Remote working with toddler present - General - Remote and hybrid working

6 Remote working with toddler present

23 Feb, 2023 17:45

Hello,

I'm looking for some advice in regards to how we approach a situation with a staff member we have engaged on a full time, remote working basis. We've identified that she has her 3 year old present whilst she is working for us and she has no alternative childcare arrangements in place.

Her role requires her to undertake in depth investigation work and also make/take calls from customers which both require focus and concentration. She's told us that the child is separate from her in another room and only requires occasional attention. She is still in probation and is currently not on track with her peers from a performance and competency point of view. We're concerned that childcare is therefore having an impact on her ability to undertake the role. We are of course needles to say concerned about the welfare of both mother and child.

We do not have anything in our policies to state that this set up is not permitted however its difficult to understand how she is able to undertake both activities.

Any advice on how to deal with this situation would be greatly appreciated, Thank you

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Keith | 0 Posts

24 Feb, 2023 08:22

Deal with the issue - under performance, if the childcare is having an impact (interrupting calls etc) then raise it, if not focus on the business issue. Her performance, her progress in comparison to other trainees, her time on calls etc etc
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Robey | 0 Posts

24 Feb, 2023 09:58

I understand your reservations and would, in general, agree that remote working isn't compatible with simultaneous childcare of a pre-school child. However, as you've not previously laid out expectations of employees in this respect, this employee can't really be blamed for not being psychic.

In addition to Keith's very sensible point that the situation needs to be judged on its merits and the employee on their performance metrics, I would add that this is an opportunity for a test case to determine whether satisfactory outcomes are compatible with simultaneous pre-school childcare. My gut is that one or the other is going to end up being neglected (I am, frankly, concerned at the idea that a pre-school child is unsupervised without social contact in another room while your employee is working) and the worse outcome in this scenario might actually be that the employee *is* doing their job.
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Elizabeth | 0 Posts

24 Feb, 2023 11:57

Have you asked the employee how long this arrangement will carry on for? 3 year olds are entitled to 30 hours a week free childcare (from the term after they turn 3) so it could be that the child will be in childcare after Easter. That is still a few months away though and I really can't see how your employee can be managing their workload and taking care of a toddler until then.
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Maxine | 0 Posts

28 Feb, 2023 11:38

we have a policy and it included no one being able to work remotely with a child under the age of 7. if you don't have this, did you know in advance that she would have a child at home? I guess you need to judge her performance as a "standalone" rather than connecting it with the issues with the child.
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Sharon | 0 Posts

1 Mar, 2023 12:28

In reply to Elizabeth:
This is a really interesting point Elizabeth. I'd be focusing on performance and output as others have quite rightly said and seeing if there's a way to support the employee.

I'd also be curious and be asking about their childcare arrangements.

I see lots of articles about the costs of childcare and the gap between government subsidy and actual costs and a shortfall in available places. It seems similar to social care provision in a childcare setting. People might say, what's this got to do with employers....but I think we are beginning to see the repercussions of long term under funding in a number of state services, or those connected to them, that are having a huge impact on workers and businesses. It's hard to know when and if it will get addressed.
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Rosie | 0 Posts

2 Mar, 2023 10:16

From a human point of view I'd be very concerned about the child in this situation, and I wouldn't want to be enabling potential neglect by allowing the situation. For future reference, it may be worth adding a list of requirements for homeworking as stated in previous comments, i.e., making explicit that this situation is not appropriate.
Whilst I'm very sympathetic to childcare costs (I have a 2 and 7 year old myself) I can't see how this employee can justify this to herself really, a 3 year old needs constant supervision - it sounds like she might be in a bit of a desperate situation so I'd be worried about her too. I would ask her, it may be that she has someone helping her with the child and hopefully the situation has just been misunderstood.
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