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 Home Resources Library Equality
Supporting Parents of School Age ChildrenDate: 10 August 2005
What are the issues and what is Usdaw calling for? Background
Parents in Usdaw with children aged over sixOur survey of parents and carers gives a clear idea of the pressures our members are under in juggling school and working hours:
School holidays and term-time workingMore than a quarter of all survey respondents said that school holidays put them under the most pressure. Below are a sample of the comments from the survey:"I would like term-time working as I don't have childcare during school holidays and I'd like to spend time with my children then as I'm unable to spend time with them in term-time as I work evenings. My children are over six so I don't qualify" "I am a lone parent...it's hard when school holidays are here. Last year I drove 100 miles so my family could look after them. For some of the summer holidays my mother who lives 75 miles away looked after them. Last Easter I didn't see my children for two weeks. I think there should be more help for parents like me. Are children aged over five or six meant to look after themselves?" "School holiday clubs operate for limited periods of time and for limited hours. There is no supervised care for children aged 12+ and at age 12 and 13 children are still too young to be left alone."
School opening hoursA significant number of members (more than a fifth) told us that they felt most under pressure trying to fit working hours around school opening and closing times. People with children aged over 6 years old currently do not have the right to request flexible working (unless they have a disabled child)."I work Wednesday and Thursday 8.30am so I am unable to take my child to school. I also work Saturday 8.30am - 1.30pm and Sunday mornings 7.30am to 9.30am. I would like to spend my weekend with my family. I have asked my manager for a change in my hours but he has refused...my children are over six." "When my son started school in September I requested to change my shift at work so I could spend quality time with him on Saturdays. I was refused...I feel I am missing out on time with him as he is at school all week and I work early mornings and weekends."
School closure daysA large number of our members (both men and women) tell us that school closure days (inset days/training days) cause real problems for them at work. Very often members have to use their own holidays to look after their children on these days or try to swap shifts with colleagues sometimes at short notice. Members ask children's grandparents, relatives and friends to look after their children at these times and often feel guilty about the 'pressure' they feel they are putting other family members under, particularly where they also work.
Financial worriesAfter school clubs and school holiday care is thin on the ground and expensive."The cost of school holiday and after school clubs is prohibitive. I pay £18 per day per child...clubs generally operate in the summer but there is no cover at Christmas when we are at our busiest and little cover at Easter." "I don't have enough holiday to cover all school breaks. I can't afford school holiday clubs for all my kids nor can I afford to take unpaid parental leave."
Statutory rights for parents of children over sixEmergency time off for dependantsAll employees have the right to take a reasonable amount of time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant. In effect this right enables employees to take a short amount of time off work to deal with an unexpected or sudden problem.Unfortunately there is no right to paid time off.
Parents of disabled childrenParents of disabled children (where the child receives any element of the social security benefit Disability Living Allowance) have the right to request flexible working up until the child's 18th birthday. You have to have worked for your employer for 26 weeks at the time you make the request.Where parents of disabled children have worked for their employer for one year they also have the right to 18 weeks' unpaid parental leave. They must take this before the child's 18th birthday.
What are we campaigning for?The right to request flexible workingThe extension of the right to request flexible working to parents of children aged 17 and under.
Time off for dependantsWe want to raise awareness of the right to time off for dependants. We have produced a leaflet - 'Time off for family emergencies' to help us to do this. Ideally we want parents and carers to have the right to some paid time off for family emergencies and we continue to make the case to Government for this. Also paid family leave is one of the bargaining priorities of our current campaign.Supporting Parents of School Age Children was correct at date of publication August 2005. Download File: If you do not have the software to download this attachment you can download it here. Resources Library Equality
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