Child sickness and WFH

[yellowgecko]

I returned to work following 9 months of mat leave at the start of October.
I've been gradually using up holiday to return to 4 days a week. So I haven't yet been in a 'full' 4 day week.

In that period both my children (5 and 11 month) have been ill. I have WFH 5 days due to child illness since Oct (including today). DH has had the same.

I can WFH, and while I appreciate it's not the same full day as it would be in the office environment, I do as much as I can. I figure it's better to do something than nothing. If I don't work, there is no one to cover my role. DH cannot WFH at all, we lose a days pay when he is off or he takes holiday.

We try and split the days fairly and according to who has the most urgent meetings etc that day. There is no family close to help. Just us.

5yr old was in A&E last night, he's ok but can't go to school today. I am home with him as I can dial in to the meetings I have today. My boss said the situation is 'getting unmanageable'.

Is it? I'm sat here in floods of tears thinking I'm going to lose my job. What do others do in my situation?

I don't have an answer OP but I feel for you. I've stayed in a job with an understanding employer largely because of this type of thing. I now hate the job and am applying for others but am nervous about losing that flexibility.

I absolutely don't take the piss and squally perform well but my thankfully mostly healthy children do sometimes get sick. What is a person to do?

Just an observation, but the set-up for many UK families is just designed to fail.

Multi-generational households is the norm in many cultures and it's exactly for this reason - there's always someone there to take care of those who need it. Grandparents help with small children and then get the help when they need it.

It's not the employer who is wrong, or the OP. It's the system and the economy, they're designed specifically to keep people from succeeding.

It is hard. My job cannot be done from home.
My DH and I save lots of annual leave for ill children and we have only been away on holiday (in this country) twice since they were born. No family to help.