Flexible Working - with Kiddies at home?!?

Oldernotwiser

sweettirana wrote: »

Anyway, as far as I understand it, those with dependants can apply for flexible working but your reason can't be to care for those dependants!

Sounds like a bit of double edged sword!
!

That sounds reasonable to me. You can't say that you want to be at home to care for someone but also claim to be working at the same time!

Marisco

brians_daughter wrote: »

My boss often calls me at 4am to see how busy I have been (AKA check up on me) and if he heard a child in the background i would be in serious trouble.

Where does he think your child is at 4am?? Does he think s/he sleeps somewhere else when you're on nights? Mind, at 4am the kid should be in bed, but s/he could be up ill or something!!

missmontana

Cybes100 wrote: »

(I'll be sooooo jealous if she's allowed!!!)

Is that the real issue? Jealousy? Surely as long a she gets her work done, which could well be when the child is asleep then it doesn't matter!

Bogof_Babe

Is there any particular reason this question is on the Benefits board?

PoorCharleyBear

My employer is flexible and lets me work from home, but there is no way these can be guaranteed, as office demands vary (and demands from other members of the team).

And as parent to a 4 year old- there is no way I could work with her at home unless I allowed her to watch TV for 8 hours straight.

Working at home is good as I can pick her up earlier/drop her off later at childcare.
I doubt any employer would say 'Let's pay you for a full time job, while you are also being a full time mother'

GobbledyGook

I don't think many employers would be keen on the children being around when the parent is working. Especially in a phone or customer based role.

I have one colleague who currently works from home one day a week and our bosses know that she has her child with her. However that is only temporary because her partner who normally looks after the child that day has just had major surgery. On that day she is doing written reports and our bosses have basically said as long as between finishing on Tuesday and returning on Thursday the reports are done when she does them is none of their business. So she currently does them while her lo is in bed. Even that isn't long term though, it's an exception in the current circumstances.

You couldn't give your job 100% between your normal working hours with a young baby to care for. So unless she has a job that just needs to be done rather than have any contact with other people I think she might be in for a shock.

kingfisherblue

If she is a medical secretary, presumably part of her job is to type up medical notes. I wouldn't be very happy if those notes were in someone's house instead of in the hospital - there could be a breach of confidentiality or they could be lost. She couldn't answer patient enquiries from home, as they would phone the hospital. Also, I can't see many hospitals allowing personal details to be on a home computer (although presumably they would be transferred by data stick - but there have been several high profile losses of these over the last few years)

I'm not sure what else a medical secretary does. I'm also presuming that it is hospital based work, but I could be wrong. I do know, though, that working and looking after a baby or toddler at the same time means that things won't get done properly.

neverdespairgirl

I've had to work and (try to) look after Isaac at the same time on a few occasions, such as wehn it was a weekend emergency and OH was away.

It's near impossible. Something that would normally take me 3 hours took 5 to do half of it, at which point I gave up and asked my mother to take him to the park for a couple of hours so I could finish it.

stroodes

getting ready for work never mind working from home if a full time job for me and mine are 8 and 16 and have a hubby loitering in the background, when not on shift work, I'm still like a blue asssed fly, work is serene compared to home life.

gingergee

There is a website all about it somewhere, goggle "flexi working for parents". Am sure it says working from home is allowed IF it can be done. Also the bosses must give a good reason why, if they decline. I pick my own hours, but then again im in social care, which allows me to do this, hope she sorts it xx