Furloughed and work wants me back in the office Monday with no childcare

[workingwithoutchildcare]

Im a single parent and was furloughed at the start of lockdown as we were not busy. Business has picked and my work has asked me today to go back into the office Monday 4 days a week. They said now there is work I don't meet criteria for the furloughed, which is rubbish as it can be used if you don't have childcare. I have two children one is in the year group that can go back, but it's only for 3 hours a day and other is in year 2 so can't go back to school yet. My work has given me the option to use holiday instead now. They have asked me if anyone else can help but parents are shielding and there dad is back at work himself and is not seeing the kids. If I quit I assume it would mess up my universal credits. Working from home would be very difficult with my mental health and two children who still need a lot of support and help homeschooling and a job that requires a lot of concentration. I have mental health problems as it is and I feel I am only just managing right now being on my own for weeks with two young children and not even a garden to escape to. I really don't know what I can do and wish they would just make me redundant if I'm honest.

Is there any chance that one of the other mums would agree to look after your child when you are working, I know that I will be offering this to my DD's best friends (they will be bubbled together in class)? Guess it depends how many children you have got.

It's really hard to find childcare at the moment. Our primary school goes back without a breakfast or after school club... that doesn't help parents get back to work at all. I really don't see the point of rushing this kids back to school it is actually just making life harder for working parents who are now under pressure to return to jobs.

It's totally unfeasible to expect parents of school aged kids to magic up, pay for (and also find) willing childminders until school reopens.

What is the government actually thinking?

Op with regards to paying childcare costs upfront if you already receive UC there is something called the job center development fund not widely advertised but this can be accessed as a grant to help pay childcare fees upfront especially if required to safeguard remaining/starting work.

You often have to really push to get this and many people aren’t clued up that it exists
Certainly worth a try

I think the problem has been acknowledged and employers are expected to be reasonable. However the government can’t continue to pay people for ever. Could you perhaps negotiate going in a couple of times a week?

There is sadly no good answer here. You can't expect to stay on furlough whilst there is work for you to do, especially as employers are being asked to pay part of this in the near future, it's just not feasible for businesses and they'll end up closing. However I get that you can't leave your children unsupervised.

If I were you I'd take some holiday in the short term and hope that school hours increase. From there ask your employer for the reasonable adjustment of working from home in flex hours. With the holiday time they'll have time to help you set up for this. Then do as much work as you can for the 3 (or however many hours) your youngest is at school and tell the older one they have to entertain themselves during this time. Then fit in the odd hour of work here and there whilst you give them screen time, and do some more after they go to bed/before they wake up. You probably won't make your contracted hours but you'll be showing your employer your willingness to be flexible and do as much as you can so hopefully they will be flexible with you in turn and want to keep you on as a dedicated employee.

It's shit, it really is. It's no way to live. But it's shit for everyone right now, no ones really living we're all just existing and getting through. We will get through and schools will go back but for the time being we all just have to juggle and do what we can.

There is a thread on AIBU called childcare being removed for key workers, have a read to see if there is any advice. One thing I do remember reading is to contact your MP.

I'm sorry you're in this situation, it is shit. I hope you can work something out.

I’m having to hire a nanny to take care of my two...I did hear local childminders are looking for new customers too. It’s all so expensive though.

My DH and I have had our son at home since lockdown and both working full time throughout. We've both been taking a days' annual leave per week and running split shifts for the other two days eg DH works 7-1, I work 1-7. Fridays I'm off. Annual leave is running out so we will likely have to move to unpaid time off at some point.

Work don't have to furlough you for childcare reasons, and will be less likely to now they will have to pay towards it.

You and your DH need to look at care together and come up with a proposal for your work. Employers should be flexible and fingers crossed appreciate that you can't work at 100% capacity with two children at home.

I'd personally be doing all I can to keep a job at the moment rather than just hand in your notice.

I'm sorry, I'm missed you were a single parent. Husband isn't a DH! I still think my advice stands of looking how you can work your week from home/take some annual leave during the week.

I'm WFH FT with two young children at home. Is it easy? No. Is it necessary? Yes.
Can you really not work from home?

Would you get childcare covered in UC?

Would you get UC increased based on earnings if you took unpaid parental leave?

Have you emailed Hr asking about furlough for childcare reasons?

Have you spoken to GP? If you have MH problems they may agree you aren't fit to work and provide a certificate.

So sorry you're going through this. And any others going through it. It's shit

You need to ask to wfh. No its not easy but plenty of other parents doing it

The government guidelines say that anyone who can wfh should be doing so. Your employer should not be asking anyone back to the office unless it is not possible for then to do their job from home.

