Maternity end and return to work rights

[incentigo]

So I’m going back to work in March and I’m working myself up too much I feel physically sick thinking about it. I’m going back to work doing compressed hours (4 days into 3) with 1 day working in the office the rest from home (everyone does 1 day in the office) My manager has said due to been off for so long I will need to be “trained” again which means coming into the office everyday as it is now a requirement but she can’t give me a time scale on how long it will take, it’s based on how quick I pick things up and get signed off. I’m not really happy about this due to how I’m feeling not only that I can’t afford child care and have no family to watch my baby if I was to go in the office (mine & partners family work) i don’t understand where she’s expecting me to find childcare everyday to be able to “train” again in the office.


I’m just asking if anyone has any advice on what I can do…I know it’s work and sometimes we don’t have a choice but this is too much to ask surely…😓

[CharlotteRose90]

You have a partner you aren’t a single parent. Presumably he pays for his child so use that for childcare while you work like every other parent. If not you need to discuss paying for nursery’s or something.

[Bagsundermyeyestoday]

I suspect you're a piss takers and not very good at your job, why else would you need training and have to be in everyday if everyone else is only in once a week. Your manager is onto you, and fair enough. You'll be a crap employee looking after a baby while you "work", and an even shitter parent. How unfair on your child! Did you not think what you'd do once the baby was born?? Smh. People like you make me really angry, you'll ruin it for everyone else who works hard and is conscientious and doesn't take the piss!!

[IneedcoffeeinanIV]

It definitely worth looking to see if you'd be entitled to any universal credits.

They have benefit calculators online which will give you an idea of what you could be doing entitled to and then you can apply online at the gov website.

I'm due back at work in March too and have been stressing out about it and the costs ect so I get it and I hope you manage to get sorted as stress free as possible ❤️

[IneedcoffeeinanIV]

@Bagsundermyeyestoday

I suspect you're a piss takers and not very good at your job, why else would you need training and have to be in everyday if everyone else is only in once a week. Your manager is onto you, and fair enough. You'll be a crap employee looking after a baby while you "work", and an even shitter parent. How unfair on your child! Did you not think what you'd do once the baby was born?? Smh. People like you make me really angry, you'll ruin it for everyone else who works hard and is conscientious and doesn't take the piss!!

Or she's been on maternity leave?!

Some employers do retrain staff after they've been off for a substantial amount of time as policies and procedures can change depending on what type of job you have.

This is honestly such a dickhead thing to post. The OP has posted because she's worrying and this is how you choose to respond?

She's snapped in her responses yes but that's probably because she feels ganged up on as the majority of replies have been telling her what she can and can't do which isn't what she asked.

Christ if you don't have anything helpful or kind to say then maybe just don't comment at all?

[Bagsundermyeyestoday]

You have to be really dumb to not have thought about childcare, and think you can wfh with a baby 🤷‍♀️ it's not fair to anyone, especially the baby

[Asiama]

Hi OP, sorry you are getting a hard time here. I'm afraid your employer can ask you to come in for training every day and it will be seen as your responsibility to work out your home life to enable this.

We might be able to share with you some ideas and tips beyond money if you share some further details eg what was your plan for childcare for the 1 day per week you go into the office? What hours will you need childcare for?

[Grumpsy]

I don’t see why you are getting so angry with your replies, the responses aren’t horrible, they’re honest.

1. You said you had a partner, nobody knows your relationship Circumstances.
2. Even if he works away, you’re not a single mother, and if he’s treating you like one and leaving all responsibility for the child including financial that is another issue entirely.
3. You said you can’t afford childcare - so it’s more than logical to assume your plan was to look after the baby whilst on work time.
4. Your initial only concern was that making you go into the office was too big an ask. As others have said it really isn’t.

i think you need to learn to be a bit more articulate in your posts, what others have said, which can occasionally be blunt is the truth in response to what you initially posted. They’re just letting you know so you don’t get sacked - I imagine most employers would class this as gross misconduct. It’s also a tetchy subject because it’s people abusing the wfh policy that ruins it for everyone else.

However, take heed of the advice, do a benefit check, and talk to your partner, whether he works away or not it’s not your problem to deal with alone, mentally or financially. Good luck.

[MrsBennetsPoorNerves]

Ridiculous to say that you're like a single mother when you have a partner. Him working away is not remotely comparable. If he works away, you still have a second income coming in, for starters.

In any case, your OP didn't actually ask about financial support for childcare costs. It was a rant about your employer expecting you to go to the office because that would mean having to pay for childcare, which you said you couldn't afford. It clearly implied that you didn't plan to pay for childcare when wfh.

I'm sorry that you're finding things hard. Hopefully you have now understood that wfh without childcare isn't a realistic option. I suggest that you name change and start a new thread with a question around what help you may be able to get with childcare costs. Obviously, the level of help that you can access will depend on your household income.

[lifehappens12]

Hi, want to say this kindly but I read your message as being that you planned to work from home with your baby

What I think has happened is you have annoyed a lot of working parents who know how hard this is and that doing this is giving us all a bad reputation in the work place.

[WhatNoRaisins]

OP people can only respond to the information you've given

[DrMarciaFieldstone]

I’ve reread the post. It absolutely reads that you are annoyed you have to go in the office as you have no childcare or family
who can watch the baby.

If you’re going back next month, you’ll need to think fast. nurseries and childminders round here have massive waiting lists.

The fact you’ve nothing lined up also suggests you didn’t intend on using any.

[BlueHeelers]

My partner works away most the time. I’m basically a single mother!

No, you’re not a single mother. Your partner presumably works for an income. So there are potentially two incomes in your family.

There are government websites whee you can find out what extra help you might receive.

But why didn’t you think about this before having a baby? It’s not as if no-one ever talks about childcare.

And stop being so rude to other posters. There’s a lot of support here if you ask for it.

[FeinCuroxiVooz]

@incentigo

Yes it does…so I don’t have family to watch my baby and I can’t afford it so I’m asking is there anything that helps with childcare costs…

yes there is, if you are on a low income then Universal Credit will pay for 85% of childcare costs.

the cheapest form of childcare is usually a childminder. the rate they charge is he really a few pounds below minimum wage so the childminder makes ends meet by having more than one child to care for, so even if you don't qualify for UC help with childcare, your childminder costs will be less than what you earn.

it concerns me that you say things like "I can't afford it" and "I'm basically a single parent" - is your 'partner' really a partner? does he share his income with you equally while you aren't earning? Or is he really just someone who visits occasionally when work commitments allow him to, but keeping his finances to himself? if he's not taking responsibility for supporting you and your child then get rid of him, your application for UC will be judged on the basis of whether you are genuinely a single mum with no support or whether you are part of a mutually supportive partnership where there is another earner taking responsibility. too many women get shafted because they romantically leap to describing a casual boyfriend as a "partner" and are assessed for benefits as if they have a partner (so get very little) whilst the man in question feels no such commitment and keeps the money for himself.