Re looking after children with covid, surely it would be the same as looking after a child that has chickenpox or similar? Wouldn’t whatever rules apply to you at your school be applied? I might be missing something…?
If a child had chicken pox you could get someone else to look after them who'd already had chicken pox for example whereas if a child has covid they are legally isolating and no one is immune to it, even if vaccinated so there are no other childcare solutions. In the chicken pox case your school probably allows you one or two paid days parental leave to allow you to arrange childcare, in the covid scenario there is no alternate childcare (particularly if you are a lone parent) and grandparents are an absolute no no.
Outside of covid if your employers business closed you'd be made unemployed and seek unemployment benefits, during covid we have furlough paid for by the government. It's not normal circumstances and accommodations have been made reflecting that - that should, imo, include accommodations around parents (mostly mothers).
They're not being legally allowed to send their children to a childcare setting, they're legally obliged to isolate their child and legally obliged not to leave a small child home alone therefore they shouldn't be able to be sacked or disciplined or left without pay due to following the law.
It is different isn't it? Is it just me thinking this is something that needs to be accommodated for? It would seem very wrong if some had been on furlough for over a year and yet women who couldn't work from home could lose their jobs or 10 days pay because they can't leave an isolating 3yo home alone?