Anonymous wrote:
Also wanted to add that we are a small company and don't have a set policy.

That's your problem right there. You should get with HR or your supervisors or whoever makes workplace policy and develop something that gives rules for when a person can use PTO without advance notice, how much PTO a person gets, whether employees are expected to work from home when the office is closed, etc. If you don't have a set policy, it's hard to make a case that someone's doing something wrong.

In my office, if the federal government is closed, our office is closed. Everyone gets administrative leave (i.e., paid time off that does not come from their accrued sick or annual leave). If someone just can't work one day (due to childcare obligations, transportation problems, vacation, whatever) s/he can take annual leave. If someone can't work because they are sick or a close relative is sick, s/he can take sick time. Taking unscheduled sick time has never been a cause for reprimand, although if an employee gets behind on work because they've been using a lot of sick leave, their supervisor will talk to them about how much leave they anticipate needing and whether the employee can catch up on work or needs work to be reassigned. Annual leave requests can be denied by management if the office workload requires it.

OP is busting her tail, working nights and weekends to finish her work. She didn't see the recent post about the OP's boss being let go after going above-and-beyond, devoting his life to the company.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, does your employee stay late sometimes to help finish projects? Work the occasional weekend?
If so, not sure what the issue is other than you need to work with her to get caught up.
If she is a clock puncher, I'd give a first warning at this point.

No, she leaves at 5pm on the dot. She has never worked an evening or weekend. That is why it is hard for her to catch up. We have other employees (myself included) who take time off for various reasons not child related who still manage to get the work done. None of us have taken time off during this busy season. I have trips planned in both March and April and planning for it accordingly.

Does she have to pick up a child from after school care or daycare? That's why some parents have to leave at 5 pm on the dot.

By the way, what are you doing to help get the work done, besides figuring out what to do with the employee? It's clear that for now (given our unusual winter) there's a build up of work, so what are you doing to get it done?

It's hard to take seriously the OP who works PT and is asking for advice on how to supervise an employee on the internet.

Another point to consider in this is how many days off does OP's work give employees. If the benefits are generous, then taking weather days as PTO may make sense - but if working parents are already scrambling because of limited vacation/sick, then OP may need to cut some slack. Because the crazy snow days off affected everyone.

Anonymous wrote:OP, does your employee stay late sometimes to help finish projects? Work the occasional weekend?
If so, not sure what the issue is other than you need to work with her to get caught up.
If she is a clock puncher, I'd give a first warning at this point.

No, she leaves at 5pm on the dot. She has never worked an evening or weekend. That is why it is hard for her to catch up. We have other employees (myself included) who take time off for various reasons not child related who still manage to get the work done. None of us have taken time off during this busy season. I have trips planned in both March and April and planning for it accordingly.

OP, does your employee stay late sometimes to help finish projects? Work the occasional weekend?
If so, not sure what the issue is other than you need to work with her to get caught up.
If she is a clock puncher, I'd give a first warning at this point.

Days off are vacation days and in extenuating circumstances - LWOP. If the employee takes too many LWOP and it is impacting their work performance then it is a work performance issue.

Any perks you extend to parents in your office should also be extended to non parents.

Anonymous wrote:OP, please realize most people in this area do not have 5 back-up plans in case of snow days like you: you organization is highly commendable, but with only one winter out of three being really bad (if that!), it does not occur to everyone to be this prepared, especially financially strapped parents of young children with NO family in the area.

There was a thread last week about back-up plans for snow days, in which MANY parents complained they were in difficulties finding them.

I encourage you to be understanding for now. Create written guidelines for snow days and the like in the future.

This!

Our nanny called out on snow days, and our back up didn't want to come either. I think this happened 3 times this winter already. It sucks because I am now behind, but playing catch up. I have a 2 yr old DD - it's impossible to get much done with her at home.

I did ask my boss if it would be okay to try to get some work accomplished. But she said no, take leave. I would prefer to get something done, even if I'm at 30% capacity, it would be like I missed 1 less day of the 3.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who are all these people who supposedly have backup care when OPM closes? I couldn't get anyone out here. Luckily my office follows OPM, but I would have had to miss several days.

Any company that would fire a working mom for having to take off a few days a year for childcare is a worthless place to work. You can't hire parents without some flexibility in this day and age. Also, if you are treating this mom more harshly than a father or an employee who took days off for other reasons, then you make be liable for caregiver discrimination.

Also OP boasting about her 5 backup plans, and then it turns out she works PT? Yeah, f you.

A company is justified in firing an employee if they have chronic absenteeism and their workload suffers. Why should a working mom with childcare problems be exempt from this?

There are lots of people out there that would love to have that job and would be able to stay on top of their workload.

It is no different than someone saying that they have chronic absenteeism because they have transportation problems. It's not the company's responsibility to then provide transportation or childcare options; perks like this, when offered, are earned. Flexibility is one thing. Perks are another.

It is an employee's (male or female, mom or dad) personal responsibility to handle their workload and earn their pay.

