where I work is very relaxed on H&S
They still expect 3 of us in an office 10' x 20 with only 2 desks as we had a trainee start just before lockdown

DC's school is open for keyworkers' children. They won't take children in Year 9 or above (unless vulnerable) as it's assumed they can look after themselves. So it might be that your DS is deemed too old to need childcare, and therefore you can't apply for furlough.

I would suggest he go to Grandparents then if necessary. If they’re only 5 mins away.

@Waxonwaxoff0

I replied to the PM that you sent me 3 days ago.

@Mercedes519

If I did mornings instead (which would be better as less time alone) it would cost me half my wages in fuel getting there and back

I have a 13 year old with severe learning difficulties (and a younger child), lone parent. have had my furlough request refused and had to work from home despite having to homeschool 2 DC including one with severe SN. Surprised they furloughed you with a NT 13 year old.

I think I would use this opportunity to give home some spare. No 13 year old without SN needs childcare. You have been incredibly lucky to be furloughed so far as you would not have really needed it given the age of your child.

Do the people who say you would just leave a child at home for 8-9 hours a day HAVE children?

Whatever age that is an awfully long time to be alone. And possibly for the next four months or longer. It's not a week or so for the holidays - its weeks and weeks of being on his own.

More concerning is if the office is not suitable for social distancing - that you need to raise some flags about.

@ConstantlySeekingHappiness

My parents are sheilding as they're 73 and 81 so he can't go there.
That's my problem

Are you parents shielding or have any underlying health issues? Many parents will be opting to still use GP or other family members to help with Childcare as they feel there is no other option.
Employers CAN furlough you for caring issues but they dont HAVE too. Have you asked them about going in part time and wfh part time?
Employers need to be flexible where possible as long as you can still fulfill your duties in your role.
I suppose it depends on the company you work for and the role you do? If they need your role to trade/grow/turn over then it's not unreasonable for them not to continue to furlough if its going to impact the business. Alternatively you need to consider that if they do furlough until sept/Oct they may realise they dont need you as your work will be spread across the team and could end up being made redundant. No situation is ideal at the moment I agree.

@RedskyAtnight

My ds's school (Secondary) is open but for keyworkers kids only

Could you go in on morning of day 1 to have a socially distanced chat with boss, pick up papers, plan your work to take home, work from home, then come in in the afternoon on day 3 to finish off and hand over? Then your teen would be alone one morning and one afternoon

"If I did mornings instead (which would be better as less time alone) it would cost me half my wages in fuel getting there and back"

so you earn no more than £80 for 3 full days work?

Could your parents go in the unlikely event of an emergency? I know they’re shielding but it’s also likely at 13 they wouldn’t be needed to.

Unfortunately, I don’t think you have any rights as such, there is no right to work from home and no right to be furloughed. You could argue it is indirectly discriminatory as women more likely to be affected by childcare issues. You’d have to raise a grievance, it may or may not work.

Boris was talking about this yesterday as hoping employers would be reasonable. If yours aren’t, I’m afraid I’m not sure where that leaves you.

I would (and have) left my DS now aged 13 for a day or two per week in school holidays since he started year 7. It's really not a problem.

You do not have the right to demand to be furloughed, you can ask, but your company does not have to grant it. Employers are not likely to be sympathetic to the request for you to be furloughed for childcare of a teenager in the way they may well be if you had a primary age or younger child at home for obvious reasons.

That leaves you with the option of requesting unpaid parental leave, annual leave or leaving your job if your employers do not wish you to work from home.

Tbh, you'd probably have more chance of negotiating on the basis that the advice is if you can work from home then you should, than mentioning that you have a teenager that you think needs childcare.

Not sure how you intend to WfH successfully if you need to stand over your child all day making sure he does his school work!

Do the people who say you would just leave a child at home for 8-9 hours a day HAVE children?

Yes, and they've been left at home all day during school holidays since they started secondary school. Not all day, every day, but OP works part time anyway.

"You do not have the right to demand to be furloughed, you can ask, but your company does not have to grant it. Employers are not likely to be sympathetic to the request for you to be furloughed for childcare of a teenager in the way they may well be if you had a primary age or younger child at home for obvious reasons.

That leaves you with the option of requesting unpaid parental leave, annual leave or leaving your job if your employers do not wish you to work from home.

Tbh, you'd probably have more chance of negotiating on the basis that the advice is if you can work from home then you should, than mentioning that you have a teenager that you think needs childcare."

Yes to all of that.

Ask to be furloughed by all means. They can say no. Ask to work from home, on the basis the government has said everyone still should where this is possible. And/or come up with compromises, such as reducing hours, or similar.

@Concerned7777

In an ideal world I would have been allowed to work from home in the first place. Then I wouldn't have been on 80% of my part-time wage and there would not have been what I imagine now will be some kind of backlog of work.

If I'm honest their attitude upset me and frustrated me...
now from what I've heard, they've put half baked measures in place... bit of chevron tape on the shop floor (no changes in the offices apart from a squirt of dettol here and there) and it's business as usual.

My boss had a temp/cough just before lockdown (visited family in London and returned with it) and when I asked them to please keep their distance I was called a cheeky sod and had a box of tissues thrown at me! I was only thinking about passing it on to my parents and my ds. I felt that was just ignorant and selfish behaviour

Boris meant young primary school children, not adolescents.

What will you do if your employer insists?