My son has covid- do I have to work?

[grace1991]

Hi just some advice please! My 18m old tested positive for covid after the childminders household had a case. He therefore cannot go to the childminder as she has closed.

I have to work tomorrow and my husband also does- what are we supposed to do?? An 18m old can't self isolate alone. Am I expected to isolate too and not work? Won't I get in trouble for it as it's not me whose tested positive ?
Thankyou ! Xx

You take annual leave or unpaid leave.

If my kids are ill and DH can’t take time off, I can’t go to school and teach so have to take unpaid leave.

It's either unpaid dependent leave or annual leave if you have enough left at my work.
I'm a single parent and me and my kids are all positive at the same time now so I luckily don't need to take any extra time off.

I mean it’s kind of different because - unless I have misunderstood - her child is not unwell but having to self isolate because of the rules in place to protect others from the spread of the virus. So a perfectly reasonable question to ask OP.

He therefore cannot go to the childminder as she has closed.

Well even if she was open he can't go, he has covid!

What an idiotic bunch of replies. OP's baby may not actually be unwell with it. So it's not the same as chickenpox or gastro. And with both chickenpox and gastro it is still possible to ask someone else to look after the baby. So again not the same

If OP and/or her DH are not vaccinated they too need to self isolate - for ten days, so whether they are fully jabbed or not is key here.

@Dancingbea Thankyou so much for being the only one whixh could see where I was coming from! Xxx

@chopc Thankyou! X

@chopc

What an idiotic bunch of replies. OP's baby may not actually be unwell with it. So it's not the same as chickenpox or gastro. And with both chickenpox and gastro it is still possible to ask someone else to look after the baby. So again not the same

You would really let someone else look after your baby with gastro? What about them and their health? Or baby wanting/needing the comfort of a parent?

Doesn't matter if baby is ill with COVID or not. Baby cannot leave the house and cannot be alone, therefore someone needs to stay home with baby.

Thankyou @BernardsarenotalwaysSaints but we don't fit the criteria regarding the income etc, need to earn very little to qualify and be on benefits etc xx

Presume as you're avoiding the question you're fully vaccinated? Both of you?

@chopc

What an idiotic bunch of replies. OP's baby may not actually be unwell with it. So it's not the same as chickenpox or gastro. And with both chickenpox and gastro it is still possible to ask someone else to look after the baby. So again not the same

My child was perfectly well in himself when he had hand foot and mouth but I had to keep him at home for a whole week due to nursery policy even though there was nothing wrong with him. I don’t see how it isn’t exactly the same? You’re unlikely to be able to find anyone last minute to look after your child with HFM, chicken pox, vomiting etc - 99% of the time you’re going to have to stay at home and look after them yourself.

@CrocodilesCry yes sorry we both are xx

Between you and your husband you need to take time off to look after him. Ideally share it between you.

If you are not vaccinated you will need to isolate yourselves though.

Bear in mind there is a good chance unfortunately one of you will catch it and then it should be a more straightforward sick leave situation

I've lost count of the number of isolations we've had (all false alarms); over the last 2 years. Probably upwards of a dozen. You just work through it as a couple as best you can, and divide it between you, work from home when you can etc.

Brilliant thankyou x

Do the best you can, with normal sickness 5 days is a long time.... I think it is unfair that parents are not leave as they have no choice with any other illness they can use numerous other childcare.

Everyone was expected to work from home with young children during lock down so I'd expect this to be the same scenario. No need to take any leave unless baby is actually unwell. Do shifts with your partner so you can both get a bit of work done

Who normally looks after the baby if he is ill and can’t go to the childminder?

@TwiggletLover I'm a response police officer so WFH isn't an option

Yes, what @TwiggletLover said. Obviously doesn’t work for all jobs, but all office jobs are meant to be WFH at the moment now anyway. DD was poorly last week and we didn’t take any leave; we just had a really long couple of days making up the hours by starting early and finishing late. Exactly as we did when lockdown began and they shut the nurseries.

Is that a possibility?

@chopc

What an idiotic bunch of replies. OP's baby may not actually be unwell with it. So it's not the same as chickenpox or gastro. And with both chickenpox and gastro it is still possible to ask someone else to look after the baby. So again not the same

To be fair my dd wasn't I'll at all with chicken pox. Didn't even have many spots, let alone feeling poorly. Just a bit grumpy on the one day. Still had to isolate at home until the infectious period was over.

So very similar situation. Just a long long time before covid was a thing.

Dh and I shared her care.

@Parker231 our parents would.

@stuntbubbles no we are both response police officers so working from home isn't an option x

I'd say that your partner will have to manage the childcare then. Unless he is also a key worker and unable to work from home. In which case you'll have to split the isolation period between you and both take a couple of days of parental leave