So how the F are we meant to work?

[Littlewhitedove2]

3 primary age kids. One parent left who won’t leave their house except the shops much less come anywhere near me or the kids. Inlaws in a similar position.
Primary school closed. It won’t be 2 weeks - it will be far longer than that.
Husband full time work.
I work part time as much as I can around school but not critical worker.
How do women work now?

@CottonSock I might have missed something but if your DH is a doctor isn't he a key worker? I thought schools remain open for key workers?

I encourage you to talk to your employer and partner talk to theirs about partial furlough. For example for two x 8h days if you both work 75% and 25% furlough then that’s 4 hours total of home schooling/care time per day. Even if employer doesn’t top up it would only be a loss of 20% of 25% which may be more manageable.

Many schools are saying both parents need to be key workers to qualify for space

[quote cloudchaos]@Jellycatspyjamas well employers need to be told by men, in the same way that women are having conversations with their employers.

The benefit of "all" schools being closed rather than just individuals saying that they don't want their kids to attend is that "everyone" has the same problem, so no one person should stand out as being awkward or open to redundancy if everyone says they have the same problems with childcare. A large number of people have kids.

Why is it only the employers of women that seem to be able to be flexible ? [/quote]
Sorry, but some jobs are just not flexible of flexible enough with all the best will in the world

@Itsnotlikethiswithotherpeople

I encourage you to talk to your employer and partner talk to theirs about partial furlough. For example for two x 8h days if you both work 75% and 25% furlough then that’s 4 hours total of home schooling/care time per day. Even if employer doesn’t top up it would only be a loss of 20% of 25% which may be more manageable.

This only works if the work has somewhere else to go, most of us have actual responsibilities at work that require reactivity, and the work simply can't wait until you are next in.

@GoldenOmber where are you that nannies and childcare isn't allowed and that nurseries are closed?

The contingency framework says "Early years
Early years settings (including nurseries and childminders) should continue to allow all children/pupils to attend as normal. School-based nurseries in primary schools have discretion to follow arrangements for the primary school."

We are in one of the areas where primary schools are closed, they have kept their nursery open at the school though and my sisters kids are still going to nursery.

Have I missed some guidance somewhere for other areas?

If your area is breaking the rules perhaps raise with your MP?

Nannies and childcare are still allowed in the strictest areas as far as I can see.

This is the tier 4 information on the government website for childcare

"There are several ways that parents and carers can continue to access childcare in Tier 4 areas:
• early years settings and childminders remain open, and you can continue to use these settings as normal
• you can access other childcare activities (including wraparound care) where reasonably necessary to enable parents to work, seek work, attend education or training, a medical appointment or respite care
• nannies will be able to continue to provide services, including in the home
• parents are able to form a childcare bubblee_ with one other household for the purposes of informal childcare, where the child is 13 or under
• some households will also be able to benefit from being in a support bubblee_
Some youth services are able to continue, such as 1-1 youth work and support groups, but most youth clubs and groups will need to cease for this period."

Furlough still exists until April 2021. Furlough can be used for childcare reasons.

@GoldenOmber I agree about the legal protection provisions. Perhaps we should start a petition?

[quote cloudchaos]@GoldenOmber where are you that nannies and childcare isn't allowed and that nurseries are closed?

The contingency framework says "Early years
Early years settings (including nurseries and childminders) should continue to allow all children/pupils to attend as normal. School-based nurseries in primary schools have discretion to follow arrangements for the primary school."

We are in one of the areas where primary schools are closed, they have kept their nursery open at the school though and my sisters kids are still going to nursery.

Have I missed some guidance somewhere for other areas?

If your area is breaking the rules perhaps raise with your MP?

Nannies and childcare are still allowed in the strictest areas as far as I can see.

This is the tier 4 information on the government website for childcare

"There are several ways that parents and carers can continue to access childcare in Tier 4 areas:
• early years settings and childminders remain open, and you can continue to use these settings as normal
• you can access other childcare activities (including wraparound care) where reasonably necessary to enable parents to work, seek work, attend education or training, a medical appointment or respite care
• nannies will be able to continue to provide services, including in the home
• parents are able to form a childcare bubblee_ with one other household for the purposes of informal childcare, where the child is 13 or under
• some households will also be able to benefit from being in a support bubblee_
Some youth services are able to continue, such as 1-1 youth work and support groups, but most youth clubs and groups will need to cease for this period."

Furlough still exists until April 2021. Furlough can be used for childcare reasons. [/quote]
Nannies... sorry but we don't all live in Sloane Square and have a golden pot of money going spare

@GoldenOmber where are you that nannies and childcare isn't allowed and that nurseries are closed?

Scotland.

@HancocksSexTears obviously there are exceptions. But it shouldn't be the rule that women how to solve this problem alone.

