School closed....isolate..no pay

[swimmingc]

So had a message to say DS bubble at school has closed. Ds is 7. He has to isolate so I have to take 14 days off work unpaid. I have worked through lockdown and am lucky to have not been furloughed but AIBU to think now I have to take 14 days unpaid leave off work I should be entitled to some kind of pay. I can not afford to lose 14 days pay. No other childcare option. No annual leave as work term time. Feel like crying.
What are everyone else in same position doing?

Can’t you book it as holiday?

Are you a lone parent?

I don't have any holiday as work term time so holidays are included in this

Yes lone parent. Old parents who I wouldn't put at risk

And this is why Covid disproportionally affects certain groups. There will have been many people in your situation who have lied & continued to work as they cannot WFH, have no support from a partner and/or cannot afford 14 days no pay on repeat through winter.

It’s why the north is more affected than the south I think. The are statistically more people in jobs where they can’t WFH. And poorer areas in the north are much poorer than the poorer areas in the south..

It’s shit. The government should be supporting this but they aren’t. Blame Eton educated Boris & his cronies.

This a horrible situations and I really feel for you.

Although I think it would be technically against isolation, is there a parent of another child in the same bubble that could have your child while you work?

I know they are meant to be isolated completely but I don't think that should be at the expense of paying for food and roof over heads when it can be done safely with another bubble mate.

I had to isolate whilst waiting for results and work furloughed me (apparently this is allowed) can your work do similar?

@Bol87 exactly what you said. It so unfair

@Flynn999 I work for NHS so I don't think they furloughed anyone

@swimmingc what about this £500 isolation payment that's been talked about would you be eligible for this?

@MyDogSmells I am texting my ds friends mum, who is in similar position so we are trying to work between us; dont think we should be doing this but at least We both won't lose full 2 weeks pay

@Concerned7777 I haven't heard about that, thank you I'll have a google

I think what people are missing is that it might not just be 2 weeks isolation, if your child gets sick during thats then 2 more weeks isolation for you, then if you get sick... You could potentially be off work for over a month.
The government need to help in these situations!

It is rubbish. I feel so lucky that my children are a bit older and that I wfh so would be OK if this happened. It is absolutely shit for you though x I would feel the same.

I know you are a lone parent but does DS have a dad on the scene who can do a week?

Can you offer to make up the hours at another time in the holidays since you are term time only. When he is well and not needing to isolate he will be able to attend holiday club or visit relatives safely.

I think this is a really difficult one, as we cannot expect employers (many of whom are already struggling) to pay full pay to staff at home not working just providing childcare, especially bearing in mind that this may happen fairly frequently. But understandably, parents are going to struggle to drop a fortnights pay at short notice.

[quote Concerned7777]@swimmingc what about this £500 isolation payment that's been talked about would you be eligible for this?[/quote]

I think that's for if you have to isolate because of testing positive so wouldn't apply here, but I might be wrong.

Do the NHS offer any sort of paid parental leave?

I’ve had this conversation with my manager and came away without answers.

Ultimately if work can find me a childcare option that accepts isolating children then I’ll use it but it doesn’t actually exist! It’s really frustrating and I’m not sure what the answer is but I do feel that there needs to be something in place at a national level to recognise the position isolating children puts parents in.

Financial support needs to be worked out for all employees but parents have their chances of being hit with isolation penalties increased for every child they’re responsible for.

Just had a look at the grant is if I have to isolate. I need to be off purely for childcare.

The NHS offer, I think, 2 days a year carers leave so I could ask my manager about that. Think I may have taken a day off earlier in the year when Ds has an accident at school

@Bol87 I hadn't thought about it like that at all!! You're so right. The south have the capacity to work from home in far greater numbers than the north.

This sounds like such a tough position to be in. Can a relative help with childcare so that you can work at least some of the time?

I have just messaged dad to ask if he can have him any days. I know dad works hard and his company are struggling due to pandemic so don't want to put pressure on him. It's just a really shit situation.
I work term time, school hours due to childcare issues, so would really struggle to make any time up.
Thank you for all suggestions, I know I won't be the only one in this situation

I’m in the same position OP and it sucks. I’m in discussion with my manager at the moment as I initially they said I could have it as medical suspension while they figured out what to do but that was withdrawn after a couple of days so I’m planning to take 2 days emergency carets leave, then do a couple of days of online mandatory training and then the rest will have to be annual leave. They asked me if her dad could have her (I’m a single parent) which was reasonable but he’s self employed and a coronavirus denier and said if she went to his he would take her on jobs with him so I couldn’t do that and then HR told me to send her to her grandparents instead!

Email your MP and ask him what you should do. Perhaps if they get inundated with such emails they might realise people have a problem!

You should be getting paid statutory sick pay for the full two weeks, it's only £94 odd a week, but better than nothing.

Your employer claims it all back through gov so they aren't out of pocket for this.

This is a specific government scheme to help people who need to isolate and businesses who can't afford to pay it.

Is it a full 14 days he has to do? It should be from the day of last contact with the positive case. Given that it probably took at least a few days for the positive case to get test results after developing symptoms and being off school, in most cases this is meaning that the other pupils are isolating for 7-10 days max.

In your situation I would try to do as you've already suggested - form a support bubble with another family in the year group/class.
Then share the child care.

Unfortunately, this may not be a one off- once they go back after 14 days, someone else may then test positive the following week - then it starts again...