Unpaid parental leave and sick child

[Finallyputtherubbishout]

My DC has just had an emergency operation this week and now my employer are only offering me unpaid parental leave as I have only 2 days a/l leave left. My DC needs prob 2 weeks to recover but this is going to break me financially and I have no partner or family to help with care. Does anyone know how I might get around this?

I'm sorry, what an upsetting situation. Unfortunately while it is great when employers will go above the law, they don't have to and in the circumstances you describe if you have no paid leave left and under your company's policy they do not pay for your statutory parental leave (which most don't) then there is nothing else they have to do.

What are your usual childcare arrangements when you are at work, and how long until your DC is well enough for them?

Can you use the two days paid leave to make arrangements: talk to the hospital discharge people about your difficulty and see if they can suggest anything; find a local babysitter or emergency childminder who can cover; ask all your friends if anyone can help you out, even for the odd day?

Depending on how old your child is and how much looking after they need, do they need someone all day every day or can you take eg three days unpaid leave and the other two days go to work and leave them with the phone, a sandwich made, TV remote and a neighbour pop in at lunchtime to check on them?

Do you do a job where you can work from home, so that you are there if you are needed but can get on while your child sleeps/watches TV/rests?

I hope you find a solution.

You could ask to use some of next year's leave early?

I've had to take days off for my little one when she is ill due to having no other support and my employer put it through as carers leave so I got paid for it. Does your work not do something similar? Good luck getting it organised!

Get yourself signed off with "stress due to family illness"

Not ideal, but employers who take such a hardline attitude over these things get what they deserve. I would give an employee in this situation paid compassionate leave unless they were a regular mickey taker.

I think I'd do what jump suggests. You'll take a pay drop by being on statutory sick pay but won't be totally broke. Although it will probably go against you in the future .

Fwiw I'm a totally LP and when I was sorting out life assurance I asked several companies if there was a policy that would pay out if either of my dc's were very ill or had a major accident and I had to take a lot of time off. There wasn't anything available. It sucks.

Thanks everyone for your replies. My DC is only 10 so I can't really leave him at home alone after having appendices removed and he might be off for a week or so.

I think jumps idea of getting signed off work or even the carers leave. I'm going to dig out my contract and see what it says.

It's so difficult being a LP. the first few days of sickness who doesn't want their parent there, would be difficult to leave DC with someone else anyway.

If you've already asked for the time then your company will take a dim view of you being signed off.

If you've been there a while and otherwise have an impeccable record, I would beg your manager for some flexibility - some paid leave (if they otherwise offer occupational sick pay) use some annual leave from next year, and maybe phase the unpaid leave over a period of time so it's not all in one lump? So a day a month for x months?

Is working from home or flexibly if you can get a babysitter for a different pattern of hours an option?

Point taken hermoine re: signed off but to be honest I'm not far off being pushed over the edge with recent months and this has just topped it off. Checked contract and there's no options as I'm still in probation period and need to completed a year to be considered for anything discretionary. Well n truly stuffed. Cannot work from home :(

Risk is they could just let you go whatever you do.

Don't give up! Unless your boss is an arsehole appeal to them for help. If you've made a good start they will want to keep you rather than start from scratch recruiting again

Thanks hermione lets see what happens Monday. As you say this will so show if they really value their staff. I'm going to ask to use next years annual leave fingers crossed.

Update! Discretionary pay awarded hallelujah

Any decent manager would give you paid compassionate leave for a situation like this. I hope your son is feeling a lot better soon xx

Just seen your update. So pleased :-)

Hurrah!