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

[Coristarz]

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?

Thanks

[expatinscotland]

'I read some companies will only accept homeworking if childcare has been arranged, but what is the point then?'

Because they are paying you to work, not look after your child.

Your DH is not working just now. So why can't he be a SAHP and then you don't have childcare issues at all?

[TippiShagpile]

IME it just doesn't work. I tried working from home (self employed at that time) with a very young baby and it was hideous.

I could either ignore my work or ignore my child. I couldn't do either role properly. Hugely stressful and a complete disaster for me.

[PuppyMonkey]

Switching to evening work so your DP can look after the child sounds like a plan.

Or, if you can't afford full time childcare, you could go part time.

[PlasticLentilWeaver]

Sorry, but you are trying to 'rip your company off'. If you are being paid to work for them, you cannot be childminding at the same time. Whether you see it that way or not at the moment, with a 4 month old, you will hopefully get it once the baby becomes mobile.

I have worked for several flexible family friendly companies, and they have ALL insisted on you having adequate childcare arrangements if you want to home work. They have accepted occasional emergency situations with sick kids being at home but the norm is that someone else is looking after the child/ren.

I would be very surprised if that wasn't laid out in the contractual arrangement.

[tribpot]

In fairness the OP is not intentionally trying to rip off her company. This is her PFB and the baby is 2-3 months old. She has no actual frame of reference to know what trying to work with a baby and/or small child to look after is actually like. And I suspect has never really considered the details involved in her colleagues' arrangements that allow them to work from home part time.

I do think a mother's help (to use the outdated term) is a good idea as it's relatively low cost childcare because one or both parents are also on site and available to lend a hand/make a decision. However, as the DH is the one currently out of work I do think he should be considering his best options to support the OP in her return to f-t work.

[wonderstuff]

When I first went back to work DH was on gardening leave, he looked after the baby for a month, then when he got a job we arranged a nursery place, which we could afford because of the extra salary. Sadly childcare will take a big chunk out of your family income, whether that be due to a reduced salary or nursery or childminder. Local surestart centres usually have a list of childminders and they do work out cheaper than nursery places. Childcare vouchers are offered by lots of companies, you buy the vouchers out of your pre-tax salary and use them for childcare, so you gain the 20% you would have paid in tax on that income. Also make sure that you are getting your entitlement to Child Tax Credits.

If I was in your situation I would have my DH as my childcare plan and then plan childcare around both your jobs when he is back in work, I wouldn't try to fund lots of childcare on one salary - maybe a day a week so he can focus on job search if you can afford it.

I work from home, the advantage is that I can put my ds in a local playgroup rather than nursery - he does 9-12 one day and 9-3 another and I do a days work between those days. That only works because he is 2 though, when he was younger I worked 3 days a week and had him in nursery.

[Tasmania]

My gosh... I do have to say - reading this and listening to my MIL, I have to say my mother got off lightly with me and my brother. We managed to occupy ourselves with stuff pretty early on, and hardly needed attention.

Is there really no family around or are they just too far (and you could move)?

[AlbertaCampion]

OP, three words: don't do it!

I worked from home one day a week, with a similar-aged baby to yours, for similar reasons to yours. It was absolutely hideous.

Some of the downsides have been covered here, but here are others:

1. You'll feel like a crap mum: for having work on your mind and trying to get work done when your baby/toddler wants or needs your attention. Closing the door on my sobbing child and running downstairs to take an important call from a client without background baby noise has not been a highlight of my mothering career, put it that way.
   

1. You'll feel like a crap employee: for looking after your child during hours when you could be working.
   

1. Resentment from other members of the team - even when it isn't justified. I would get up at 5 to work until the baby awoke, work through naps and work after the baby's bedtime. So one way or another, I put in my hours. But that didn't stop other team members being resentful and making comments about how I "wasn't really working".
   

In conclusion: it's tiring, stressful, depressing and you'll get a lot of crap for it. Avoid if poss.

[Coristarz]

Thanks for all your feedback.
I'm going to suggest compressed times- working 8am to 6.30pm 4 days and then have one day at home not working, but i will reassure work that i'll still be available on Blackberry for any emergencies on the day I'm not in the office- im happy with that. This would save us 1 day nursery a week when my OH goes to work full time.
I have no family around (they're all abroad) and OH's family isn't in London so yeah...tricky. But well, we'll find a solution.

[mrsjuneyjuney]

Have you looked at the cost of a childminder? It should be less than £80 a day, even in London where I know childcare is more expensive.

[Mandy21]

OP Its a difficult situation but its manically hard and whilst you have a content, sleepy 2-3 month old now, in the nicest possible way you have no idea what's coming with a crawling baby or a toddler. You'll be amazed at how quickly they can up the stairs, pull something over, eat the spider thats crossing the carpet.... you really can't be taking your eyeys off them for a second. Thats the voice of experience . I've also (in later years) been at home with a poorly toddler, still taken that really important call from a client only to hear (and the client to hear too ) shouts to come and wipe a bottom! I think it just ends up undermining your professional credibility and your self esteem really.

Have a look at nursery costs for 4 days as opposed to 5 - you don't generally save that much by going to 4 days (I mean you might pay 4 x daily rate for 4 days, but you get a preferential weekly rate if you do all 5). I think using your DH and then compressed hours is an option, but just check the finances carefully.

Good luck.

[Coristarz]

I spoke to my boss this week, and luckily they are very flexible and supportive. I will work an hour extra 4 days a week, and 1 day a week I can do the remaining 3.5 hours from home: 1 hour early in the morning, and then 2.5hrs after 5pm as that suits the business (I work mainly with the US, west coast, so the time difference works in my favour). I told them the reason I wanted to be at home one day was to save a bit on childcare, and they are fine with that.

Obviously this is the scenario for when both OH and myself are working FT; while he isn't working he will be a SAHD.

Mandy21 - thanks for the advice. Yes, I noticed nurseries have a preferential weekly rate but when doing our calculations, it was still worth it having 4 days rather than 5. But I'll double-check.

Starfish - I am in London too, in Chiswick. Yes, I'm going to check childminders as well, although I find it a bit overwhelming as there are lots in the Council directory and I'm not sure how to "chose" one. But that's another story..

[BackforGood]

Glad you've resolved it. I have to agree with all those who have said that of course you can't give your employers a full day's work and look after a baby - pretty unbelievable that anyone who actually has a baby could suggest this at all.