Working Mummies Support Group

[AnyDream]

Wysiwyg, that's weird about the childcare thing. One of the specifications in the work from home policy at my work is that you are *not* to try to combine any substantial caring duties with working from home. Yeah, maybe ok for an hour or two, or if you had an older child who was lying around watching telly, but not for whole days at a time with small children - that's what personal/carers leave is for.

[wysiwyg]

Wysiwyg, that's weird about the childcare thing. One of the specifications in the work from home policy at my work is that you are *not* to try to combine any substantial caring duties with working from home. Yeah, maybe ok for an hour or two, or if you had an older child who was lying around watching telly, but not for whole days at a time with small children - that's what personal/carers leave is for.

All of that pretty much goes out the window when contracting, even when I have worked as a permanent employee for large organizations that have HR policies on working from home, although the policies have been similar to what is stated above about if you want to have "working from home days" in your employment terms, when it comes down to it there is an expectation of work, it is all unofficial of course but the type of roles I have worked in on projects with deadlines etc. you end up digging a big hole for yourself if you can't work because is not like someone else does it while you are not there, it is all just there for you when you get back and the deadlines don't change either.

Email back from colleague today - trying to be sympathetic I think about DD school sores said "I remember those days when my kids were small, my wife had to quit her job to take care of them"

I so need to get out of this line of work, just stop fighting it and find something else.

[MummyNaomi]

Wysiwyg, that's weird about the childcare thing. One of the specifications in the work from home policy at my work is that you are *not* to try to combine any substantial caring duties with working from home. Yeah, maybe ok for an hour or two, or if you had an older child who was lying around watching telly, but not for whole days at a time with small children - that's what personal/carers leave is for.

Interesting. I work from home 1 day a week. DD (20months) is with me and DS is at school, so I duck out for the school run also. My boss and workplace are fine with it. I generally get 5-6hrs of work done and the rest I make up by starting early/having a working lunch break so do at least my minimum hours, usually more. I really think workplaces need to be realistic and support work/life/family. As long as your overall productivity is not impacted and your are performing well then there is no reason employees cant juggle both. There is so much productivity lost in the workplace while people gossip, catch up and have extended breaks (however good it is for 'networking' hehehehe)