Nursery told us to isolate baby for 14 days, what are my employment rights?

[RednaxelasLunch]

Sorry if this has already been asked.

Baby had 3 days of nursery before they shut the room due to another baby testing positive for Covid. We have been told to isolate baby for 14 days. I was due to return to work, WFH. DH is also WFH.

What am I supposed to do? Will I have to take annual leave? Am I supposed to fudge it and WFH at same time? Help.

Should add DH is willing to tag team.

As its not you that's isolating then you could take annual leave or unpaid leave or work around the baby

Or if your employer has emergency carer leave. Split between you and partner.

Emergency dependent leave, annual leave or unpaid leave, unless your work has a better policy to cover it. Otherwise can you work flexibly and do some early in the morning and in the evening, and split it with your DH?

How old is your baby? Depending on my line manager I’d expect to do my work and still get paid (regardless of how I manage that) or I’d not tell them.

When my two DD were off school and needed someone with them I worked 7-1, DH worked 12-6 then we both caught up the 1.5 in the evening. Was exhausting but it worked.

It depends how old your baby is? If it was me I would let my employer know this information, I will take a few days leave and try to work around baby as much as possible, doing majority of the work during naps and evening. It can be done

As you are both EFH you both need to,ask your employers if you have to work set hours, or if you can do your daily hours at times of your choosing.

If the latter, you are sitting pretty and you/DH arrange work around sharing time with DC. If not, then you need to do what other working aren't do, which is for DH and you each to take some (probably unpaid) leave, or you could use annual leave (if you still have some unallocated)

PS: ''twas ever thus - DC newly at nursery often catch every bug going round and the first term there is a nightmare in terms of needing time off to look after them. Not often for as long as 14 days at a stretch, but easily that much spread out. And not as much WFH before this year.

When my two DD were off school and needed someone with them I worked 7-1, DH worked 12-6 then we both caught up the 1.5 in the evening. Was exhausting but it worked

We did similar during lock down. It's hard but worked for us.

Also, the 14 days is from the last contact so not 2 weeks from today, so that's a few days shaved off!

Are you due to return to work from mat leave?

Please don’t try to work and look after the baby at the same time for two weeks if you can avoid it at all. Assuming you’ve had 9 months/1 year off, returning is going to be a lot to focus on in itself.

Thanks all. I was expecting to use annual leave for nursery bugs but 14 days is a bit more than expected!

DH and I will tag team with slightly altered hours as suggested. Our employers are fairly flexible so hopefully no probs.

I'd rather save the AL for actual illnesses and maybe even some time to myself?!!