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Original poster

Return to Work - Working from home 1-2 days a week?

41 replies

Coristarz · 21/04/2013 16:13

Hello

I'm returning to work in June, my LO will be 4 months old.
I have to return to work full time this early because we can't afford me reducing my hours. I want to ask to work from home 1 or 2 days a week in order to reduce our childcare costs (we don't have any family around, so for us the only option would be full-time childcare).

Has anybody done this and has it worked for you?
I read some companies will only accept homeworking if childcare has been arranged, but what is the point then? Hmm

Thanks

OP posts:
LunaticFringe · 21/04/2013 16:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RedPencils · 21/04/2013 16:23

If your employer doesn't mind you catching up in the evenings and only being available during nap times then its doable.

But from my experience you just can't do a 9-5 job when there are DCs in the house you are looking after.

badguider · 21/04/2013 16:24

Working from home with childcare cuts out the whole commuting time and also means that if the child is sick you can still work (if this is occassional).
When I work from home I can drop my child at nursery at 8:55 be working by 9, work till 5 and pick them up again at 5.05.

How on Earth will you manage 8 hours with a 4mo baby if you don't have childcare?

WipsGlitter · 21/04/2013 16:26

It depends on what you do, but someone tried this in my last job and it didn't really work out.

RhinestoneCowgirl · 21/04/2013 16:27

I used to do what badguider describes, my CM lived round the corner so could be at my desk within 5 mins of dropping DS off.

I don't think many employers would be keen on someone working from home with no childcare in place at all. And sometimes it's just about doable with a small baby (if they sleep a lot) but as they get older children tend to demand a lot more attention - not great when you need to get some work done!

Katz · 21/04/2013 16:29

the reason they want childcare in place is because they will be paying you to work not look after your child, i think you're after a flexible working contract where you can make up the 14 hours work either in the evenings or at weekends or whilst your child naps which as they get older decreases, mine didn't sleep in the day past 18 months.

RedPencils · 21/04/2013 16:32

Acutally just remembered someone who did what you are suggesting. Everyone knew that she wasn't really working, it was just a paid day off with her child and it caused a huge amount of resentment.

Original poster
Coristarz · 21/04/2013 16:35

My job is a project-management type role. I do not need to see clients or make too many phone calls, 90% of it is done by emails. I have a couple of conf calls with the US a week, and some team meetings - but these can be done when I'm in the office. I can't use commute as an excuse, as I live 10 minutes away from the office...
The main reason I want to do this is because we can't afford full-time childcare. It's £80 a day, and right now I am the only one working as my OH is out of work!
Of course, until he finds work he can look after the baby, but I want to be prepared for when he finds work, hence the idea of me working from home 1 or 2 days a week.
I know it will be hard, but we have no family around to help, and this is the only way I can see of reducing our future childcare costs...
In my company, there are many people who currently work from home at least 1 day a week, which I'll use as examples of precedent..but not sure what reason to give them as tbh the main reason for me would be to reduce childcare costs...but I don't want to mention that if they will use that as a reason to refuse my request!

OP posts:
Trillz · 21/04/2013 16:36

If you are looking after a 4 month old you are not actually working.

Trillz · 21/04/2013 16:38

I am a big advocate of flexible working and working from home (for everyone, not just parents).

People claiming to be "working from home" while looking after children (and so getting much much less done than they would normally) make it harder for those of us who genuinely want to work from home to get permission, because the people in charge of the decision think that working from home = skiving.

Original poster
Coristarz · 21/04/2013 16:46

I really do work. I work mainly with the US so because of the time difference I never stop work at 5pm. I am on BB constantly until 11pm, 12...and also work on weekends (unpaid) whenever my project reaches crunchtime. So it's not my intention to lazy around. If I have to stay awake until 1am to finish a task I will do it.

Anyway, I will ask and see what they say. I just wanted to see if other people had had experience with this... Every employer is different. Thanks.

OP posts:
Katz · 21/04/2013 16:46

so when will you get the work done, if you have no childcare? assuming you work a 35 hour week normally then you would need to do 14 hours, to cover those missed days in the office i think you want a flexible working contract one which maybe allows you to do 3 long days in the office say 8am until 7pm which would be 9 of the hours (assuming normal 9-5 working day).

prawn100 · 21/04/2013 16:47

I doubt that your employer will agree to this. Why should you be paid your full rate to do your job whilst also looking after a child?

