Contract Changes

[Snatchandjerk]

Hi all looking for a bit of advice,
My employer has started consultations, it is expected that all customer facing staff will work 3 out of 4 weekends
My husband works weekends, we have a two year old who has the most fantastic childminder through the week but doesn't work weekends.
We had our daughter late in life, so do not have the luxury of grandparents for babysitting.

I have explained my childcare issues during my consultation, I have looked at weekend childminders online (not met up with any yet or checked actual availability) I have found two that offer Saturday's, none that offer Sundays. The charges for a Saturday begin at £10 per hour, plus I would still need to pay for the normal weekday sessions to cover the week that I wouldn't be doing weekends.

My dilemma is IF I can find a suitable c/m for Saturdays I will be between £30 and £70 per week worse off (I only work part time and earn around £150).

If I don't agree to contractual changes I will therefore be dismissed, would I be deemed to have caused my own unemployment, would I be able to claim JSA and would I still be able to keep my daughter at the childminders and claims for childcare fees whilst I was looking for another job?

Sorry for such a long post

Bump - Any advice gratefully received.

What was your employer's response when you mentioned your childcare issues?

I don't think you'd be deemed to have caused your own unemployment if you are dismissed, but I'm not a JSA expert at all. I would also be surprised if you can claim benefits to cover childcare while you're job hunting although again I don't know.

Thanks Flowery
The response was there concern is to increase company profits by having more staff working on a weekend, if they were to consider compensating people for expenses incurred, they would end up having to pay for everyone's fuel/travel/childcare/laundry and packed lunch cost!!! Obviously taking my concerns very seriously
Wrt childcare costs, I didn't know if we would still qualify as Hubby works full time and I have to give the minder 2 months notice.

If you were asking about your employer paying your childcare costs, I'm not surprised that was their response, and I don't think that necessarily indicates not taking your concerns seriously. Did you ask about you being exempted from the new hours requirements, or perhaps working fewer weekends or similar?

Not sure what you mean by 'still qualify' in terms of childcare costs. Still qualify for what?

Sorry Flowery I didn't explain that very well
Before I had my DD I was a manager for this company, when I had to undertake a similar consultation with staff, the guidelines stated that you couldn't make changes to t&c's if it would have a financial detriment to staff, if it prevented them doing an activity that they had already paid for, i.e regular use of a timeshare, a football ref that had paid membership fees etc.

I wasn't asking them to pay for childcare, I was explaining the financial effect this would have on me, and could this be taken into consideration during the consultation, as obviously staff will still be needed to work weekdays. They used the term compensation not me, I felt it was a petty response to a genuine question.

I currently get childcare tax credits, when I fill out the forms each year, there is always a question asking if you have received jsa etc, so I was wondering whether it is possible to be in receipt of childcare tax credits whilst claiming jsa.