Furlough for childcare reasons is a start, but it’s still the employer’s decision to grant, if they decide they don’t need you all that badly. It’s not presented as “some of your employees are now unable to work so here is what you do”, the same way that regular furlough is. As a consequence, a lot of employers will not be in a position to furlough people when there’s work available to be done and the employers are trying to stay afloat.

[quote cloudchaos]@HancocksSexTears obviously there are exceptions. But it shouldn't be the rule that women how to solve this problem alone. [/quote]
It isn't the rule but it's absolutely at that point where we all find out, male and female, that flexibility only goes so far and the work needs to be done. My work so t care if I have a penis or not, they want what they are paying for and they won't put in a replacement for me whilst I furlough. Nor anyone else.

It's busy, ergo, they are not furloughing.

[quote cloudchaos]@GoldenOmber I agree about the legal protection provisions. Perhaps we should start a petition? [/quote]
Someone on the Feminism board already did, but there’s currently a long wait for petitions to be active so it’s not up yet.

Yes, and furlough isn't a viable option for all women. Financially, I would be worse off by over £2500 every month if I was furloughed. Isn't furlough 80% any more? Or was that just at the beginning. I thought you could get 80% up to a maximum of £2500 a month but I know things are always changing.

@ancientgran

Yes, and furlough isn't a viable option for all women. Financially, I would be worse off by over £2500 every month if I was furloughed. Isn't furlough 80% any more? Or was that just at the beginning. I thought you could get 80% up to a maximum of £2500 a month but I know things are always changing.

Yes that's correct, if your a high earning women furlough doesn't work

@HancocksSexTears "Nannies... sorry but we don't all live in Sloane Square and have a golden pot of money going spare"

Who said we all did? I sent the whole section of childcare provisions from the Gov website. Not just those relating to nannies. Although the post I was responding to did say "nannies" specifically were unable to work

I'm not sure if my kids and their partners have unusual jobs but out of the 8 of them 2 men 2 women are working from home, 2 men 2 women are in job where they can't work from home. Child care working out equal. The ones who are out at work envy the ones safely at home, the ones working from home are climbing up the walls and are desperate to be back at normal workplace.

I suppose we have reached a balance when everyone is unhappy.

@ancientgran

I'm not sure if my kids and their partners have unusual jobs but out of the 8 of them 2 men 2 women are working from home, 2 men 2 women are in job where they can't work from home. Child care working out equal. The ones who are out at work envy the ones safely at home, the ones working from home are climbing up the walls and are desperate to be back at normal workplace.

I suppose we have reached a balance when everyone is unhappy.

Correct, at what point do the peasants revolt though?

@HancocksSexTears yep same here. Saying ‘oh get your employer to furlough you’ when mine and DH’s employers are furloughing nobody because they are incredibly busy is not going to wash. We also have a recruitment freeze in my organisation which is not helping matters!

@ancientgran

I'm not sure if my kids and their partners have unusual jobs but out of the 8 of them 2 men 2 women are working from home, 2 men 2 women are in job where they can't work from home. Child care working out equal. The ones who are out at work envy the ones safely at home, the ones working from home are climbing up the walls and are desperate to be back at normal workplace.

I suppose we have reached a balance when everyone is unhappy.

Sounds right @ancientgran it’s shit for everyone!

@HancocksSexTears "Yes that's correct, if your a high earning women furlough doesn't work"

Hopefully if you are a high earning woman then your children's father can "afford" to ask for some flexibility with their employer and you have loads of money, including access to nannies and a "rainy day fund" 😏

You seem to be suggesting the government should pay 100% of salaries for everyone in the country for potentially years while we deal with covid. How do you propose the country funds that? Particularly when you seem to be suggesting we should also be paying 100% salary of these "high earners" 🤨

Sounds right @ancientgran it’s shit for everyone! Wouldn't it be nice if the balance was everyone happy.

[quote cloudchaos]@HancocksSexTears "Yes that's correct, if your a high earning women furlough doesn't work"

Hopefully if you are a high earning woman then your children's father can "afford" to ask for some flexibility with their employer and you have loads of money, including access to nannies and a "rainy day fund" 😏

You seem to be suggesting the government should pay 100% of salaries for everyone in the country for potentially years while we deal with covid. How do you propose the country funds that? Particularly when you seem to be suggesting we should also be paying 100% salary of these "high earners" 🤨

[/quote]
That's not what I'm saying at all, you are assuming a high earning woman can afford to lose that much money.

People live to their means, they also lose roughly half or more at point of tax.

Her husband may we'll pay the billls/food, none of us know.

If you lose you income, you lose your roof over your head.

Doesn't matter whether you earn 100k or 20k a year.

@ancientgran I guess if we weren't in tinge middle of a global pandemic, but we are, so it might be a bit trickier to keep everyone happy in that situation.

Simplistic thinking got us here in the first place, time to start thinking outside the bloody box