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Original poster

Working from home

10 replies

tinierclanger · 14/01/2009 12:18

I'm currently on maternity leave and will be going back to work when DS is around 10 months. Before I went off, I informally agreed with my boss that I would work 3 days a week on returning. Now he's got in touch and suggested I might like to work 4 days a week, working from home one of those days.

It's tempting but at the moment I just can't imagine that it's feasible. DS is quite high maintenance right now, likes a lot of attention and also is a reluctant napper so I spend a fair chunk of time every day walking with him to get him to sleep.

Could I really work one day a week from home with a 10month old? Would it be fair to DS and my employers, or would neither get a good deal?

Any opinions and experience appreciated!

OP posts:

ForeverOptimistic · 14/01/2009 12:23

Why don't you do it for a trial basis and see how it goes?

My ex employer agreed that I could work from home on the condition that I still sent ds to nursery. I was quite miffed at the time but when the time came around I realised that I would not have been able to managed.

Are you employers fairly flexible? Maybe you could agree that although you are officially working from home if you are not able to get a full 7.5 hours of work done because of ds perhaps you could make up the hours when he is in bed?

I is very generous of your employer to offer you the opportunity so I think I would be tempted to accept on a trial basis. Even if it is only for half day, ds was still having very long naps at that age.

ForeverOptimistic · 14/01/2009 12:24

Sorry about the typos! My hands are so cold!

boogeek · 14/01/2009 12:27

Hmm. I think you will find you still need childcare for that day (I work from home and get so sick of people saying oh that's lovely because you can work and look after your children at the same time - you just can't!) However, it might be possible to have childcare in the home, which would be a nice compromise?

Original poster

tinierclanger · 14/01/2009 12:31

The thing is, we are getting grandparents to do the childcare, and they knew it was 3 days. To ask them to come and do a 4th here just seems like too much. Unless I can think of another form of childcare.

I was wondering about whether I could do a half-day's worth of work from home, or something like that. Like you say it is a very generous offer of them and it would be on a trial basis, but I don't want to be unrealistic.

Hmmm. I don't think I can really do this, can I? Shame!

OP posts:

flowerybeanbag · 14/01/2009 12:36

Are you absolutely certain that when your boss offered you one day a week at home he meant doing so while also caring for your baby?

Seriously, you can't look after a 10 month old baby and work at the same time, and I would be surprised if your boss meant you to do so.

if your work is fairly output-based and doesn't require you to be available during office hours, you could potentially do, say half a day extra which you could do during naps/in the evenings/at weekends though.

Lizzylou · 14/01/2009 12:39

Is it the type of job you could catch up at the evenings with? Or do you have to work "business hours".
I work from home and have two boys (one at school, 1 nearly 3) as I have to make a lot of calls, there is no way I can work when DS2 is around, he goes to Childminders. I also work in the evenings once they are asleep to catch up as I do school hours.

Flibbertyjibbet · 14/01/2009 12:52

I honestly think if your boss has no children then he may very well expect you to be able to work from home with a child in the house!!

I have two pre-school lively boys. I am self employed and do 3 days a week and they go to nursery for those 3 days.

Original poster

tinierclanger · 14/01/2009 14:05

I really don't know- I was thinking why else would he offer? But I do have a long commute so perhaps that's why. He has grown up children, so probably can't remember what it's like anyway.

Re the hours, that wouldn't be an issue, it wouldn't need to be 'business hours'. Half a day is what I was wondering about. If I did some during naptime and a bit in the evening, that might work.

OP posts:

VinegarTits · 14/01/2009 14:08

No, you will need childcare for the day you work at home

I used to work one day a week from home, there is no way i would have been able to do so if i didnt have childcare for that day

MotherOfGirls · 19/01/2009 11:28

Just to go against the flow, I would suggest you thank him and say you'd like to start with the 3 days at work and see how that goes. Perhaps he could keep the fourth day an option for later?

I work from home, without small children around, and I still find it's not ideal. There is no clear line between home and work. If you can get good child care (and it sounds like you have) allowing you to spend 3 days in the outside world, doing a job you enjoy and then still spend 4 days a week with your DS, I would say that would be a perfect situation - no blurring of the boundaries.

I appreciate money may be a big issue but if you thought you could manage with 3 days pay, I would suggest you give that a go before trying anything else.

Good luck, whatever you decide!

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