Furloughed - Partner in retail - no childcare

bradders1983

ljm2105 said:

Again you’ve missed my point, I’m not saying I SHOULD be entitled to anything but I’m not going to deny asking to use a scheme that was put in place to help thousands of people like me, the scheme wasn’t introduced  just to save businesses it was also to help save those who can’t work due to childcare from losing their jobs too.  

Was it? Really?
It was introduced to save jobs. Full stop. Nothing to do with childcare in the slightest.

poppy12345

ljm2105 said:

Again you’ve missed my point, I’m not saying I SHOULD be entitled to anything but I’m not going to deny asking to use a scheme that was put in place to help thousands of people like me, the scheme wasn’t introduced  just to save businesses it was also to help save those who can’t work due to childcare from losing their jobs too. 

Sorry but that's not correct, that's not the reason why it was put in place.

Jonesy1977

ljm2105 said:

I could be entitled to the unpaid parental leave but it’s ultimately down to my employer, having spoken to a friend in management parental leave is usually in place for emergencies such as child being ill and unable to attend nursery or childminder being ill and unable to look after your child etc, she said they may allow it to be used under these circumstances occasionally but as you say it’s not viable long term and who knows how long the current restrictions on grandparents are going to be in place? Given that my employer also said ‘it wouldn’t really suit us you taking unpaid days off because it still leaves us without staff’ I’m guessing it’s probably not going to be an option. 

I will have to look into extended school hours and nursery provision as someone mentioned previously, try and work days when my husband is able to take time off and see what the situation is in a few weeks . . 

I genuinely wish you the best....  My advice is to talk to your employer and ask if they could arrange to look at schedules with other appropriately qualified staff to look at rota's, short term working arrangements and any other services that they could offer that you could assist with (telephone triage, admin, perhaps even online appointments) show you are looking to work as a team to solve the problem together and that you care for the business (it goes a long way).  Good luck (genuienly)

mattyprice4004

It's quite surprising how the furlough scheme has been misunderstood so badly - but I wish all parents the best of luck in covering childcare needs. 

Unfortunately unpaid leave is probably your best bet - while no one could see this happening, it's not fair to those without kids that people with them get to stay at home and get paid for it. It should be either you work and get paid, or you provide childcare and take unpaid leave.

Again, best of luck seeking a resolution.  

SingleSue

ljm2105 said:

Thrugelmir said:

ljm2105 said:

Yes seriously! It’s not through choice we are having to be off ! Next you’re going say well it is because we chose to have children so it’s our problem, but we didn’t choose for there to be a global pandemic did we! Obviously they have to choose those without dependants to continue working if there is only work for so many because THERE IS NO OPTION FOR CHILDCARE AT THE MINUTE!!  What exactly do you expect those of us with young children to do for childcare so we can go into work?? Family can’t come round to look after them, schools and nursery’s are closed so shall I just leave them home alone to fend for themselves, or maybe I should take them to work with me?? 

And just for the record I have worked Christmas and Boxing Day in the past even though I have children so I’m not one who expects everything to work around me because I’m a parent. 

Many of us have faced similar challenges in the past. No paternity leave, far less maternity leave. No grandparents. Travelling for work. We just got on with it. As difficult as it was. Changing job if necessary. As yes work unfortunately comes first. 

I’m pretty sure no one alive now has faced a situation like this? When was the last pandemic that you lived through?
When you say you got on with it, what did you do with your children (genuinely want to know)?
Maybe for you work comes first but for me my children come before anything, but anyway this is nothing to do with what is more important it’s to do with the fact there is no where they can go for me to be able to work? In all seriousness what do you suggest I do?
Of course why don’t I change jobs? What would that achieve, different job still no childcare??

Due to the nature and extent of my children's disabilities, childcare was not available for them. To get over this and to negate the need for outside childcare (or grandparent help), me and hubby did opposing shifts so that one of us was with the children at all times.

It wasn't ideal but it meant that we still had two incomes coming in, we saved expenses as no childcare to be paid for, no worry over school closures, inset days, school holidays or a childminder being ill. Our weekends were spent together having quality family time.

ljm2105

bradders1983 said:

ljm2105 said:

Again you’ve missed my point, I’m not saying I SHOULD be entitled to anything but I’m not going to deny asking to use a scheme that was put in place to help thousands of people like me, the scheme wasn’t introduced  just to save businesses it was also to help save those who can’t work due to childcare from losing their jobs too.  

