So "go back to work" but the schools/nurseries have not reopened

[MrsFogi]

I suspect this will hit women hardest - if the schools are not yet reopen (or only certain years will slowly be allowed back) it will be impossible for many parents to return to work and, as always, this will disproportionatley effect women. Or have I missed something?

Possibly. But I think it's just a case of getting those people who can work to do so.

I'm not sure it's really the time for calling out sexism? 🤷‍♀️

'Go back to work' - only if you're in a job which can't be done from home, like manufacturing or construction.

If your job is open, and you can't come in, you really are at the mercy of your employers. They can't furlough you, your job exists. They might be able to let you use holiday temporarily but you might need it for the summer. Your childcare might usually be your parents who you can't now see.

Statistically most single parents are women. Most people unable to go back to their job and therefore at risk of losing it? Women.

(I think this is exactly the time to call out sexism, as our lives and livelihoods very much depend on it.)

I agree that it will hit women the hardest. I am already feeling the pressure - colleagues without children really don’t understand the conflict going i have between work and care. My career has stalled since having children; my husband’s hasn’t. If one of us has to give up work it will be me. And if there is no childcare until September then that is very likely.

Not sure if it’s sexism. I’m a key worker and haven’t been able to go to work as my school is open longer hours than my sons and they won’t let my dd (nearly 16) pick him up. Sure I’m not the only one struggling with this kind of thing and I’m sure it’s not just women.

No one said it's just women, just that women will be hardest hit.

I've been wondering exactly this. I'm lucky - I've just started maternity leave so when hubby's furlough ends in a few weeks we have an "easy" swap for home school. However I can't see how this works for so many people. How can you go to work without childcare...? I hope he clarifies tomorrow

www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

"Employees with caring responsibilities
Employees who are unable to work because they have caring responsibilities resulting from coronavirus (COVID-19) can be furloughed. For example, employees that need to look after children can be furloughed."

Once schools start to reopen private schools and nurseries are free to reopen too, the years only apply to the state sector. More details will be released tomorrow but it's possible that nurseries will open even sooner for those who are working

My husband is a keyworker and my boss wanted me back from furlough with a weeks notice, school could help with primary aged ones, nursery could take toddler but nothing linked up (no wrap around care etc) so I would have to leave work at 2.30pm and no cover for May half term. This was no good to them, thankfully they’ve allowed me to furlough for longer, but for how long?

Nursery are reviewing their opening after parliamentary questions tomorrow which may clear up some questions... but if you don’t have a key worker in the family, you’re even more stuck than we are. It grates when politicians talk about people being addicted to furlough when I’d love to get back to work. Dh on the other hand quite enjoying living like it’s the 1970’s with no childcare/nursery pickups to do and dinner on the table every night.

Furlough is due to end in June, Torys, so that won't help forever.

It likely will hit women somewhat more. But on the other hand, governments have many different considerations to juggle and they are figuring things out sometimes as they go along. It's probably inevitable that it won't be totally smooth.

I've never thought that two FT careers as the norm in a family was really a very sustainable model for a society. Whenever there are problems that require more, either on a society wide level or individual families, there is very little flexibility to deal with them. But I am not sure how many people would want to change to something different.

I’m a key worker and haven’t been able to go to work as my school is open longer hours than my sons and they won’t let my dd (nearly 16) pick him up.

That's crazy, 16 year olds can be mothers.

@ Goosefoot that’s what I said and he’s 9 so not really little. I’m a single mum so have no one over 18 who can get him. It’s just ridiculous.

Put it in basic terms: two parents are both working full-time. Until this weird time, they as a couple had appropriate childcare in place - professional/family/friends, or a mix.

All that came to a sudden end.

It still is not resolved.

It's an impossible situation. Surely though we have to get things moving work wise somehow. It's very unfair on working parents without childcare but nothing about this situation is fair and you can't expect the childless people, or those with older children not to go back to work to make it fair on everyone else.

But it is an unavoidable fact that people who have family caring duties - whether it's babies, children, family members who are vulnerable because of illness and/or disability, or elderly family members - external support has been lost because of the current crisis.

In a way it mimics what we've seen in the international community. Where there are necessary products and services - like medical supplies or farm workers - when things go wrong it causes real instability.

The tendency to use management systems that are only a few days behind need, so you don't have extra drugs around, or extra food, because that leads to waste and you have to pay for storage. The supply chain, if it is broken for even a short time, can fail on necessary items.

It's similar in families. When we outsource something, and the person who was doing the job before takes on some other responsibilities, they become dependent on the infrastructure related to the outsourcing. That's not to say it's wrong, but it bears thinking about. In cities many of us no longer have access to a home or land that could earn us income or grow us food, and we don't have the skills either. Our homes are in fact a financial drain unless we sell them - not many live in a home that can provide income. And when two adults in a family need to work, it leave the family vulnerable to infrastructure issues, or to turn that around, when society needs all adults in paid employment, it has little capacity to deal with problems when they arise.

This has always been one of the criticism of national level state systems by thoughtful conservatives, that more local capacities disappear when higher levels take over functions, and that can lead to loss of responsiveness and also the capacity of communities to be independent and self-governing. It seems to also be true at the international and family level.

@Godzillasonice From what age are children allowed to walk home on their own at your school?

Apparently this whole crisis has been an exercise in trying to get young, childless, mostly male, policy wonks in the treasury to understand a series of basic facts about the populace and working world. Or so I’m told. Plus ca change. 🤷🏽‍♀️

So in the scenario where people have been told by govt to go back to work, they're not eligible for furlough anymore so that saves the govt money. Have I got that right?

It's also worth noting the majority of primary staff are women. Nurseries will have to open by proxy. We had to open a small crèche in the school to enable staff with young children who had no other child care to work over the lockdown period.