It's attitudes like yours that make it difficult for others, you just add fuel to the argument that people who work at home aren't really working.

tribpot · 21/04/2013 16:51

Frankly, to make it viable for your OH to go out to work he needs to be earning more than the childcare costs. Same as it is in most families (although I personally think it is worth considering the long game where careers and children are concerned). What are the prospects of him getting work at the moment, i.e. is the need for childcare likely to become urgent?

You have some advantages because of the US time zone you're basically working in, but you will be expected to have childcare in place for the times when you're working. Babies grow and they don't need 3 naps a day forever.

SwedishEdith · 21/04/2013 16:58

I think the only way this is acceptable is to be completely upfront with your employer about your reasons. If you're measured on outputs then it may well be doable. But you need to be honest. Maybe a trial 2 months? I think you will find it far harder than you think.

StarfishEnterprise · 21/04/2013 16:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PlasticLentilWeaver · 21/04/2013 17:00

Whattrillz and tribpot said. You are doing no favours to those of us who genuinely work ftom home. You cannot claim to be working while supervising a baby, crawler, toddler.....

Your DH can do it short term, but what you suggest is not a long term option. If you tried to use that set up, your flexible working request will get laughed at by HR and validly so. You would be providing them with a genuine business reason for why you are not a candidate for home working.

DeafLeopard · 21/04/2013 17:04

I work from home without childcare - difference is mine are at school and in the holidays are old enough to entertain / feed / toilet themselves (9 and 14).

How can you do an audio conference with a baby screaming in the background? Would you be happy to leave the baby to wait for their feed / in a poo filled nappy etc? What about when they get older and will not just lie there, but want to be up and exploring?

Mine are old enough to know to be quiet if I am on the phone and don't interrupt me unless it is urgent, a baby / toddler cannot and will not do that. I really think you will find it hard to justify working from home without childcare.

StarfishEnterprise · 21/04/2013 17:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsHoarder · 21/04/2013 17:14

I am a student. During the day (when I would have been expected to be interacting with collegues/clients when I worked) I get maybe 90 minutes of work done, maximum. All in the midafternoon. I then get more done after DS is in bed, until I'm too exhausted to continue.

DH did work as you propose, but only because we had a complete childcare emergency and his work agreed he could work take 1 day off and work 1 from home and juggle a full day's worth of work across them. But he went to them with the attitude that this wasn't how we planned things and could they please help us out for a month. It was exhausting and stressful, we hardly spoke because we were always looking after DS or both working.

Anyway, you will need your DH to earn more than the childcare+commuting costs on every day he plans to be out of the house. Planning to work and care for a baby is infeasible, especially once they start moving.

IDontDoIroning · 21/04/2013 17:29

Looking after a child is a full time job ask any nanny childminder or sahm.
Why do you think people employ them if its possible to do both?
people like you do genuine work at home workers no favours at all.

You can't work at home and look after a baby.

flowery · 21/04/2013 18:16

What everyone else said. There is no way you can devote as much time and energy to your job while looking after a baby as you did when in the office 100% focused on the job only.

The "point" of home working for most parents is reducing commute/being able to do school run, that type of thing.

Attempting to do a full time job while looking after a baby is no good for you, no good for your employer and no good for your baby either.

BreastmilkCrucifiesAFabLatte · 21/04/2013 18:23

I work partially from home. Whereas I possibly, possibly could manage it on a very p/t basis during slow periods with a 4 month old on my arm, there is no way I could give both my work and child sufficient attention from crawling onwards. Honestly, you need real childcare.

PiratePanda · 21/04/2013 18:34

ROFL. Once your child is crawling there is no way you can work from home without childcare - they need constant attention from crawling through the toddler years except when they are asleep (and my DS is NOT a sleeper).

Do you have space for an au pair? They could look after your DC for the 2 days of working from home. Alternatively, could you work from home on a Saturday while your DH looks after the baby that day? My DH and I do this; I work Tuesday to Saturday and he works Monday to Friday to cover the day DS is not at nursery. But we have particularly flexible jobs.

Original poster
Coristarz · 21/04/2013 18:40

Thanks everyone.

[...] "People like you do genuine work at home workers no favours at all"... Okay... Confused. A bit annoyed by this sort of comment as I'm not trying to rip my employer off, or be a lazy cow the day I work from home if I'm allowed to. I genuinely work hard too. I'm only trying to find a solution to my situation. I also know that baby will grow and will require more attention/time, so in the future I will need a different plan.

Every employer/circumstance is different. I'm lucky I work for a flexible company, and I will get to an arrangement - whether it's a day from home or switching some of my working hours to the evenings, or whatever...

I just wanted to hear other people's opinions on this - which I have! So thank you all.

OP posts: