Can’t go to work and headteacher unimpressed

[BrutusMcDogface]

I mean, I can’t blame him as it’s a ball ache for him but there’s no need to be rude, is there?! I had covid and my kids are getting it one at a time which will be two weeks off for me. Wtf can I do, though? Aibu? No I’m not!! Anyone else in this boat and being faced by a grumpy boss?

@raspberryjamchicken

It's not about covid or teachers specifically, an employer pays an employee to be in work, there's specific provision in the law for emergency dependants leave, it's one day though most employers will try to be flexible and allow annual or unpaid leave in emergency but taking a month off is taking it too far. Sick leave for the employee is different.

Yes granny might be an option, or auntie, or uncle let's not get sexist, or pay an emergency nanny.

I've been there, my ex couldn't take time off back then because he has 6+ week long projects that were 7 days a week, so I had babysitters, other mums etc and yes in covid times just ask another person currently with it.

I'm not saying it's not hard but you need to have a childcare strategy if you have kids and both work

You are allowed to take longer periods of unpaid leave to care for dependants.

Employers have to be realistic. If a child is sick with Covid they cannot go to school and there is likely nobody other than a parent who will be willing to care for them because they won't want to catch it themselves.

just ask another person currently with it

Seriously??? Firstly I don't know anyone currently with Covid who I could ask to look after my child and secondly everyone I've known with Covid recently has been pretty sick and certainly wouldn't want to come around and nurse my ill child! I hope you are not an employer who is seriously expecting this to be a reasonable solution?

I’m on day 7 splitting headache and going down stairs a massive effort like hell would I look after someone else’s snotty kids!

@TheKeatingFive

So do you feel upset about single parents? Even if they are single because they chose to have a child alone?

I'm not personally upset about anything. I'm saying employers have the right to be. I'm not an employer.

But no, single parents are a totally different situation because one employer isn't being screwed over to favour the other.

It's no business of the employer how the family arranges their working lives in relation to each other, that is their private home life.

I think you'll find an employer may not necessarily agree with you if they're the ones being disadvantaged.

They can be annoyed or not, it's not within their scope of responsibility.

In the same way that it's none of their business who the spouse of their employee works for.

If they want employees who do not take these kinds of days off that needs to be part of the contract and also they may need to pay more.

@eurochick

I'm also the higher earner and yet deal with 50% of sick leave. But that only seems to happen on MN when it is the woman who is the higher earner.

I'm the higher earner but take almost all the sick days, because I can be flexible and work around it or take annual leave and still get paid, whereas DH is a teacher so won't get paid and it is a huge impact on the school if he isn't there. People just do what works for their family.

@londonmummy1966

"My husband works away"

Unless he's military on deployment or something similar I'm afraid that isn't good enough. If the children are sick enough/young enough to require a parent at home then the two of you should be splitting that equally between you. It is not fair on your colleagues, pupils and their families for you to take all the time off to avoid inconveniencing your DH's employer.

Oh please.

Men who work offshore can't just phone in an hour before the boat or helicopter leaves. Or come home at lunchtime to take over childcare. Working away is very different to 9-5 Monday to Friday. The way things currently are in my area they would probably be told not to bother coming back if they stayed home to look after sick children.