Concerns of a Mum working during the Covid Pandemic

Concerns of a Mum working through the Covid Pandemic

There’s talk of a new normal. Did you hear about it? 

During lockdown there was so much excitement about how working from home might become part of the new normal. It made sense… the workforce had been forced to adapt and quickly find office space at home to make sure they were able to do their job remotely. For many (me included) it was a real juggle: work, child-care and trying to keep on top of the house, which gets messy waaaaaaaay quicker when we don’t leave the house for months!

It makes me really sad to be reading stories from so many Mums saying that they’ve had their flexible working requests denied recently. One lady I follow on social media has been told that she cannot work from home one day a week because it’s not possible to do her job from home… despite the fact she’s been working from home for almost 6 months through the Covid lockdown. Go figure!

I’m genuinely concerned about what’s going on at the moment and the impact it’s having on working parents in particular.

The difficulties of playing by the rules

Our little boy came back from nursery with a cough last week. Pre-covid I would have thought nothing of it, he’d had a stream of snot running out of his nose all week (kids are gross!), so logic says it’s just another cold. Yet, in this new normal, every time he gets a temperature or cough we need to get him tested before we risk taking him back to nursery. Fine, we need to keep everyone safe, happy to play by the rules. But what’s the consequence of this? How flexible are employers going to be for parents who have used up all their carers leave, who need to self-isolate with their child who is unable to go to school or nursery until you know they don’t have Covid?

So last Thursday night, T started with a cough. I went online to try and book him a test. No appointments. I tried every couple of hours. I was occasionally offered a drive through test centre in Birmingham (a 4 hour round trip - no thanks!!). From his first symptoms to getting a test within a reasonable distance of our house took around 46 hours. 

In fairness we got the results back in just under 28 hours, which I know is much quicker than a lot of people, so I’m thankful for that. And most of this unfolded on days T wouldn’t have been in nursery anyway, and Adam was already scheduled to work from home, again very grateful for that.

The impact of playing by the rules

Let’s do the maths. If T had got those symptoms on Sunday evening, we would have paid for 3 nursery days that he couldn’t attend. We’re fortunate that our employers are happy for us to work from home, but what if they weren’t? We both would have been out of work for 3 days. We’re fortunate that we have some carers allowance with our jobs, but what if we didn’t? Unpaid leave or annual leave I guess. Then imagine this happens once a month… 

How long is it going to be before working parents feel pushed out of the workforce because they have to look after their children? Let me tell you. Not long. It’s already happening. Have a read of the results from the survey Pregnant Then Screwed just carried out. 

Working parents might previously have relied on family to look after their children, but may no longer have that option due to health concerns for those family members or maybe even local lockdowns that state they cannot be in each other’s homes. Working parents can’t fully rely on school or nursery for childcare given the unpredictable nature of not knowing if their child will develop a symptom.

Let me be clear. I’ve not got a problem with the rules, let’s keep people safe. The thing that I’m struggling to wrap my head around is the apparent inflexibility of some employers. 

Let me also be clear, this isn’t every employer. I have so much respect and gratitude for my manager who has been so supportive while I’ve been juggling work and childcare through this pandemic. The charity I work for have been amazing, and I know there are positive stories of employers getting it right.

What does all this mean for working parents?

For those working parents who are being made to feel like they have to choose their career or their kids… how is that ok?!

How is it ok that working Mums feel like they’re being punished for choosing to work? How is it ok for working Mums who have negotiated their contracted hours around their family are still made to feel bad for leaving the office when their contract hours state they can?

Something needs to change

What if life came before the 9-5 rat-race? What if work just felt like part of your life, rather than something you dread? What if flexible working was expected, not something you have to jump through hoops to request and potentially have it refused? What if you were never put in a position where you had to choose between your job or your children? What if you felt like your career truly worked for you and your family?

I’m really sorry if Covid is impacting your career. I’m really sorry if you’re feeling pushed out of the workplace. I’m really sorry that I don’t have any answers for you to make it better right away, but I do want to help. Please feel free to reach out if you’d like some support.

How I might be able to help you

I’ve created a mini course: End Career Paralysis. Will it make Covid disappear? Unfortunately not. Will it help you get a Covid test for your kid quicker? No. Will it help you make a decision about what to do in your career? Yes.

This will help you if you’re stuck trying to decide whether it’s worth staying in your job, or not. Sign up for this training if you’re weighing up options of whether you should look for another job, hoping to work for an employer who might be a bit more flexible and understanding. Sign up for this training if you’re trying to make a decision of whether to go self-employed, or not. Sign up for this training if you’re considering taking a career break to look after your kids for a couple of years. Basically, if you’re in the process of making a decision about what to do about your job, I’d encourage you to sign up. I know it can really help you.

You can sign up here. I really would love to help you get through this rubbish time, and come out of the other side with a career that works for you and your family.