@ceeveebee OP has already said it would be difficult to work from home as she would have access to everything she needs to do her job

*wouldn't

I hope this isn't too late, but contact Pregnant Then Screwed for advice. They're on Facebook. They have brilliant advice and have an employment lawyer involved too. Hopefully there's a screenshot here for contact details.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

To those suggesting a CM - how do you propose the OP funds this?

If she's on universal credit as she said, they'll pay 85% of the costs.

Working from home would be very difficult with my mental health and two children who still need a lot of support and help homeschooling and a job that requires a lot of concentration.

have you been offered WFH at all? I would do that. I have been WFH since lockdown started. Lone parent and one of the DC has complex SN including severe LDs. No furlough for me - there is no legal right to furlough for lack of childcare. You just have been very lucky. You will just work, not homeschool. My children haven't had schooling since lockdown. Many other kids are in the same boat. Your DC will survive 2 months without much education. Just prioritise the job.

I would take the WFH route and see how you get on. This all takes flexibility on both sides. Your company was very accomodating to furlough you instead of forcing you to WFH . I would not let my job go.

What is the government actually thinking? The government is thinking about the big picture, not about individuals. They expect that, as we don't actually have a Nanny State, no matter how much it feels like we do, that most peole will be able to come to some sort of compromise, with employers and employees alike being fair minded and sensible.

The general guidance is that anyone who can should work from home. But we've seen so many threads now where people go back to work and actively agitate against the home working parent "Oh, woe is me, it's not fair" etc etc. So some companies make a one size fits all decision!

But when that happens there is no fall back position, no automatic support for anyone. 2.9 million lone parents is 14% ish of the total population and not all of them will be having any work issues. So they are not automatically at the top of any government list. Things like transport, education, businesses are.

So new groups like Pregnant Then Screwed are needed to make enough combined noise... as has happened a few times over the last couple of months.

I'm self employed and it looks as though I won't be getting much/any more support. I have 80% of 3 months work, no loan available to me, none of the other grants etc. either. So I know how hard it is to get anyone to hear you. Apparently I'm alright - as I must have not been paying taxes, been hiding money and making squillions that I haven't declared!! It is shit!

Made more so by comments like If she's on universal credit as she said, they'll pay 85% of the costs that is paid up front, with 4 days notice is it?

Sounds though for you op. Hopefully they'll get the schools back properly asap. This drip feed approach is fine initially then they need to get on with it.

I think wfh is your least worst option. It is what I and many other parents are having to do. Am I doing my job to my normal level? No, of course not. However, I am trying to show willing and do the best I can so that I will hopefully still have a job at the end of this.

Of course it isn't good for the children to spend so much time in front of the TV, I would love to be doing home learning and all the lovely craft activities that are plastered all over social media, but in my opinion it is better for them in the long term if I don't lose my job. I don't think this would be a good time to become unemployed.

Well I haven't heard a word from work at all today and my child who was due to go back to school next week isn't, as the school has decided with the council not to open to that year group. WFH hasn't been given as an option, but I had offered it. I called UC about help paying upfront for childcare if I could find a childminder and they said it's not something they do and I have no available credit to pay up front for that. I'll look into the pregnant and screwed Facebook page. I appreciate everyone's advice and I'm not deliberately being difficult, but I do feel like my hands are tied a little and work has to meet me half way. I was furloughed initially due to lack of business

Lots of people are in the same situation.
You were furloughed as there was no work
There is now work
You no longer qualify for furlough because of this (your employer could consider prolonging your furlough due to child care but they are essentially losing money as you arent working)
School wont open so you have no childcare
There are 3 likely outcomes;
You find childcare, be it a friend or relative
You get made redundant
You use holiday to cover your absence from work while school is shut.

Your employer is a business they dont owe you anything their job is to make money. It's a shit situation for everyone

What equipment do you need to WFH? Could it be moved to your house? If so, I would ask to WFH and do flexi/compressed hours as much as possible; so 6-10am; spend day with kids, 7-10pm, or put them in front of screens for a couple of hours middle of the day to shorten that a bit?

It’s absolutely shit. I’m so sorry.

[quote Uhoh2020]@ceeveebee OP has already said it would be difficult to work from home as she would have access to everything she needs to do her job[/quote]
OP didn’t say that. She said “Working from home would be very difficult with my mental health and two children who still need a lot of support and help homeschooling and a job that requires a lot of concentration.“ No mention of access to anything she needs for her job?