Returning to work - what is allowed?

[Ladybuglamp]

My little girl is starting nursery soon (13 months) and I’ll be returning to work.

However, I’ve realised I have absolutely no idea what I’m expected to do when she’s unwell - and I’m sure that will be quite a common occurrence at first.

The policies at my work are unclear and I have no idea what my husbands work expects, but I’m also aware both of our bosses are willing to be quite lenient / laidback and not always strictly follow policies

would love to hear peoples experiences in their own workplace of what is deemed acceptable

Do you just take a sick day yourself? Is it paid? Is it unpaid parental leave?! Are you even allowed to take the day off?

My workplace offers 5 paid dependency days per year. Outside of this we take the day unpaid or as annual leave.
I work part time so if I have to be off with the kids I try to make a day back if I can get childcare, my employers are fab and I don’t want to take the p*ss, it’s not always possible but they appreciate that it works both ways.

It really depends what you both do. DH has more responsibility than I have (director level) so sometimes that means he's more flexible than me but sometimes less so (eg board meetings). We can both work from home and do hybrid usually anyway, depends what's wrong with DS, if he needs picking up early whoever has the most flexible schedule that day would go. If we need to stay at home with him then we'd ideally both stay and then alternate a couple of hours of care each so we can both do some work, do planned conference calls. We can both work while he's asleep. DH has then done more in the evening if needed whereas I have taken a half day of leave if I've not been able to do everything or for example taken a half day across 2 days to account for some lost working hours. For us our companies would prefer us to do what we can rather than be absent for half or full days at a time.

Realistically if you don't have the flexibility of home working then you have to take annual leave or unpaid leave. It also depends on whether you can make the time up outside your normal working hours

Bear in mind that not all kids pick up lots of illnesses at nursery. DD1 is 6 and has had 5 days off in total from starting nusery at age 2 through to being in Year 2 now (she has sometimes been off sick during school hols too but I'd already taken AL for it). We got her vaxxed for chickenpox before she was 1 and she gets the flu vax every year. We sent her in with any colds etc and only kept her off when the nursery/school/NHS guidance advised it.