Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The staffroom

Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

Original poster

Time off to care for sick children

22 replies

Peachy27 · 25/04/2016 19:32

I am a SAHP and have got severe tonsillitis. My husband is a teacher he took today off as two of our children (2&5)are also ill, he took them to doctor and they are on antibiotics as well. We have a grandparent coming on Wednesday if I'm not better (on holiday currently can't come any sooner and we have no other family) but his school text him earlier to say he must be in work tomorrow. Obviously if I wasn't ill I would be caring for the children, if the children weren't ill I could arrange for friends to take and collect them from school/nursery and put the two year old in for an all day session but with us all ill it's just not possible. Does anyone know the legal situation for taking time off to care for sick children/when childcare fails? Thank you

OP posts:
rollonthesummer · 25/04/2016 19:36

We don't get paid!

Stylingwax · 25/04/2016 19:39

As above. You don't get paid. You don't get extra holiday just cos you decided to have kids (mores the pity).

MrsS1980 · 25/04/2016 19:39

We get one day emergency to sort child care, anything after that is unpaid.

Stargazing25 · 25/04/2016 19:47

I've never not been paid for taking time off for my children.

I do know some people that say they are ill to save all the hassle.

Original poster
Peachy27 · 25/04/2016 19:49

Thank you. So school can't force you to be in but they just won't pay you?

OP posts:
Original poster
Peachy27 · 25/04/2016 19:51

Star gazing that is a good point. It's all new to me, we are lucky people who are never usually ill so not come up against this problem before!

OP posts:
itshappenedagain · 25/04/2016 19:52

We get 10 days dependants leave. After that we don't get paid. This isn't just for children though!

FuzzyOwl · 25/04/2016 19:52

Where I work it is a policy that no more than five days (unpaid) can be used in a year for emergency childcare and anything further goes down a disciplinary route.

hackneyzoo · 25/04/2016 20:08

I think its pretty standard that you take unpaid LOA but its at the discretion of the HT.
I worked in a school when one of my DCs was seriously ill and the HT was lovely, let me take LOA to care for him and paid me throughout (DH and I alternated our time to care for him). He has been in hospital again recently and I work in a different school where any time off is unpaid LOA and the HT is really unsupportive. Its luck of the drawer. But HT is entirely within their rights not to grant it and not to pay. However, if there is no alternative you have to take it and hope it doesn't result in disciplinary action.

Tinydancer85 · 25/04/2016 20:15

My experience is that if your child is sick they count it as parental leave and it is unpaid, although my new school has paid me when I've been off with my ds last term, so it may differ from school to school.

PotteringAlong · 25/04/2016 20:16

It's unpaid and you get 1 day at my school to sort out emergency childcare. If he was off today he would absolutely be expected to be in tomorrow.

PotteringAlong · 25/04/2016 20:18

Pressed post too soon!

Anything after today would not be granted because it would be expected that it had been sorted and would be a disciplinary incident if he didn't go in. This might be different in a different school with a different HT though.

Maidupmum · 25/04/2016 20:58

I'm a HT (a reasonable one!). In our LA the policy says that you get 1 day emergency leave to sort out childcare etc.As I can confidently say he's not one of my staff, I suggest that he also comes down with it Wink

PamelaPatriciaYouCanCallMePam · 25/04/2016 21:29

Another HT here. We don't have a male staff member off work currently looking after his poorly children and wife, but if we did, the most-ahem-convenient option for him would be to catch it.

PamelaPatriciaYouCanCallMePam · 25/04/2016 21:29

Another HT here. We don't have a male staff member off work currently looking after his poorly children and wife, but if we did, the most-ahem-convenient option for him would be to catch it.

Rainbowcolours1 · 27/04/2016 17:38

I'm a HT, if my staff need the time then they get the time, whether for sick children, hospital appointments or whatever. What do I get? Staff who go the extra mile, who don't abuse it and who feel valued as people!

rollonthesummer · 27/04/2016 18:32

Do you need any teachers for September, Rainbowcolours1? Grin You sound a lovely boss :)

RattusRattus · 28/04/2016 13:17

One day leave here and then you have to get cover. Going ill myself isn't an option as I work at my kids' school. DH would never cover me (he is a senior member of his firm and I'm a TA - the maths simply don't add up) and I have no family so if my kids get ill then I'm on zero pay.

Rainbowcolours1 · 28/04/2016 15:02

Thank you roll! At the moment fully staffed but it's the summer term so you never know what's around the corner!

quarkandmarmite · 30/04/2016 21:57

Very sorry to hear your DH has also come down with the dread bug! Wink

My HT (who is sometimes a A rated cow!) is usually pretty lenient in these situations. To assume that after 24 hours, emergency cover is sorted is making stupid assumptions that every 'Tom, Dick and Harry' have the luxury of relatives to fall back on.

What a stupid assumption!

quarkandmarmite · 30/04/2016 21:57

Sorry for grammatical errors!

YoureAllABunchOfBastards · 05/05/2016 20:37

I am having to take tomorrow unpaid as no-one to look after DS. He is fine but vomited once this morning so 48 hour rule. I offered to go in to teach Y11 but apparently a 7 year old on an iPad with headphones is a huge Health and Safety risk....

New posts on this thread. Refresh page