Compassionate or parental leave

[Doherty2]

My job has giving me a monitoring form as I’ve been off 4 times. 1 time was due to my own sickness, but the other 3 days were due to my 2 kids (3&4) being sick. In my work the policy is your only allowed 3 sickness periods a year. My argument is the 3 of the sickness wasn’t me and was my children. I rely on childcare so if there sick I can’t send them to school r childcare. I have asked my work for the guidelines r policy’s that are in place for parents as I don’t believe this is right? Has anyone even experienced this before or have any advice?

Anyone would be forgiven for thinking everyone hates children with how unsupportive bosses and management are.

"Take unpaid leave, you'll feel the financial hit later. Don't blame us, you chose to become a parent."

"If you don't have family nearby, then you'll have to cough up to pay for childminders. Remember, you chose to have kids."

"You can take one day. We're understaffed and/or the staff we do have couldn't tie their own laces and won't handle the extra workload."

"Pull a sickie. Your kids need their mum." "And get sacked for lying. Great advice (not)."

The messaging is blatant. Your job is your child or you're a traitor to the workforce if your actual children get sick. Leaving them at home to fend for themselves constitutes neglect and subsequent arrest, at which point you'll be sacked anyway. Can't win.

Does their father also take time of work to care for the children when they are sick? It sends a strong message if you can say I need to be off today but DH will be off tomorrow so I can work a longer day.

This is exactly what dependant leave is for. Unexpected absence for a reasonable time.

Parental leave is supposed to be booked in advance.