Should I work from home when my child is ill?
Should I turn on my computer when I am at home with an ill child? Or is it okay not to work? Learn more about the rules.
Five days off with pay
If you are employed under the standard collective agreement of Finansforbundet, you are entitled to up to five days off with pay to either arrange for appropriate care or care for the child yourself.
Working from home is much more common nowadays, and so it may be difficult for some people to tell their manager that they're staying away from their computer until their child is well again.
"There's no doubt that the generally good possibilities for working at home contribute to blurring the lines between people's work and private life. But this doesn't mean that the rights of employees in relation to absence due to child illness have changed," emphasises Mette Hjøllund Schousboe.
Therefore, the collective agreement provisions continue to apply to exactly the same extent as before.
"In other words, there is no rule that you have to work when you have an ill child, nor that you have to make up for lost time in the evening," explains Mette Hjøllund Schousboe.
These are the rules
- The standard collective agreement entitles you to paid absence for up to five days if you have a child under the age of 15 living at home (or your relationship with the child is similar to that of parental responsibility).
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If you are absent for more than two days, you will have to explain to your employer why you still need to look after your child.
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You do not necessarily have to take the days off in succession or take the first day off on the child’s first day of illness. But if you leave work early to pick up your ill child, it counts as an entire day.
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If you work as an insurer, you may take time off in full or in part with pay for up to two days. If your child is ill for more than two days, you may take unpaid leave until your child recovers or someone else is able to look after them.
Talk about it in your department
She recommends discussing the topic in your department as there may be others experiencing the same kind of pressure as you.
"It's a good idea to involve the head of local union and the management so that a good and constructive discussion can be had about the culture in your department," says Mette Hjøllund Schousboe.