Was it? Really?
It was introduced to save jobs. Full stop. Nothing to do with childcare in the slightest.

Ok maybe didn’t word that correctly, so childcare wasn’t a reason for introducing the scheme but if you read into it you could be furloughed even if work was available but you couldn’t work because you couldn’t get childcare (I honestly haven’t just made that up) so in that it’s  still saving jobs because without it those with dependants would have had to give up their jobs to care for them.

kaMelo

ljm2105 said:

bradders1983 said:

ljm2105 said:

Again you’ve missed my point, I’m not saying I SHOULD be entitled to anything but I’m not going to deny asking to use a scheme that was put in place to help thousands of people like me, the scheme wasn’t introduced  just to save businesses it was also to help save those who can’t work due to childcare from losing their jobs too.  

Was it? Really?
It was introduced to save jobs. Full stop. Nothing to do with childcare in the slightest.

Ok maybe didn’t word that correctly, so childcare wasn’t a reason for introducing the scheme but if you read into it you could be furloughed even if work was available but you couldn’t work because you couldn’t get childcare (I honestly haven’t just made that up) so in that it’s  still saving jobs because without it those with dependants would have had to give up their jobs to care for them.

It's not saving the job though, in the scenario you describe the job still exists but would have a different occupant. The CJRS was about making sure the job didn't disappear altogether.

Although some replies are rather blunt I don't think anyone is unsympathetic to your position, it's an impossible one.
Whilst others were being furloughed because of lack of work no one minded that those with childcare issues were furloughed also. If everyone is back at work bar only those with childcare issues then I can easily see it becoming a problem and I guess employers see the same thing too, hence the reluctance to furlough. Maybe they are also worried HMRC may kick their claim out for those who have work to do but a childcare issue is the reason for furlough.

As I said I do sympathise, it's a terrible position to be in but something has to give. It all depends on how understanding an employer you have and I wish you well.

unforeseen

I also see the number of people on furlough dropping quite markedly when the rules change and employers have to contribute. They will be bringing more people back to work to get some sort of return for their money and probably dispensing with the services of others as a cost saving measure. 

Biscuit49

As people are returning to work, you would hope that employers would be sympathetic to those with children to look after, and people in vulnerable groups. If a business has had to take the drastic measure of furloughing staff then it may be the case that the re-introduction of staff is a gradual measure, and you would hope that they might work with staff to bring back those without those dependencies first.

Ultimately though the business has to come first in the employers eyes, if they need those staff back for the business to function properly what are the other options? Hopefully businesses are looking at staggered shifts, this has been recommended anyway to assist with those traveling in, especially on public transport.

Appreciate it can't always be done, nor homeworking, but I would really hope that employers are being proactive and looking for ways to make a different approach work, not taking the lazy way out and just reverting to normal practice, or looking for reasons NOT to make a different approach work.

I know the company i work for, even with home working has welcomed employees discussing options to work different hours, even weekends so child care can be shared between two parents and so on.

That said it should be a two way thing, so employees should also be looking at ways they can make the situation work and requesting those discussions with their employers.

Good luck to everyone who is having to make difficult choices, if you are an employee struggling to make a situation work, a well though out and presented alternative plan is much more likely to be received positively than a 'we cant do that' approach.

Fire_Fox

ljm2105 said:.

Ok maybe didn’t word that correctly, so childcare wasn’t a reason for introducing the scheme but if you read into it you could be furloughed even if work was available but you couldn’t work because you couldn’t get childcare (I honestly haven’t just made that up) so in that it’s  still saving jobs because without it those with dependants would have had to give up their jobs to care for them.

But, as a keyworker, that does not apply to you.

You are entitled to send your older children to school, probably entitled to send your youngest child to nursery, if not you can drop the youngest off with their grandparents. This is not social contact. Children have always been allowed to go to, say, both parents' homes where they are separated.

If you need to vary your contracted hours to fit around your older children's schooling, put your request to your employer in writing (letter or e-mail).