Mumsnet need your opinions for Jeremy Vine show today!

[carriemumsnet]

Hi we've been asked to go on the Jeremy Vine show today to discuss Harriet Harman's proposals to give parents paid time off to look after their children if they are sick.

We know you'll have some views on this, so over to you.

Would this encourage you to go back to work?

probably, but old timers would be begrudging - saying 'didn't happen in my day, etc...'

I am already back at work, however....

In theory it sounds good, but as we all know, most things come with a payoff....what would it be?
Less pay to start with?
Less jobs for working parents?
Would employers be less inlcined to give working parents a job?

All these things are great in theory - but just seems to me there is always a price to pay - perhaps I am just a tad too cynical!?

B

have had this issue where I work.
People get their pay docked for taking time off to look after kids.
And guess what I do?....I am a teacher in a church school.
So people lie and say they are ill or get their pay docked or their partners/mothers look after the sick kids!

Oh yes, and the obvious one would be (said by people with no children)
Well what do I get then?
This would inevitably meant hat working parents would have to be paid less, otherwise it just wouldn't be seen as fair....

Can't see it working myself....

Would you be expected to prove your child was sick?

for me the issue is more the having an understanding from my employers that it is acceptable that parents will not be able to work on occasion if their children are ill - for me that has been so much more of an issue than pay and one that would require careful but strong legislation from the government.

From my position this is the wrong solution - nice but wrong.

Wouldn't help much.

Now, if Harriet Harman started talking about encouraging/forcing more companies to employ people to work from home, we might be on to something.

I'm at work anyway.

Think it's a good thing, though I don't see why it would make a huge difference to the decision to go back to work, unless you had a child with special health needs.

TBH I would feel even more guilty taking time off that was paid than I do taking unpaid time off - small team, there's only me to do the work most of the time, we can get a temp in for some of it and I feel OK asking for that if they're not having to pay twice IYSWIM.

We're not too rich at the moment as my husband is starting his own business and hasn't earned much this year, so the money would help.

But I am a complete wimp vis a vis employers and feel guilty whenever I earn over the national average wage (which I certainly don't at the moment), so maybe i'm not representative.

Sounds like a great idea, but in practical terms - how is it possible? I can see how it would work from a parent's point of view, however, if I was an employer who not only has to find cover at very short notice (because children don't oblige us with forward planning of their illnesses) but also has to pay twice, I would not be happy. I think very few employers would take on parents (especially women) if there was an alternative.

I think there would be a backlash from childless workers or workers whose children are no longer dependent on them.

Would there be some compensation from the government for the employer or would the employee be expected to take a pay cut or lose some of their pay?

I do mainly voluntary work and recently had at least one child home for a period of about 3-4 weeks. I still felt guilty about not being able to get to work, but it was for occasions like that that partly prompted me not to go back into paid employment. I remember having to take time off for ante natal appointments and the resentment from my colleagues if they had to cover my work. With a child off sick, how much more resentment would there be?

Would we get to the point where you have to declare the number of children on your cv and then we find women with bigger families being passed over for jobs?

Yeah i too would feel guilty taking paid time off for kids sickness. People who have not had this luxury in the past would feel put out/jealous.
It probably wouldn't be a factor I would consider when choosing to go back to work or not. I am going back in about 6 months and would probably use hols up for children's sickness

I don't think that this would be useful, to be honest. The main issue would be to ensure that all adults with caring responsibilities (children or other) are entitled to a number of "caring" days per year. If these days were paid it would potentially lead to resentment from colleagues without such responsibilities, or an unwillingness for employers to employ parents/carers.
Where I work, I have to make up any time I have off to care for sick children. I would rather just have it as leave, either paid or unpaid.
I totally agree with Angharad's point about encouraging working from home - at present most employers seem to view homeworking as a potential for slacking, whereas in actual fact homeworkers are usually more productive and less stressed.

It seems like a nice idea in theory but impractical in practice because of all the reasons already stated. Perhaps if there was only a small set number of days that you could take paid before you had to go unpaid that might work. Or maybe you could opt for a new option of having your own yearly sickness allowance to include your childs sickness - that way childless employees or those with grownup children wouldn't feel like they were losing out.

Think it would definitely discourage employers from employing mums TBH. Smaller companies simply cannot afford to do this; there was backlash when they introduced the 'right' to apply for more flexible hours and again when they introduced extended maternity leave.
I appreciate Harriet Harman thinking of us though. But I don't think there are any easy answers to the prob.

And how come we're being asked, not Netmums... thought they were the new 'flavour of the month' (and less likely to swear or discuss anal sex

I meant to add that this would make no difference to my decision to return to work. Flexible working hours and working from home are far more important for me.

Too much likelihood of a backlash from the childless.

Understanding employers deal with this anyway. Those that are not understanding will just use this as an excuse to not employ mothers of small children, or make it so difficult that they give up.

The only useful purpose I can see it serving is as a step towards making it more socially acceptable for fathers to take time off to look after sick children.

Nice idea, but the burden on the employer of employing women with children has increased a great deal in the past few years. I suspect they will use it as yet another excuse as to why they don't want to employ women of child bearing age.

I would second the idea that you could "lose" some of your own sick days to put towards days off when those you care for are sick.

That way there's no need to lie when you call in to take the day off!

Obviously there's no easy answer and no matter what the decision, it won't please everyone!

Hmmm, not sure if this is a good idea tbh. Not sure I'd exoect my employer to pay me if my kids are ill and I can't be at work. Alot of people don't even get full pay if they are ill, let alone the kids.

Agree it would have repercussions aginst employing women with young children.

i think it is another step in the right direction (along with extended maternity cover). but it is a tiny step. i doubt concern over docked pay for a child's illness is what prevents mothers returning to work. as others have mentioned it is possible to get round this problem by fibbing and saying it is you that is ill. if the government seriously want more women to go back to work then they need to address why free day care is only available once children are of school age.

in my workplace there is a strong culture of not taking time off even if you are poorly. if mothers get this time off it will add to the perception that we are not the best employees. that does not mean it is a bad policy - it just isn't going to solve many problems mothers face.

As someone struggling to get back into work after almost 4 years away, this is just another reason for someone not to employ me.

I think there would be a lot of resentment from childless colleagues who have other caring responsibilities (eg elderly parents).

It would be good for children. They shouldn't have to face "oh shit what will we tell work" reactions rather than "my darling you are not well poor you hop into bed with a hot non alcoholic toddy" imo. But my partner and i often have to repress the former.

I also think it would be particularly great for parents of disabled children, some of whom just cannot realistically work under current rules.

And more generally I think it would help end the culture of employees lying to employers when children are unwell. Anecdotally it seems that many people call in sick themselves rather than risk losing a days pay by telling the truth. I also think it is important to stress that this benefit would be open to PARENTS not just mothers and that employers should emphasize this to fathers.

I do accept that it might be hard to sell this to employees with no young children, however. I am often surprised by how strongly childless/free friends of mine feel that life is just not fair workwise and that them with the kids get all the breaks, leaving others to pick up the pieces. I think the only way to combat this is to have as much flexibility as possible for everyone who wants it.

I think it will make it even harder for women with children to get back into the workplace. Good headline grabbing stuff from New Labour but an empty gesture that might backfire. Unfortunately.

I already do get time off if DD is sick, or other dependants. I think I get something like 5 days a year off, paid. Any more would be unpaid or at manager's discretion.

Mine is for any dependant - so doesn't just apply toparents. Can apply to spouses and to those looking after elderly or inform parents for example.

I got this as a state school teacher also.