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Original poster

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

196 replies

mummytippy · 12/05/2020 14:46

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

OP posts:
Concerned7777 · 12/05/2020 15:42

@Mercedes519 yes I have left my DC alone in the holidays from secondary school. Hes sensible grandparents live very near if he has a problem he sometimes chooses to go there sometimes he chooses to stay at home.
@mummytippy In your OP you say you haven't actually asked your employer if you can continue you to be furloughed so until you do and he says yes or no it's just a lot of what ifs.

Original poster
mummytippy · 12/05/2020 15:43

@crustycrab

The reason I am contracted 2 3 full days is so my travel costs are at a minimum. Obviously I'm not going to post my tack home pay on here but I'm not on much more than the minimum wage.

OP posts:
crustycrab · 12/05/2020 15:44

The fact is that you can leave your 13 year old and regularly already do 3 days a week, albeit for a couple of hours.

Saying that you can't leave a 13 year old, that he can't work alone because it is in several formats (don't get that bit, my 6 year old works in different formats so maybe you mean something else), that a 90 minute round trip 4 or 5 times a week will cost half your wages just makes it sound like you don't want to work.

What reasons has your employer given for no work from home? You've admitted that you wouldn't be able to whilst your child is at home.

LightStars · 12/05/2020 15:45

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.

Except it’s not weeks & weeks of being on his own, is it? OP works 3 days a week so he’ll have company on the other 4 days.

Plus if he’s year 9, he’ll be turning 14 in under 4 months - in the absence of SN, it’s absolutely ridiculous to say he can’t stay home alone & needs childcare, he’ll need to learn independence at some point. This type of mollycoddling is why people struggle when they reach adulthood because they’ve never had to learn how to depend on just themselves & therefore have never developed their own strategies for being being alone, handling emergencies etc.

mrsm43s · 12/05/2020 15:50

The reason I am contracted 2 3 full days is so my travel costs are at a minimum.

And that's been very convenient for you. But you might have to take a hit in order to fulfil your own desire to not leave your teenage son at home alone for a full day a few times a week. It's just how it is.

Original poster
mummytippy · 12/05/2020 15:51

@Concerned7777

No I haven't asked yet because I feel that because my employers are 'old fashioned' and they simply want to get back to business not understanding about me leaving my ds.
They won't care and will just want me back in the office regardless of risks of covid 19 and my ds being home alone. As long as their work is being done is all that will matter.
They could have allowed me to work from home as I've said but didn't.

We have a trainee who started a month before lockdown who has 2 children of primary school age, one of which will be able to return to school if she chooses to let them but she is married so has a partner to share the load.

I'm trying to get a feel of what other parents in my position are doing/going to do and I'm worried if I leave my ds and things go pear shaped I'll be stuck and end up in a situation I can't change

OP posts:
crustycrab · 12/05/2020 15:54

"The reason I am contracted 2 3 full days is so my travel costs are at a minimum. Obviously I'm not going to post my tack home pay on here but I'm not on much more than the minimum wage."

This doesn't add up. If you are on just over minimum wage then it works out the same as your current situation to work mornings.

If you worked 21 hours a week on minimum wage you'd take home around £800 a month. With the current price of fuel at 90 minute round trip shouldn't cost more than £8. Thats around £170 a month if you do 5 mornings. The 20% loss through furlough is around £160 a month.

And I rounded up the petrol Grin

So there's your answer. A few hours in the morning, hopefully with some negotiated work from home and no difference to your current income.

mindutopia · 12/05/2020 15:55

I don't know about technically from the perspective of the furlough scheme, but I would definitely just leave him home unless there are SEN or safeguarding issues. I was left home every since day in the school holidays 6am-6pm from about 10. My mum was a single mum and she had to work to keep a roof over our heads. By 13, I was doing overnights alone up to 3 nights in a row while she went on business trips. I was absolutely fine.

You could pack in school work on the other 4 days you aren't working or mornings/evenings, and he'll need to figure out any live classes himself (it shouldn't be too hard with practice). This is pretty much what dh and I are doing now with our 7 year old (except obviously I am wfh so she isn't left alone).

