Back to office no childcare

[Bakersdelight]

I’ve just received an email from my boss to say I’m unfurloughrd from next Tuesday 26 May to work back in the office. I have a 2 year old and a son in year 2. My husband works full time. We have no childcare as nothing is open. I don’t know what to do.

I thought childminders were allowed to open now?

What job do you do?

Childminders are 1st June. Can you ask them to delay for a few more days?

You can ask if it can be extended. If not, a combination of annual leave and unpaid leave. Or flexible shifts depending on the job.

Is your husband able to take leave or work flexible shifts too?

Contact childminder, ask husband to take annual leave to cover the gap until they open? Try to negotiate reduced Face to face hours with both bosses?

Ask to work from home?
Trying to find a child minder?
Doing shifts around DH?
Check if furlough can be extended?
Unpaid leave?
Annual leave?
Can DH take some time off (AL or unpaid leave) so you can return? They are not just your DC - should be up to both parents to find a workable solution.

It is shit though. I am a lone parent. I have to return and one of my DC is severely disabled and childminders won't take her.

I have told my boss I will continue to work from home but been told it is not on and he will let me go if I don't return. I guess I will be dismissed shortly.

Me and DH are both teachers and we have the same problem.

Wrap around care isn’t opening because it takes children from both local schools and they can’t mix settings.
Nursery said they cannot offer the hours we need because of staffing.
School have said that, because of the room they need for year 6, year 1 and year R to be back in their bubble they only have room for a maximum of 10 key worker children and priority will be given to those who have used school throughout. So that means no school for DS1 who is in year 3.

I have no idea what we are going to do.

As it's illegal to be fired due to parental status and there is furlough available for childcare purposes, it will be interesting to see whether bosses like this are held to account in employment court. I would bet people will be more unwilling to let this sort of thing go and "move on" - when there are far less jobs to move on to.

It's disgraceful OP. 💐💐
Would your boss be open to furlough for childcare purposes? I would formally apply for this, through email, and keep a copy of the email. It may come in handy. CYA, keep your own records (at home) of all conversations.

As it's illegal to be fired due to parental status and there is furlough available for childcare purposes

I have been refused furlough even though I am a lone parent or 2 DC and one has severe learning diffs. I have to work from home despite it all. I dont think it is that simple with furlough.

Hi Pottering,

I've got a similar issue with my own children, I work in childcare.

I would contact your LA, they will be coordinating care for key workers children and should be able to help. Probably not about the wrap around care though...

My youngest so scared nursery op end 1 June. My eldest is in year 2, so no school.

Apologies, fat finger typing. My youngest son can go to nursery from 1 June but my eldest is in year 2 so there is no school

I spoke to my boss yesterday and asked to work from home but he is insisting everyone comes back to the office, even though they could do at least part of their jobs from home. I also asked if he could furlough me for just one more week and he said the business needs me and it couldn’t be justified. I said he could extend the furlough for childcare responsibility and he said no.

Lots of people have suggested a childminder, have you explored that option?

Same as @dairyfairies here, single parent of two primary aged children, one with SEN and furlough was refused.
I looked at a nanny short term, would that be an option for you? It looks though that the wages went up significantly given extra demand - someone I spoke to yesterday wants £2.5K gross per month, plus extra contributions and expenses will make it close to £3K.

I love they way everyone says childminder! Round here childminders have a long wait, you would want to settle your child in with that person before you go back to work and I don’t know any childminders that would have space to take a child on for a few weeks until schools are re opened (if they do!) I love the way people think there is an endless supply of childminders and especially childminders with places! Oh and then there is the cost too!
Op I feel for you, this is my biggest fear aswell and something the government just don’t seem to have taken into consideration apart from saying employers should be sympathetic! In the real world we all know this won’t happen! I would explain to your bosses and re-iterate you can carry on being furloughed for this purpose. It’s so tough!

Daryfaries, my heart goes out to you. You are doing such an amazing job looking after your child single handed. I hope you don’t get dismissed.

Potteringalong it’s a crap situation. What on earth do they expect you to do??

