TUC saying parents should be furloughed if schools are off

[BubblyBarbara]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55522104

Maybe this is more AIBU territory but I feel that while this advice is good intentioned, it's actually very dangerous for parents! While it will work for many people, there are others whose employers will put furloughed employees at the front of the queue for potential future redundancies or might even find they continue to operate fine without the employee. Parents who don't need to take furlough and are OK working from home with children present might also feel pressure to be furloughed they wouldn't otherwise. Is TUC being reasonable with this "advice" to employers?

Oh good.
I thought it was just me.

I have never worried about leaving my 13 year old at home in fact I did during the summer holidays for weeks.

Not being funny but I don't think there's anything wrong with being concerned about leaving a 13 year old all day every day for 5 days a week.

Even if they can sort themselves out with lunch etc (which I'd expect for a 13 yo with no SEN tbf), from a MH perspective it isn't good.

It’s like some parallel universe on here these days. I can’t wrap my head around it.

To do my full time hours but also attend to my child during the first lockdown I was working 6am-10am, 12pm-1pm and then 8 til midnight 5 days a week. Not doing that again because my MH is already at breaking point and I've already said that to my employer.

I was lucky(!) enough to get put on some weekend shifts last time because of the situation, so it was a cobble together of weekdays working for an hour or so at a time on and then off during the day plus working late into the evenings plus weekends. My youngest was an awful sleeper which did not help. I was shattered, absolutely shattered. Other colleagues with young children trying to do the same thing, other colleagues without young children working extra hours to make up for it.

My employer went for the “just do what you can! we’re all only human!” approach, which was great, except that the work just kept coming and everything was a priority and urgent and now now now, so in effect we ended up doing our full hours anyway.

And this is public sector so no entitlement to furlough anyway. Gosh I cannot WAIT to do all this again

Do you have sons by any chance?

We aren't a profit making enterprise
Neither will my business be at this rate

Also present times are a bit different than the summer holidays as there is no socialising allowed.

@GoldenOmber for some it is not better than nothing. Handouts in a couple of months won’t work for a lot of companies, they need employees to work now. It will mean closure otherwise and all employees made redundant. That’s the reality of it, no staff, no business. Some are going to be forced to either our staff on unpaid leave (furlough costs money) to hire temporary staff or make them redundant now and hire new staff. Either way if their current staff can’t work then they need new staff, and won’t be able to pay for two lots, and won’t be able to keep on both lots once this ends. As I said it’s an awful situation for families and businesses but I can’t see any other solution for many. This whole pandemic has negatively impacted families.

from a MH perspective it isn't good.

It’s appalling. I can’t believe it’s just being normalised like this.

@Saylethewayles

Not being funny but I don't think there's anything wrong with being concerned about leaving a 13 year old all day every day for 5 days a week.

Even if they can sort themselves out with lunch etc (which I'd expect for a 13 yo with no SEN tbf), from a MH perspective it isn't good.

I'm sure lots of people will have to! It won't be forever will it?

Good for you.
I'm presuming your 13 year old is your child?
Mine isn't, but his mum died of cancer 3 years ago, so things can be a bit "difficult", you know?

More support for businesses isnt helpful though when you need staff to do their jobs now

Yes, I know, I did say that in pretty much those exact words.

However there are SOME employers where this would go some way to helping.

My employer went for the “just do what you can! we’re all only human!” approach, which was great, except that the work just kept coming and everything was a priority and urgent and now now now, so in effect we ended up doing our full hours anyway.

Yeah I think a lot of employers mean well and say that but then don't put it into practice. Some stuff obviously is urgent and has to be dealt with immediately, but I do think that other things can be pushed back on.

And I'd be concerned, yes, but not as concerted as I would about losing my job! I am a single parent though, if you have the 'luxury' of a working partner I can see why you'd want to stay at home.

It won't be forever will it?

It is highly likely to be a good few months.

Concerned, not concerted

@MrsMiaWallis how old are your dc? how will you navigate the situation?

@OldAndWornOut

Good for you. I'm presuming your 13 year old is your child? Mine isn't, but his mum died of cancer 3 years ago, so things can be a bit "difficult", you know?

Yes my 13 year old is my child.

Still, slap a smile on my face, toddle off to work, because redundancy is the worst thing (clue. Its not)

They'll stay at home while I go to work. The now 14 year old will be home alone.

Mine are 6 and 3. Husband and I are both WFH so appreciate that it could be worse, but our jobs are absolutely full on and trying to balance it all between us while supervising/home educating nearly broke us both the last time round.

God I mean at least last time round we could chuck them into the garden for a bit.

@OldAndWornOut

Still, slap a smile on my face, toddle off to work, because redundancy is the worst thing (clue. Its not)

It is if you have bills and a mortgage to pay and would find it hard to get another job, dontbe silly.

The TUC aren't really in the real world though, are they? They are in a left-wing, socialist utopia where no-one is ever made redundant, businesses aren't actually there to make a profit and where employees are in a constant struggle against the "man".

Their 1970s thinking is totally irrelevant and I don't see why anyone's giving them headspace.

No, I don't have the luxury of a partner, obviously.