Original poster
mummytippy · 12/05/2020 15:56

@crustycrab

I could work from home if my employer would let me, I don't recall saying I can't.
Different formats here is teachers are setting some work which must be printed off to work on as not able to work directly online onto a document. Teachers are not setting the work until the day of the lesson. I've said already I'm not work shy, I offered to work from home when lockdown was being talked about and was closed down on it

OP posts:
Concerned7777 · 12/05/2020 15:57

@mummy is it an independent/family business you work for? Them not having adequate safety measures is a whole different story. Are you a member of a union you can get safety advice from? They have a duty of care to you to have appropriate health and safety measures in place but I don't know how or where you raise these concerns with an independent company

Original poster
mummytippy · 12/05/2020 15:58

@crustycrab

3 full days travel is 6 trips
5 half days is 10 trips
Anyway my boss hasn't given the option to do half days

OP posts:
crustycrab · 12/05/2020 15:59

But as you're having to homeschool your son you wouldn't be able to.

Can't he log on and access the set work and print it off himself? He's nearly 14.

Your arguments for staying at home do sound quite weak and I'd imagine that you'll need to go to work soon.

What reasons did your employer give for no work from home?

crustycrab · 12/05/2020 16:00

Yes I'm aware of how many trips it is. I included 10 trips in the calculation.

You'd be no worse off financially that you are now

insancerre · 12/05/2020 16:03

Can you not just work 5 mornings?
The price of petrol is pretty low so your costs won’t be that much more

RedskyAtnight · 12/05/2020 16:03

So why not make a good case for working from home, if you think it's possible? Or suggest you'll trial it for one day a week (so you only have to leave your son for 2 days) and see how it goes?

I'm a manager and I would be extremely sympathetic to a single parent with (say) a 3 year old, but would find it difficult to understand why your nearly 14 year old needed childcare.

Original poster
mummytippy · 12/05/2020 16:04

@Concerned7777

Yes it's a family run independent firm.
All staff members are nearing retirement.
I don't want to speak out of turn about them but their
definition of health and safety is having an accident book.
The fire safety inspection was recently failed as no signage, smoke alarms, emergency lighting etc and one of the fire exits had been locked and bunged up with insulation as there was an intense draft over winter.

So no, no union wasn't even invited to join the workplace pension when it was introduced as didn't earn enough but expected to just know that

OP posts:
Original poster
mummytippy · 12/05/2020 16:06

@crustycrab and @insancerre

5 mornings is not an option - boss wants 3 full days regardless of the maths

OP posts:
Original poster
mummytippy · 12/05/2020 16:08

@RedskyAtnight

That's what I'm thinking as it's completely doable and suits the current situation of if you have a job you can do from home, do it

OP posts:
Original poster
mummytippy · 12/05/2020 16:11

@crustycrab

The reason for a no to working from home in the first place was they did not want the accounts to be accessed externally.
It made me feel untrustworthy tbh when I felt I was being extremely obliging. I felt like a slap in the face

OP posts:
Original poster
mummytippy · 12/05/2020 16:12

*It

OP posts:
SkelingtonArgument · 12/05/2020 16:13

Then it’s easy isn’t it? Go to work and leave your 13 year old home alone. Or resign. I see no reason for the taxpayer to carry on funding your choice to be paid to babysit a NT teen

crustycrab · 12/05/2020 16:17

Security issues and concerns are a thing.

I doubt it's that they don't trust you but these papers could be accessed by others or misplaced.

They've put in social distancing measures, it doesn't sound like you've asked to work mornings, this is the perfect opportunity while he's waiting for a reply to his text.

It's up to you to spell out your boundaries with regards to social distancing if anyone doesn't adhere.

The government can't afford to fund people with no childcare issues who can't work from home. It's time to go back to work and your employer has been told to get you back in.

flowery · 12/05/2020 16:24

It doesn't sound like you've even asked about half days. They might prefer that to you not working at all. Make a good case, ask to do it on a trial basis and see how it goes.

insancerre · 12/05/2020 16:25

Have you actually had a conversation with them about your options?
Make some suggestions, see what they say
I don’t think a teenager needs childcare
You need to return to work, so you should be concentrating on how to make it work for you

Concerned7777 · 12/05/2020 16:27

Start of by asking them to continue to furlough 1st they can only say no, they may assume as many on her did that you would leave your ds alone.
If they say no your options are

  1. Leave him alone
  2. Leave him with your parents or a friend
  3. Resign and look for something else you can do from home