My year 2 boy can sit still and concentrate for about 5 minutes, so I am grateful I was furloughed as I Tannie myself into the ground trying to work and look after them. It’s been bloody hard though as 2 year old is a ball if fire and frankly I’m exhausted and feel really low. I’m also worried about the summer holidays, what if there are no activity camps? My boss has already enrolled everyone to say there has to be minimal leave taken.

gingajewel I am a childminder! I haven’t said that lightly. I know several local to me who have recently lost families due to change of Covid circumstances or aren’t ready to return just yet. A year 2 child wouldn’t need a protracted settling in period. It’s worth exploring.

I get where you’re coming from and sympathise, but there are currently loads of these threads going on and all have the same theme - what a bunch of evil employers people have.

At the end of the day, this is an awful, unprecedented situation and many employers are having to try to secure the future of the business in order to protect as many jobs as possible. This is in the background of uncertainty, ever changing guidance and unclear rules, along with trying to accommodate WFH measures (which in many cases is reduced productivity) or other H&S processes and expenses. They will also be trying to catch up due to external client demands, which are not always the most reasonable, and worried about everyone saving up annual leave and taking it in bulk in the last 6 months of the year, which will stress the staff left working. Add that employees moaning about other staff on furlough of WFH with reduced productivity. I highly doubt employers are sat there trying to think of ways to make parents lives difficult. They are trying their best, as is everyone.

WFH has been a real help, but in many cases it is not the same as being present especially with young children in the background demanding attention. I know - I have two pre-schoolers.

Before I get piled on, I know some employers are rubbish and unhelpful. But many comments I have seen seem to refuse to acknowledge any responsibility on parents to try to work with their employers. A refusal to use annual leave to look after children is a common one - that’s what leave is for, it’s not all holidays and sunshine. Or a refusal to use available childcare.

I genuinely do sympathise, but with everyone in the situation. Not just parents.

I don’t know what the answer is in genuine cases where there is no alternative. Not very helpful I know.

@BluntAndToThePoint80
I already took all my annual leave bar one week (hoping to save it for Christmas), but it won't really save the situation if I took all of it.

A refusal to use annual leave to look after children is a common one

I have 4 weeks AL, took a week in Feb, need one week for Xmas. I have 2 weeks left to cover (hopefully more) school hols when schools are open and frequent hospital appointments for DD (severe SN). It is not a refusal to take weeks of annual leave. I just don't have months of AL supply to cover this situation. Not sure this use AL advice is remotely helpful and realistic for most when we look at a possible September return for schools and employers requesting us to return now.

As for unpaid leave - well, as a lone parent you do the maths.

There's no obligation on an employer to furlough any member of staff for any reason whatsoever, childcare issues or otherwise. Yes, it would be nice if they did, but they don't have to.

They'll be doing all they can to keep the business running and not going under, and that includes getting everyone back to work. If they make exceptions for you, they'll have to make exceptions for others.

You'll not have childcare issues when you're made redundant mind you, which very well might be the alternative.

You could also request to take a weeks parental leave. Unpaid, but it would solve your problem until everywhere else reopens

@dairyfairies

You’ve taken my post personally and picked up on one statement, ignoring the rest that don’t suit your purposes - I’m not saying you’ve refused to take annual leave but SOME have. There was a whole thread of people recently saying how unfair it was they had to take some leave to look after their kids.

In genuine cases I don’t know the answer, as I’ve said already, but people are so quick to jump on employers who are in some cases trying to juggle the same issues others are combined with the stress of keeping a business going and people employed. They are not all sat there on giant piles of cash like Scrooge McDuck trying to think up new ways to screw employees.

As it's illegal to be fired due to parental status

They won't be though. They will be fired for not being in work, and anyone can be fired for that reason.

OP, what you would do during school holidays in normal times? Because this may not be easy now because schools haven't returned, but schools have never functioned every week of the year.

Can family help you out? I know it's not technically allowed but neither is leaving 2 children unattended, I think most people will do this as there isn't an alternative

They won't be though. They will be fired for not being in work, andanyonecan be fired for that reason.

Where there is govt furlough specifically to cover employees for childcare whilst provision is unavailable during a pandemic... women and it will be virtually 100% women being fired for temporarily failing to attend the office is the same as being fired for having kids. And a one week childcare gap is pretty fucking temporary.

It's knowing and sly. In some cases, it will be quite intentional.