Working mums worried about time off for sick children

A recent survey, carried out by the shopworkers’ union, Usdaw, found that parents in Bury St Edmunds fear losing their jobs because of taking time off to care for sick children.

Over 100 working parents in Bury St Edmunds responded to the survey, 93% of whom were parents of children aged under 16. Over half (54%) of all respondents said they experienced problems trying to make alternative childcare arrangements when their child fell ill, and that the unexpected nature of illness made it impossible to plan ahead.

One Usdaw member explained:

“When my children are ill, they don’t want other people to look after them nor can you send them to school or to their childminder as their illness might affect other children. My employer has said I’m not allowed any more time off to care for my kids if they become ill again. What am I supposed to do?”

At the moment parents have a statutory right to take a reasonable amount of unpaid time off to make alternative care arrangements. Despite this, a quarter of survey respondents told us that they were afraid of getting caught up in disciplinary action because of the time they’d taken off.

Usdaw’s survey also revealed that, as the statutory right to time off to meet caring commitments is unpaid, this puts parents under enormous financial pressure. A massive 96% of survey respondents said they would like the Government to change the law to give more protection to parents who need time off to care for sick children. Over a third explained that for low paid workers the loss of pay causes real problems:

“I have a mortgage and all the usual bills. When my child is ill this puts so much more stress on an already difficult situation. I really struggle to cope financially. More flexibility and a right to a short amount of paid time off would really help.”

John Hannett, Usdaw’s General Secretary, said, “Our members told us in no uncertain terms that coping with a sick child can be stressful and exhausting. The demands made on parents at times like this are made even worse by the absence of a right to paid time off to care and a lack of alternative appropriate and affordable childcare. Very few parents know about the existing right to time off in a family emergency and it isn’t right that so many parents are afraid of being disciplined or worse for taking this necessary time off. We will continue to strive to ensure as many of our members as possible are covered by agreements giving a right to paid time off when children need looking after.”

Notes to Editors:

• Contacts for newsdesks: Usdaw’s Media Officer, Cherry Hamilton, can be contacted on 0161 249 2469 or e-mail cherry.hamilton@usdaw.org.uk
• Usdaw (the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK’s fifth biggest trade union, with over 358,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
• More information and news releases are available at our online Newsroom.
• Subscribe/unsubscribe to Usdaw news releases via our online e-news service.

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© 2003 (USDAW) Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
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