It's fine as long as you have a uniform definition of "chronic absenteeism." But it is absolutely worth making accommodations for working parents of small kids - because otherwise, how else are you going to employ people between the ages of 25-45? I don't see why you'd retaliate against them for having to stay home because of snowdays if they are otherwise good employees. You don't just throw away a good employee because they missed a few extra days in a year ...

The issue is not about accommodating working moms and weather-related absences. Apparently, the OP's company has been quite generous in accommodating the employee.

The issue is that the OP's company has been quite flexible in allowing weather-related time off, yet the employee is not covering her work load. Consequently, "good employee" does not apply.

P.S. Companies often discipline or even terminate employees when "excessive absences impact job performance." It has nothing to do with retaliation, but it is about the inability of an employee to complete tasks and meet deadlines.

NP here. I feel like the OP is being picked on a little much. I see both sides here. Work has to get done, snow or no snow. There has been a HUGE amount of snow, roads are unsafe, and some people simply don't have backup. However, it is hard on businesses, esp small ones, to deal with closures/UNPLANNED absenteeism.

OP, why can't you sit down with her, and just have a conversation that *of course* you understand, want to help, but also need the work to get done ASAP? If I were in her shoes I would totally understand.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who are all these people who supposedly have backup care when OPM closes? I couldn't get anyone out here. Luckily my office follows OPM, but I would have had to miss several days.

Any company that would fire a working mom for having to take off a few days a year for childcare is a worthless place to work. You can't hire parents without some flexibility in this day and age. Also, if you are treating this mom more harshly than a father or an employee who took days off for other reasons, then you make be liable for caregiver discrimination.

Also OP boasting about her 5 backup plans, and then it turns out she works PT? Yeah, f you.

I was not boasting. I just have a lot of options. I have only used 3 of my 5 options but I lined up another 2 in case my first 3 fall through.

There are a lot of former teachers who are now SAHMs. If you are friendly with them, they are open to earning $200 to have a play date with your kids.

Wow, OP, so you make more than $200 a day working part time? You must since why would you pay $200 a day for childcare unless you are making more than that. Please tell us what industry you work in so that we can all do this.

Also, understand that someone making less than $60k a year, such as your employee as one PP pointed out and you did not deny, cannot just afford to pay $200 per day in childcare costs, especially with all the snow days we've had recently and your company does not even have an inclement weather policy. Frankly, get your ish together.

NP here and I am a nurse.
I make 54 an hour. So for 4.5 hours, I would make over 200. It isn't a big deal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who are all these people who supposedly have backup care when OPM closes? I couldn't get anyone out here. Luckily my office follows OPM, but I would have had to miss several days.

Any company that would fire a working mom for having to take off a few days a year for childcare is a worthless place to work. You can't hire parents without some flexibility in this day and age. Also, if you are treating this mom more harshly than a father or an employee who took days off for other reasons, then you make be liable for caregiver discrimination.

Also OP boasting about her 5 backup plans, and then it turns out she works PT? Yeah, f you.

A company is justified in firing an employee if they have chronic absenteeism and their workload suffers. Why should a working mom with childcare problems be exempt from this?

There are lots of people out there that would love to have that job and would be able to stay on top of their workload.

It is no different than someone saying that they have chronic absenteeism because they have transportation problems. It's not the company's responsibility to then provide transportation or childcare options; perks like this, when offered, are earned. Flexibility is one thing. Perks are another.

It is an employee's (male or female, mom or dad) personal responsibility to handle their workload and earn their pay.

It's fine as long as you have a uniform definition of "chronic absenteeism." But it is absolutely worth making accommodations for working parents of small kids - because otherwise, how else are you going to employ people between the ages of 25-45? I don't see why you'd retaliate against them for having to stay home because of snowdays if they are otherwise good employees. You don't just throw away a good employee because they missed a few extra days in a year ...

OP,

Some schools do not allow teachers to babysit current students. Doesn't your office have a policy? Who's handling this, HR? What if she's taking vacation days? Her supervisor (maybe you, can't follow who's posting what) should handle getting her up to speed.

Does she have a partner/husband?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who are all these people who supposedly have backup care when OPM closes? I couldn't get anyone out here. Luckily my office follows OPM, but I would have had to miss several days.

Any company that would fire a working mom for having to take off a few days a year for childcare is a worthless place to work. You can't hire parents without some flexibility in this day and age. Also, if you are treating this mom more harshly than a father or an employee who took days off for other reasons, then you make be liable for caregiver discrimination.

Also OP boasting about her 5 backup plans, and then it turns out she works PT? Yeah, f you.

I was not boasting. I just have a lot of options. I have only used 3 of my 5 options but I lined up another 2 in case my first 3 fall through.

There are a lot of former teachers who are now SAHMs. If you are friendly with them, they are open to earning $200 to have a play date with your kids.

Wow, OP, so you make more than $200 a day working part time? You must since why would you pay $200 a day for childcare unless you are making more than that. Please tell us what industry you work in so that we can all do this.

Also, understand that someone making less than $60k a year, such as your employee as one PP pointed out and you did not deny, cannot just afford to pay $200 per day in childcare costs, especially with all the snow days we've had recently and your company does not even have an inclement weather policy. Frankly, get your ish together.